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I would have loved to write something for you all that would make
this holiday season more special, but I find myself sorely lacking in
divine inspiration. Instead, I'll share two stories that are among the
required reading -- along with the Christmas story -- for my family each
Christmas, and which wonderfully capture some of the meaning of the
season. They are "Marvin The Cobbler" and "My Christmas Rifle."
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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 Camp
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I've never bought into the concept that there's too much hustle and
bustle around the holidays. And while one could make a good case for
rampant materialism during this time, I'm a diehard capitalist. Plus, I
like giving and receiving gifts as much as the next person. The biggest
challenge of the commercialization of the holidays is to make sure that
one's priorities are aligned right.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed the diagnosis this
week of another case of BSE, this one in a 13-year-old beef cow from
Alberta. It's the 11th confirmed case of BSE for Canada.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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Four Reasons to Use the Micro Beef Listing Service
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4. Sale Types: Cattle are available from video, and livestock
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View the listings at www.microbeef.com/cattlelisting
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The U.S. is under constant threat of a foreign animal disease
sneaking across the border, either intentionally or by accident, and the
U.S. must be ever vigilant, says Steve Van Wie, a consulting
veterinarian with the Department of Homeland Security.
Van Wie says evidence that the disease is on al Qaida's list of
terrorist weapons was found in Afghanistan "written in perfect English,"
according to the Billings Gazette. There is also the threat of
domestic terrorism from animal rights groups which have openly raised
the possibility of attacking U.S. food animals.
-- Burt Rutherford
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A number of ag organizations called on Congress to complete the farm
bill no later than late January or early February. In a letter to the
Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Ag Committees, the
groups said, "As you know, this is the time of year when farm and ranch
families, along with their lenders, need to make serious financial
decisions for the upcoming year. Some farm families actually expect to
head into the fields in just two months and, of course, fall-planted
crops are already in the ground. So we cannot overstate the critical
importance of completing the farm bill and having a safety net in place
by late January or early February."
Those signing the letter included the American Farm Bureau Federation,
American Sheep Industry Association, American Soybean Association,
American Sugar Alliance, National Association of Wheat Growers, National
Cotton Council, National Farmers Union, National Milk Producers
Federation, and the USA Rice Federation.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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The American Angus Association(R) (AAA) has released a new research
docility genetic evaluation. The report includes sire docility expected
progeny differences (DOC EPDs), a tool to increase the chance of a
sire's calves having calm behavior compared to calves of other sires.
Sally Northcutt, AAA genetic research director, suggests using docility
EPDs as part of a complete selection program in the event a producer is
looking to improve a herd's cattle temperament. The EPDs are based on
nearly 40,000 yearling temperament scores submitted by Angus breeders.
The report is available at www.angussiresearch.com,
and printed copies are available on request (816-383-5100).
-- AAA release
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The 2006 economic impact of Texas ag exports due to the Central
American Free Trade Agreement-Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR) has led to
more than 2,400 jobs and $185 million in business activity, according to
a Texas A&M study.
Texas beef, along with crops like cotton, fruits and vegetables and
poultry and dairy, benefit most from exports resulting from the
agreement. The U.S., along with Central America and the Dominican
Republic, began implementing the agreement in 2006. In addition to the
Dominican Republic, the agreement includes Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
"In the future, however, as CAFTA-DR evolves into a more value-added
product market, it's likely that exports of processed foods, snack
foods, beverages and consumer-ready items will increase," said Parr
Rosson, director of the Center for North American Studies and Extension
economist. "These exports will be important to Texas because additional
business activity and employment will be needed to support
production."
-- Texas A&M University release
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Information required. Success expected. Rely on the power of
Angus data, industry leading technology, continuing research and
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www.angus.org
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Research shows calmer cows have higher levels of milk production,
which translates into more pounds of calf weaned. Meanwhile, calves with
calmer temperaments exhibit a better response to vaccination at weaning,
tend to exhibit better growth performance and body composition, are
quieter and calmer in the feedlot during handling and have higher
average daily gains (ADG) than cattle with more excitable temperaments.
Calmer cattle also save on wear and tear on facilities, equipment and
personnel.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
AGA news release
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Congress has recessed for the year and will not return until
mid-January. President Bush will deliver his State of the Union address
the end of January to present his priorities for 2008.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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The European Union (EU) on Wednesday clamped down on imports of
Brazilian beef, effective Jan. 31, 2008, citing "serious and repeated
deficiencies" in Brazil's animal health and traceability systems.
Imports will only be allowed from an approved list of processors who
have met EU criteria.
The animals on those approved holdings must have been kept in one of the
EU-approved territories for at least 90 days and must remain on the
listed holding for at least 40 days prior to slaughter. If animals from
non EU-authorized territories are introduced to a listed holding,
another 90-day standstill is required for all animals on that holding.
All animals on the listed holdings must be ID'd and registered in the
national ID system for cattle.
The new regulations are a result of inspections carried out by the EU's
Food and Veterinary Office in November that found many discrepancies in
holding registrations, animal ID and movement controls for cattle.
"Despite a series of warnings from the European Commission (EC) after
previous inspections, the Brazilian authorities failed to take the
appropriate measures to correct these problems and to fully meet EU
requirements," the EC said in a statement. "Therefore, the Commission
feels it is necessary to increase the restrictions on Brazilian beef
imports in order to maintain a high level of protection for animal
health in the EU, while avoiding the alternative of an outright
ban."
De-boned and matured beef, which were certified and dispatched prior to
the entry into force of the decision, will be allowed for import until
March 15, 2008.
-- Meghan Sapp, Brussels, Belgium
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Congress passed an omnibus appropriations bill that included the
fiscal year 2008 appropriations for the federal government including
USDA. The bill also extended a number of provisions of the current farm
bill until March 15, 2007. This is to give time for the House-Senate
farm bill conference committee to complete the farm bill early next
year.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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The average value of an acre of Iowa farmland increased by just more
than $700 during the past year to reach an all-time high of $3,908/acre.
That's according to an annual survey conducted by Iowa State University
(ISU) Extension. ISU farm economist Mike Duffy says the land boom is
being driven by the developing biofuel economy.
"My general feeling is that the land market will remain strong for at
least the next five years," Duffy says. "We have seen a fundamental
shift in demand for corn due to ethanol production. I don't think this
demand will diminish in the near future."
This year's 22% increase makes it the greatest one-year increase since
1976, and marks a new record for the fifth year in a row. Since 2000,
Iowa land values have increased an average of $2,051/acre; more than a
100% increase over the 2000 average of $1,857.
Increasing values were reported statewide, with the survey recording
averages above $5,000/acre in five counties and between
$4,000-$5,000/acre in 51 counties. Of the nine crop reporting districts
in the state, northwest Iowa reported the highest average value at
$4,699/acre. The lowest average was in south central Iowa at
$2,325/acre. North central Iowa percentage increase was the highest at
25.3%, while east central Iowa recorded the lowest increase at 14.7%.
Survey participants were asked to indicate positive and negative factors
that affected land prices during 2007. Good grain prices (35%) and low
interest rates (10%) were listed as positive factors. Negative factors
included high input costs (25%), high land prices in general (12%), and
a concern over how long the market would remain at high levels (11%).
For more, visit: www.extension.iastate.edu/landvalue/.
-- ISU news release
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Kansas State University (KSU) will host several calving schools
around the state to help cattlemen prepare for the upcoming calving
season.
Times and locations for the schools are:- Jan. 14 -- 5:30 p.m.,
St. Francis 4-H Building, 785-332-3171.
- Jan. 15 -- 9:30 a.m., Philips County Fairgrounds, Phillipsburg,
785-543-6845.
- Jan. 15 -- 5:30 p.m., Jackson County Fair Building, Holton,
785-364-4125.
- Jan. 16 -- 10 a.m., Cloud County Community College,
785-243-8185.
Bob Mortimer, a Colorado State University DVM will
conduct the schools and demonstrate proper ways to assist with various
calving difficulties. There is no fee but reservations are requested by
calling the number at the location you plan to attend.
-- KSU release
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The farm bill contains a number of provisions concerning the
livestock and meat industries. The two most significant are the packer
ban and country-of-origin labeling (COOL).
A number of proposals were not included in the final bill. These
included Sen. Mike Enzi's (R-WY) captive-supply amendment, which would
have limited contracts to 30 head of cattle and 40 head of swine; Sen.
Chuck Grassley's (R-IA) amendment to create a special council at USDA
for competition and a task force to investigate concentration in ag; and
Sen. John Tester's (D-MT) business justification amendment. The
livestock title includes:- Bans packer ownership of livestock 14
days prior to slaughter. The bill prohibits packers to "own or feed
livestock directly, through a subsidiary, or through an arrangement that
gives the packer operational, managerial, or supervisory control over
the livestock, or over the farming operation that produces the
livestock."
- Includes mandatory COOL for beef, pork, lamb and chicken. The
Senate added chickens to the requirement.
- Expands provisions of the Ag Fair Practices Act to producer members
of associations or cooperatives.
- Allows for the interstate shipment of state-inspected meat.
- Makes arbitration in livestock and poultry contracts voluntary under
the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA).
- With some exceptions, requires 90-day notice for contract
termination when the producer has made a capital investment of $100,000
or more for the sole purposes of securing the contract.
- Provides USDA enforcement authority over live poultry dealers under
PSA.
- Requires the USDA Secretary to conduct a study of wholesale pork
reporting under the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act.
- Amends the Animal Health Protection Act to make unauthorized use of
info obtained through an animal ID system unlawful. And it establishes
parameters on the use of such info by the USDA Secretary.
- Reauthorizes the National Sheep and Goat Industry Improvement
Center, which provides assistance to sheep and goat producers for
infrastructure development, business development, production, resource
development, and market and environmental research. Provides $1 million
in mandatory funds.
- Includes a Sense of Congress outlining the threat that feral swine
pose to the domestic swine population.
- Authorizes a voluntary national certification program for trichinae
testing.
The House-passed farm bill does not include a livestock/competition
title.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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"Animal Care and Well-Being: Facts Not Fiction," is the theme of the
National Institute for Animal Ag's (NIAA) 2008 annual meeting, April
1-3, in Indianapolis, IN. Part of the meeting is a one-day ID*INFO
Workshop set for April 3.
Jerome Geiger, planning committee chair, says, "This meeting is an ideal
time for producers, animal health and management professionals, animal
ag extension specialists and all individuals involved in animal ag --
cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry and equine -- to gather in one
place, exchange information and take an in-depth look at animal care and
well-being."
A schedule of events for NIAA's annual meeting and the 2008 ID*INFO
Workshop, meeting registration, list of NIAA committees and hotel
information are at www.animalagriculture.org.
Or call 270-782-9798.
-- NIAA release
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Nebraska is the 10th state to register at least 50% of its livestock
premises under the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).
Meanwhile, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reports a
total of 430,893 livestock premises have been registered nationwide as
of Dec. 17, out of an estimated 1.4 million production premises in the
U.S.
Other states that have topped the 50% mark are: Idaho, Indiana,
Michigan, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Utah and
Wisconsin. West Virginia is at 49.8%, while Delaware, Iowa and
Massachusetts have reached 40%. View your state's progress at: animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/naislibrary/documents/plans_reports/NAIS_Prem_Stat_Report.pdf.
Premises registration is a crucial first step in building a national
emergency program with a 48-hour traceback capability on any animal in
the event of an animal disease emergency. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov/nais.
-- USDA news release
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Local and regional experts in cattle nutrition, economics, marketing
and animal health will be featured at the first annual Okanogan Beef
Information Days, Jan. 7 and Jan. 21 from 6-9 p.m., at the Mount Olive
Grange Hall in Riverside, WA.
Organized by Washington State University (WSU) Extension and the
Okanogan County Cattlemen's Association, the programs include
presentations on:- Jan. 7 -- "Beef Quality Assurance: It's More
Than Just Lessons" and "What Can Go Wrong In Calving: Calfhood
Diseases."
- Jan. 21 -- "Economics And Marketing Issues For Tomorrow's Beef
Industry," "Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) Pilot Project And BVD Control On
The Ranch," and "Cow-Calf Herd Nutrition And Supplementing
Strategies."
Registration is $5 at the door, and includes
refreshments, handouts, and a copy of the new Beef Management Calendar.
To RSVP, or for more info, call 509-422-7245 or e-mail suverly@wsu.edu.
WSU Extension release
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Oklahoma Extension personnel, in conjunction with Cattlemen's Choice
Feedyard at Gage, OK, are planning for the 2008 Great Western Feed-Out,
which allows cow-calf producers to send from 5-40 head to the feedyard
and obtain feedyard and carcass data on their calves. Oklahoma producers
interested in participating should contact their county Extension agent.
Entries are open through Jan. 18.
-- Woodward, OK News
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President George W. Bush signed into law the "Energy Independence
and Security Act" that passed the House of Representatives by a vote of
314-100. The bill increases the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to 36
billion gals. of renewable fuels by 2022 with 15 billion gals. from
corn-based ethanol.
The bill also provides for 21 billion gals. of advanced biofuels,
including 16 billion gals. of cellulosic ethanol, by 2022. In addition,
it includes a requirement to increase the efficiency of motor vehicles
to 35 mpg by 2020.
In signing the bill, Bush said, "Today we make a major step with the
Energy Independence and Security Act. We make a major step toward
reducing our dependence on oil, confronting global climate change,
expanding the production of renewable fuels and giving future
generations of our country a nation that is stronger, cleaner and more
secure."
Those supporting the bill included the American Farm Bureau Federation,
American Coalition for Ethanol, American Jewish Committee, Consumer
Federation of America, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Defenders
of Wildlife, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn
Growers Association, National Farmers Union, National Wildlife
Federation, Presbyterian Church USA Washington Office, Sierra Club, The
United Methodist Church-General Board of Church in Society, The
Wilderness Society, United Auto Workers, and United Steel Workers.
However, the American Meat Institute (AMI) stated its objections to the
energy bill by saying, "While we fully support efforts to increase U.S.
energy security, we should not be trading food security for the elusive
goal of energy security. The RFS included in this bill reflects a
shortsighted approach that will drive the price of corn even higher than
the levels we've seen in the last 12 months."
In addition, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) criticized
the RFS mandate.
"We're not saying, 'let's hit the brakes' on ethanol production. We're
saying, 'let's take our foot off the gas' when it comes to increasing
the mandate even more," says Jay Truitt, NCBA's vice president of
government affairs. "Allow the marketplace to become a factor in the
growth of this industry, and allow the livestock sectors' concerns to be
considered."
Of special concern, says Truitt, is the absence of any sort of mechanism
to reduce the mandate in the event of a short corn crop.
"We have seen the impacts of drought and other natural disasters on
prices and supplies in the past," he says. "What happens to the needs of
traditional users of corn if we simply don't have enough corn to meet
this mandate? With corn prices trading above $4 for the foreseeable
future, the livestock industry is facing some significant adjustments
now that the government has stepped into the marketplace."
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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"Global Beef Opportunities: Blazing New Trails" is the theme for
this year's International Livestock Congress-USA, set for Jan. 15 in
Denver. Beef producers, students, retailers, packers and other industry
leaders will gain insight into global beef demand and what producers
from around the world are doing to supply beef into a dynamic global
marketplace.
The lineup of speakers represents international leaders who will help
ILC-USA 2008 participants understand what goes on beyond international
borders and how beef producers are facing the challenges of competing
proteins in the U.S. and abroad. In addition, pre-congress tours set for
Jan. 14 will cover multiple segments of the beef-supply chain, varying
from a large commercial cattle feeding operation to a packing plant and
on through to a major retail beef distribution center.
Registration is $175/person and $125 for students, and includes a
continental breakfast, lunch and admittance to the National Western
Stock Show. An $87/night hotel rate is available at the Renaissance
Denver Hotel (800/228-9290). Mention ILC-USA, or visit www.Renaissancedenver.com
and input ILCILCA in the group code section (cutoff date for this rate
is Dec. 22).
For more on the program, or to register, visit www.theisef.com/ilcusa.aspx
or call 303-297-1166.
-- Clint Peck
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The Senate passed the $286 billion 2007 farm bill, "The Food and
Energy Security Act," by a vote of 79-14. This was a strong bipartisan
vote considering the challenges the bill faced in getting through the
Senate. The House-Senate farm bill conference committee will begin
meeting in January; the goal is to complete the farm bill by March 1.
The bill continues the current commodity program with increases in loan
rates and target prices for various commodities. It also offers
producers an alternative beginning with the 2010 crop year. Producers
will be able to choose to participate in a state-level revenue
protection system, the "Average Crop Revenue Program," that had been
introduced by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
The bill also extends key conservation programs. The Conservation
Reserve Program (CRP) is reauthorized at 39.2 million acres. The
Conservation Security Program, now to be called the Conservation
Stewardship Program, is to increase by more than 13 million acres/year
to a total of 80 million acres. Increased funding is provided for the
Wetland Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP), and the Grassland Reserve Program. The bill also includes a
strong energy title that focuses on cellulosic ethanol.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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This week, livestock cloning companies ViaGen, Inc. and Trans Ova
Genetics introduced a supply chain management program to identify cloned
animals as they enter the food chain. The program acts as a marketing
claim, similar to other process-based programs in ag such as USDA's
Certified Organic Program or Halal Meat Certification, but its aim is to
allow companies in the food chain to identify and possibly exclude
cloned animals.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Alaina Burt
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In regard to the Dec. 14 letter, "Accept Change And Get On With It,"
what the ethanol issue comes down to is theft by policy. And to lie down
and let lobbyists take control of our lives with ethanol mandates and
subsidies is unpatriotic.
The logical policy would be to let markets determine what fuels and
feeds are used. Not only is it wrong to force consumers to subsidize oil
or ethanol or corn, it increases costs for all of us and also promotes
war because the interdependence of trade discourages war.
The push for energy independence mostly comes from industries that seek
an undeserved advantage in the market. The unseen equation in this
debate is how much more prosperous we would all be if supply and demand
ruled markets instead of the influence of special interests.
Fritz Groszkruger
Dumont, IA
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