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There were certainly a lot of records set in 2007. Fed-cattle prices
averaged right at $93/cwt. for the year -- a new record. Corn, wheat and
soybeans ended the year at or near all-time record levels.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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Rely on the power of Angus data, industry leading technology,
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I hope you're excited about 2008. I certainly am. I'm not talking
about growth in export markets, domestic demand increases, or a
continued shift away from commodity to value-added beef production.
While those are certainly all good things, the reality is that the
cattle business has and always will be ultra competitive. Some people
will prosper in the worst of times; some will struggle in the best of
times.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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Pro Golfer Greg Norman, an Australian known as "The Great White
Shark," has expanded his ranching and ag enterprises by introducing a
line of premium Wagyu beef into the U.S. Called "Greg Norman Australian
Prime," the line recently celebrated its first anniversary in the U.S.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Burt Rutherford
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More than 1,500 Minnesota cattle herds have tested negative for
bovine tuberculosis (TB) as part of a statewide surveillance program,
reports Minnesota's Board of Animal Health (BAH) this week. This
completes the testing campaign that began September 2006 aimed at
locating and eliminating any infection that might remain in the state
and bringing Minnesota closer to regaining TB-Free status, BAH says.
In addition to the 1,500 statewide surveillance herds, 326 herds were
tested as part of the state's disease investigation and area testing
efforts. Testing continues in northwestern Minnesota where the disease
has been found.
Find more info at www.bah.state.mn.us. Click on
"Bovine Tuberculosis" under the "Hot Topics" menu.
-- Minnesota Board of Health
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The 2006 annual report on U.S. animal health is available at: www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/content/printable_version/06_AHReport_508.pdf.
Prepared by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the
192-page Bulletin No. 801 is the third such report that provides a
wide-ranging review of the health of domestic animal resources in the
U.S.
"The report highlights significant epidemiologic events of 2006 and
provides insight into the nation's animal health surveillance
activities. In addition, the report presents an update on programs, both
new and existing that strive to maintain healthy livestock, poultry and
aquaculture populations," says John Clifford, deputy administrator for
veterinary services.
-- USDA
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The 2008 election has officially started with the Iowa caucuses held
yesterday. Republican candidate Mike Huckabee and Democrat Barak Obama
handily bested their party fields with 34% and 38%, respectively. On the
Republican side, other contenders included Mitt Romney with 25%, John
McCain and Fred Thompson 13%, Ron Paul 10%, Rudy Giuliani 4% and Duncan
Hunter 1%. For Democrats, John Edwards finished second with 30%, Hillary
Clinton 29%, Bill Richardson 2%, Joe Biden 1%, and Chris Dodd, Mike
Gravel and Dennis Kucinich with 0%.
Following the Iowa results, Biden and Dodd dropped out of the Democratic
race.
The next test is the New Hampshire presidential primary, which is Jan.
8, with Nevada and South Carolina to follow. The big day will be Feb. 5
when 25 states hold either their presidential primary or caucus. We
should know who the Democratic and Republican nominees will be by no
later than Valentine's Day.
Besides the Presidential election, there will be a number of vacant
House and Senate seats to be filled this year. As of this week, 24
Congressmen (19 Republicans and five Democrats) have announced they are
retiring or running for another office. In the Senate, five Republican
Senators have announced their retirements.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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The American Angus Association and Angus Productions Inc. offer
summer internships to college students who want to learn more about
breed association and publication work. The paid internships are 10-12
weeks long. The application deadline is Feb. 1. To learn more, visit
www.angus.org or call
816-383-5100.
-- AAA release
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After three straight years of double-digit increases in bison meat
sales, the National Bison Association (NBA) says it's poised to continue
the run in both production and sales in 2008.
USDA projects 2007 data will see an 18% increase in bison meat sales.
The harvesting of bison for meat will have nearly tripled since the USDA
began tracking the industry in 2000. As of Dec. 7, USDA says 47,098
bison have been processed under federal inspection, compared to 39,985
head during the comparable period in 2006.
Dave Carter, NBA executive director, says one of the association's 2008
priorities is to attract new producers. NBA says prices paid by ranchers
for breeding bison have surged by 20% over the previous year's average
at the November Custer State Park Bison auction, long considered a
bellwether sale for the industry.
To learn more, visit www.bisoncentral.com.
-- National Bison Association
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Touted as one of the most thorough cattle producer educational
programs in the nation, the 15th annual Cattlemen's College will be Feb.
6 in Reno. The program kicks off the 2008 Cattle Industry Convention and
Trade Show.
Three program tracks are available -- marketing, resource management and
production. Cattlemen's College registration also includes admission to
the Cattle-Fax Outlook Seminar on Feb. 7. Early registration for the
Cattlemen's College and Cattle Industry Convention ends Jan. 11. For
more info, visit www.beefusa.org.
-- National Cattlemen's Beef Association
release
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The House of Representatives will return on Jan. 15 and the Senate
on Jan. 22 to begin the second session of the 110th Congress. Among the
issues to be considered are the Iraq war, housing crisis, immigration,
fiscal year 2009 budget and tax policy. The major ag issue will be
completion of the farm bill. As this an election year, expect both
parties to raise issues they believe will help them in the November
election. This could be another year of partisan politics in Congress.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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The farm bill conference will officially begin this month. A major
issue to resolve will be how to fund the farm bill. The administration
has stated its strong objections to how the House and Senate each
approached funding of the farm bill and has threatened to veto the bill
if it includes raising taxes.
The administration also has concerns with the increases in loan rates
for various commodities and with the failure of Congress to lower the
Adjusted Gross Income eligibility cap for commodity-program payments.
The current law is $2.5 million, the administration is proposing
$200,000, while the House-passed bill is $1 million. Before leaving last
month, Congress extended the current farm bill until March 15, which
will be the deadline for the farm bill's completion.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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Cows have the capacity to gestate twin calves, but not without
decreased survival and body weight due to uterine crowding, researchers
at USDA's Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) conclude.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Alaina Burt
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Effective Jan. 1, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
was fully implemented. The last remaining trade restrictions are now
removed for U.S. exports to Mexico of corn, dry edible beans, nonfat dry
milk and high fructose corn syrup, and Mexican exports to the U.S. of
sugar and various horticultural products.
Concerning full NAFTA implementation, Acting USDA Secretary Chuck Conner
said, "It has contributed to significant increases in agricultural trade
and investment between the U.S., Canada and Mexico and has benefited
farmers, ranchers and consumers throughout North America."
Under NAFTA, U.S. ag exports to Canada and Mexico have increased from a
total of $10.1 billion in 1994 to an estimated $28 billion in 2008.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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Due to trichomoniasis infections in surrounding states, the Nebraska
Department of Ag issued an order to help protect livestock health.
Effective Jan. 1, the order includes additional importation requirements
for bulls and cows coming into Nebraska. For more info, contact the
Nebraska Department of Ag's Bureau of Animal Industry at 800-572-2437,
or log on to www.agr.state.ne.gov and
click on Animal Health.
-- Nebraska Department Of Ag release
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Find all the coverage of the January 2008 issue of BEEF
magazine at www.beefmagazine.com.
Included are the first installment of "Market Advisor" columnist Harlan
Hughes' series on price forecasting, vignettes on the U.S. cattle
industry's top environmental stewards, and the first article in a series
of coverage of the recent BEEF Quality Summit. You'll also find
some late-breaking research, a in-depth look at Power Genetics, and some
insight into how to play the local politics game.
-- Joe Roybal
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Check out www.cffm.umn.edu for new "2007 Ag
Income Tax Update for Farm Families," a University of Minnesota
Extension (UME) publication that outlines tax law changes affecting farm
families. Under "Publications," click on "Farm Management Topics."
Among the topics covered are: the standard deduction and personal
exemption, the federal mileage deduction, health spending accounts,
depreciation and self-employment tax.
One notable aspect for 2007 is the extension of the "Section 179
Depreciation Deduction" through the tax year ending Dec. 31, 2010, which
enables farmers to take advantage of higher depreciation rates. See the
"Ag Income Tax Update for Farm Families" for more details.
In addition, check out:- A section on Conservation Reserve Program
payments and self-employment tax that explains some of the confusing IRS
rulings and changes regarding how you are taxed based on your farming
status.
- A deferral option for taxes owed on crop insurance proceeds received
as a result of destruction or damage or the inability to plant crops
because of a natural disaster. "Ag Income Tax Update for Farm Families"
gives a real-life example of the formula for computing the deemed
revenue the insured received, taking into account multiple factors.
- An appendix includes federal and state tax rates, references and
other info.
Readers should remember that this Extension publication
is an education piece only, say UME's C. Robert Holcomb and Gary
Hachfeld. It's not intended to be legal or financial advice. For
specific questions on your farm business, contact your tax preparer.
-- Soybean e-Digest newsletter
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Cornell University Extension and the New York Beef Producers
Association announce two management sessions set for Jan. 25-26 at the
Holiday Inn, Carrier Circle, in Syracuse, NY.
"Utilizing Idled Grasslands" is the theme of a Jan. 25 meeting that will
look at: - Gaining access to idled lands: tax incentives,
contracts, agreements.
- Fencing and water development.
- Conversion of goldenrod to productive pasture.
- Enterprise opportunities: custom grazing, stocker
cattle.
Meanwhile, "Health Issues for the Cow Calf Herd" is set for
Jan. 26, and will detail how profitable herds spend their health
dollars. Among the topics are:- Scours
- Vaccines for the cow herd
- Modified-live virus vs. killed vaccines
- Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD)
- Cost of health programs
- Genetic selection for health
- Annual health calendar
Special this year is the opportunity to
customize your herd health program through participation in a workshop
with Mark Hilton, DVM, Purdue University, and a BEEF magazine
columnist. Limited to 15 farms, Hilton will help participants identify
the management practices that best meet their land, labor and
facilities.
To register, contact Megan Galloway at 607-965-8282 or nybpa2@aol.com. For more info on
the educational program, contact Mike Baker at 607-255-5923 or mjb28@cornell.edu.
-- Cornell University release
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After six weeks of decline, the U.S. average retail price for
regular gasoline jumped 7.3¢ to $3.053/gal., as of Dec. 31; that's
71.9¢ above a year ago. Meanwhile, diesel rose for the first time
since November, adding 3.7¢ to $3.345/gal., 76.5¢ higher than
last year.
Only the Rocky Mountain region dropped in gasoline price, shaving
0.7¢ to $2.921/gal. The East Coast rose 5.8¢ to $3.065, the
Midwest shot up 11.4¢ to $3.032, the Gulf Coast added 8.4¢ to
$2.92, and the West Coast was up 3.6¢ to $3.218. California reached
$3.298, up 3.7¢ from the previous week and 68.8¢ over last
year.
Regional prices for diesel were up in all regions. The East Coast gained
4.3¢ to $3.399, the Midwest added 3.2¢ to $3.309, the Gulf
Coast rose 4.7¢ to $3.293, and the Rocky Mountain price added
0.1¢ to $3.269. The West Coast was up 4¢ to $3.451; California
was up 5.7¢ to $3.491.
-- Energy Information Administration
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Scotland's first case of bluetongue virus has been found in a herd
of cattle imported from Germany, reports the BBC. One of 35 cattle
imported from a farm in Bremen tested positive for the virus following
routine post-import testing undertaken by the Animal Health Agency.
The Scottish Government said that, because the animal was imported, it
would not affect Scotland's "free area" status. Movement restrictions
have been imposed on the farm near Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway,
and the infected animal was to be culled.
--- BBC news item
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How large is Brazil's cattle herd? Results of a livestock census
conducted by IBGE, Brazil's institute of statistics, pegs the total
bovine population of the world's largest beef exporter at 169.9 million
head.
Estimates of Brazil's cattle population have varied wildly, says Sao
Paolo-based agribusiness consultancy AgraFNP in a news release. But the
Dec. 21 announcement was considerably lower than an IBGE estimate of 205
million head prior to the census results.
To its credit, AgraFNP, which publishes Brazilian Meat Monitor, says it
had maintained a forecast of 159 million head since May 2007.
-- AgraFNP news release
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USDA and American Fresh Foods, Fort Worth, TX, issued a public
health alert after 14,800 lbs. of ground beef products were stolen from
the company's parking lot last week.
Some of the product had tested positive for E.coli and pulled
back from sale to retail and food service. It was temporarily stored in
a refrigerated truck on the plant's property. The trailer also contained
some uncontaminated beef products close to their expiration date.
"Consumers need to know our meat products being sold through normal
retail channels -- such as grocery stores -- are safe," said Tim Biela,
chief food safety and quality assurance officer for American Fresh. "Our
primary concern, however, is for the safety of those people who may be
persuaded to buy beef products under questionable circumstances. Our
first priority is their safety. We do not know how this product has been
handled since it left our control. The stolen truck had only a limited
supply of refrigeration fuel."
American Fresh Foods is offering a reward for info leading to the
retrieval of the stolen property. The trailer has an "Xtra Lease" logo
on both side panels toward its rear and is described as a 2000 Great
Dane model with the trailer number Q61232. The truck has a Maine license
plate number 1925071.
Anyone with info should contact the Fort Worth Crime Stoppers hotline at
817-469-8477.
-- www.landlinemag.com
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In our quest to service readers in print, online and in person,
BEEF magazine is proud to present BEEF TV. It's designed
as an educational resource -- with new content daily -- to visually
demonstrate many of the concepts BEEF has conveyed to readers for
the past 40 years. The site also hosts videos from other sectors of the
ag industry.
Now, you can tune into 15 presentations from the 2007 BEEF
Quality Summit. Hear from experts such as Mike Connelly with Ruth's
Chris Steakhouse and Angelo Fili, Greater Omaha Beef as they answer the
question, "Are we filling the demand for quality beef today?" Or listen
to Kip Karges with Poet Nutrition as he talks about the current trends
in feeding ethanol co-products. Nebraska Cattlemen's Association
president, and producer, Jay Wolff shares how ethanol is affecting
Nebraska's beef industry.
You can find these episodes and more at www.beefmagazine.com/beeftv/.
-- Alaina Burt
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As the U.S. rang in the new year, the U.S. Census Bureau projected
the Jan. 1 population to be 303,146,284 -- up 2.8 million from New
Year's Day 2007.
In January, the U.S. is expected to register one birth every eight
seconds and one death every 11 seconds. Meanwhile, net international
migration is expected to add one person every 30 seconds. The net result
is an increase in the total U.S. population of one person every 13
seconds.
-- Census Bureau release
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Most U.S. beef producers manage their livestock around forage-driven
production systems. And because beef producers mostly calve in the
spring, they wean and market their calves in the fall. This causes a
supply bulge that over time has resulted in seasonally lower calf
prices.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Clint Peck
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