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The Jan. 4 BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly item, "When It Comes To
Marketing, Timing Is Everything," by Clint Peck, contained an
attribution error. The section on "Cow marketing" should have been
attributed to Jason K. Ahola, University of Idaho Extension beef
specialist, who is based at the Caldwell Research and Extension Center.
Contact him at jahola@uidaho.edu, 208/454-7654.
We apologize for the oversight.
-- Joe Roybal
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The biggest news of the week was the Food and Drug Administration's
(FDA) announcement that clones from cattle, swine and goats are safe for
human consumption. It was of little surprise, however, as everyone knew
FDA would eventually have to stamp its approval to cloned products
because the science is so clear.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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Football has the Super Bowl, soccer has the World Cup, and baseball
has its World Series. For the seedstock and show industries, it's the
National Western Stock Show (NWSS), which has been billed as the Super
Bowl of cattle shows for a lot of years. NWSS is the bellwether event
for the year, setting the tone for the entire seedstock industry and for
various breeds.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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The 2007 U.S. corn crop's final production tally is 13.1 billion
bu., which eclipses the previous high, set in 2004, of 11.8 billion bu.
According to USDA's "Crop Production 2007 Summary," released Jan. 11 by
USDA's National Ag Statistics Service (NASS), 2007 production topped
2006's by 24%. Cotton and rice yields also hit all-time highs.
Total U.S. corn acreage in 2007 was 93.6 million acres, a 19% jump over
2006 and the most since 1944's 95.5 million acres. In addition, the 86.5
million acres of corn harvested for grain was the most since 1933, and
22% greater than 2006. Average corn yield was 151.1 bu./acre -- second
only to 2004's 160.4 bu./acre, and up 2 bu. from last year.
Soybeans suffered as a result of more corn acres, as U.S. farmers
planted and harvested 16% fewer soybean acres in 2007 than in 2006. A
total of 63.6 million acres were planted in soybeans, and 62.8 million
harvested. Soybean production, at 2.6 billion bu., was down 19% from the
3.2-billion-bu. record of 2006, while the average yield was 41.2
bu./acre, 1.5 bu. below last year.
Grain sorghum production was 505 million bu., an 82% increase over 2006.
Planted area totaled 7.72 million acres, up 18% from 2006. Harvested
acreage, at 6.81 million acres, was up 38%, and average yield was 74.2
bu./acre.
See the full report at www.nass.usda.gov.
-- National Ag Statistics Service
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If you want leading-edge research on how ethanol co-products work in
cattle diets, mark your calendar for the High Plains Biofuels Co-Product
Nutrition Conference, Feb. 20 at the Plaza Hotel in Garden City, KS.
Researchers from seven different universities will look at the impact of
ethanol production on the feedyard industry from a variety of
perspectives, including potential toxicity issues, use in steam-flaked
corn diets and other topics. For more info, contact Chris Reinhardt,
Kansas State University Extension feedlot specialist, at cdr3@ksu.edu or 785-532-1672.
-- Burt Rutherford
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Participants may enroll by contacting Marilou Wegner,
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e-mail mwegner@charolaisusa.com.
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A December Nielsen Homescan Consumer Panel survey reveals the No. 1
way consumers are dealing with today's high prices at the pump is by
"combining errands and trips" (70% of respondents). "Eating out less"
(41%) and "doing more things at home" (39%) were second and third.
About half (49%) of consumers said they were either "reducing spending a
small" or "great degree" to deal with rising gas prices. This represents
a whopping increase of thirteen percentage points from 2005 and an
alarming four percentage points from June of this year.
-- FMI/Nielsen/Lempert E Newsletter
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced this week that meat
and milk from clones of cattle, swine, and goats, and the offspring of
clones from any species traditionally consumed as food, are as "safe to
eat as food from conventionally bred animals." FDA indicated it will not
require labeling of clone-derived milk and meat because it has
determined the safety concerns are no different than traditional food.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C. correspondent
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A 20-member Indiana task force has begun work on examining how the
state's ag businesses are regulated, a difficult task since there are 13
agency functions that regulate Hoosier ag.
The task force was created to examine Indiana's regulatory structure and
take steps, if necessary, to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of
the state's regulatory system. "The ag sector has grown and is growing,"
Ted McKinney of Dow AgroSciences, task force chairman, told the
Rushville (IN) Republican. "So government has to have the
capacity to fulfill the needs that come with that growth."
The task force will prepare a report by December for the governor and
the legislature.
-- Rushville Republican
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Acting USDA Secretary Chuck Conner says USDA's position remains that
there will not be any early release of Conservation Reserve Program
(CRP) contracts. He made the announcement at the American Farm Bureau
Federation's (AFBF) annual meeting. Conner said CRP is not to be used to
"manage supply and demand" and if acres are to leave CRP, it should be
because of market forces after the contract expires.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service (UW CES) is
offering a one-day workshop in Powell to provide ranchers and farmers on
the ins and outs of adopting "natural" or "organic" production methods.
"Organic and Natural -- What Are They?" is set for 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.,
Feb. 15, at the Park County Fairgrounds.
Discussed will be: certified organic beef, natural beef and Wyoming
Verified Beef. Other topics include: management of manure in an organic
operation, analyzing the viability of new enterprises (participants will
be provided a take-home, risk-analysis CD), organic production rules and
regulations, what to expect in an organic inspection, and a producer
panel will share their experiences in switching to natural or organic
production.
Registration is $50, which includes lunch, and is due Feb. 8. Make
checks payable to UW CES, and mail to: UW CES, 655 E. 5th St., Powell,
WY 82435. For more info, contact Sandy Frost at 307-754-8836 or sfrost1@uwyo.edu.
-- UW CES news release
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The radical animal rights group The Humane Society of the U.S.
(HSUS) this week announced it had formed a "corporate combination
agreement" with the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights. The
new group will be called the Humane Society Veterinary Medical
Association (HSVMA).
The group's goal is to compete with the American Veterinary Medical
Association (AVMA) and, among other things, to effect change in animal
ag's handling of livestock. "All too often, the AVMA sides with
animal-use industries and not with animals," said Wayne Pacelle, the
vegan president and CEO of HSUS.
Among the new group's efforts will be outreach to veterinary students
and vet technicians. Already, HSUS has collaborative programs with
veterinary schools at Louisiana State and Mississippi State
universities.
-- HSUS release
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The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) said, "Milk and meat from
cloned animals and their offspring will enter the food supply. They can
do so immediately. The products will not be labeled as such and American
consumers will have no way to avoid consuming them." CFA also said USDA
has no ability to penalize anyone who ignores the "voluntary" moratorium
on a product the FDA as cleared as safe and "USDA does not have
commitments from cloning companies not to sell their animals for
food."
Meanwhile, the National Farmers Union (NFU) said, "The economic
implications of introducing products from cloned animals into the
marketplace could be potentially devastating for family farmers and
consumers. NFU believes consumers have the right to know if the food
they feed their families comes from cloned animals."
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) applauded the decision and
said, "Cloning technology will give farmers and ranchers an additional
production option. It has gone through the appropriate regulatory review
process and has been found to be safe; therefore, farmers should have
the option of using it. The technology will improve breeding stock and,
eventually, the quality, safety and healthfulness of our food. Animal
cloning offers great benefits for consumers and farmers."
The National Milk Producers Federation in a statement said, "While we
are reassured that FDA's review finds no health or safety issues with
food from cloned animals, we strongly support the request made to
continue the moratorium on the marketing of cloned animals and their
products during a transition period allowing for the examination of the
potential economic implications of a change in the marketing
environment."
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) has indicated he plans to introduce
legislation to temporarily repeal the ethanol tariff. The reason is to
make more corn available for dairy farmers and "reduce milk prices."
The ethanol tariff is 54¢/gal. of imported ethanol. This issue was
proposed a couple of years ago and met strong resistance in Congress at
that time.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline retreated from
the highest recorded January price, dropping 4.1¢ to $3.068/gal.,
as of Jan. 14, or 83.9¢ above a year ago. Meanwhile, the average
price for retail diesel fell 5¢ to $3.326, or 86.3¢ more than
last year.
Gasoline was lower across the U.S., with the Midwest falling 9.1¢
to $3.01, 93.3¢ more than last year; the East Coast shaved
1.6¢ to $3.108; the Gulf Coast 2¢ to $2.957; the Rocky
Mountain region 0.1¢ to $2.949; and the west Coast 3.3¢ to
$3.214. The average price for regular grade in California fell 3.8¢
to $3.29.
All regional prices for diesel were also lower. The East Coast shaved
4.5¢ to $3.391, the Midwest 5.7¢ to $3.288, the Gulf Coast
5.2¢ to $3.266, the Rocky Mountains 1.5¢ to $3.261, and the
West Coast 5.4¢ to $3.42. California fell 6.7¢ to
$3.459/gal.
-- Energy Information Administration
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South Korea hopes to resolve its beef-trade spat with the U.S. as
early as possible in order to bolster chances of parliamentary approval
of the free-trade agreement signed last June, reports korea.net. The agreement needs to be
approved by the Korean National Assembly and the U.S. Congress.
Seoul currently allows only boneless U.S. beef products from cattle less
than 30 months of age. The U.S. is demanding a full market reopening as
a condition of FTA approval.
Korean officials say the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade reported
to President-elect Lee Myung-bak's transition team "that the government
will speed up the resolution of the beef trade spat, thus pressing the
U.S. Congress to ratify the trade pact."
--korea.net.
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A stolen refrigerated trailer loaded with ground beef products, some
of which tested positive for E. coli bacteria, has been found but
14,800 lbs. of product is still missing ("Tractor-Trailer Full Of
Recalled Ground Beef Stolen," Dec. 4 BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly). Landlinemag.com reports a joint
effort is underway by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the
Dallas (TX) Environmental and Health Services Department to try to
recover the missing products, which reports say has been shopped around
by an individual to Dallas residents and area restaurants. More than 80%
of the product is still unaccounted for.
Agi Schafer, American Fresh Foods spokeswoman, told Landlinemag.com that the company's
focus is on protecting consumers who may have been "persuaded to buy
beef products under questionable circumstances." Schafer said a portion
of the ground beef products in the trailer was "segregated" after low
levels of E. coli contamination were detected in some of it. The
other products in the trailer were close to their expiration date.
-- Landlinemag.com
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USDA says U.S. beef (including variety meat) exports were 18% higher
in volume and 29% higher in value during the first 11 months of 2007
compared with the same period of 2006. The U.S. exported a total of
707,184 metric tons (mt) of beef, valued at $2.4 billion. Mexico was the
top destination with 330,195 mt of beef and beef variety meat for $1.091
billion, a 3% drop in volume but a 2% increase in value.
Exports to Canada soared 35% in volume (119,303 mt) and 38% in value to
$545.02 million. Meanwhile, beef plus beef variety meat exports to the
Middle East increased 10% to 88,156 mt ($101.95 million value), with the
majority being livers to Egypt (79,247 mt, estimated at nearly 85% of
exportable U.S. liver production). The United Arab Emirates is the
leading market for U.S. beef muscle cuts in the Middle East, with
exports increasing 58% to 2,645 mt.
U.S. beef (including variety meat) exports to Japan increased 282% in
volume, 310% in value -- 43,502 mt, $227.32 million invalue. And
although the market was only open intermittently from May through
September, the U.S. exported 25,102 mt of beef and beef variety meat to
South Korea, making it the fifth-largest market for U.S. beef
producers.
-- National Meat Association's Lean Trimmings
newsletter
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U.S. horses shipped to Mexico for slaughter more than tripled in
2007, after all three U.S. horse slaughter plants were closed, according
to the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. As
of Dec. 20, 2007, 44,475 horses had been shipped to Mexico for
processing. In addition, horse exports to Mexico for other reasons
nearly doubled in 2007, raising concerns that these horses are being
shipped for slaughter under false pretenses to avoid regulations. USDA
estimates Canadian facilities processed 35,000 horses in 2007.
In 2006, USDA estimates that 138,206 U.S. horses were processed,
according to the article. Of those, 102,260 were processed in the U.S.,
24,866 in Canada, and 11,080 in Mexico.
The concern is the treatment of horses once they cross the border into
Mexico, according to the article. "The reality is, proponents of this
legislation (the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, currently
pending in Congress) have done nothing to address the real issue here
and, in fact, by seeking to ban horse slaughter, they have made things
significantly worse," said Dr. Mark Lutschaunig, director of the
American Veterinary Medical Association Governmental Relations Division.
-- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical
Association
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The Senate Ag Committee will hold former North Dakota Gov. Ed
Schafer's confirmation hearing for USDA Secretary on Jan. 24. Schafer
was nominated by President George W. Bush last year after Mike Johanns
resigned to run for a U.S. Senate seat in Nebraska.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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Digital advertising is coming to shopping carts. The Associated
Press reports Microsoft spent four years working with Plano,
TX-based MediaCart Holdings Inc. on a grocery cart-mounted console that
helps shoppers find products in the store, then scan and pay for their
items without waiting in the checkout line. The companies plan to test
MediaCart in ShopRite supermarkets on the East Coast later this year.
Customers with a ShopRite loyalty card will be able to log into a
website at home and type in grocery lists. By swiping their card on the
MediaCart console at the grocery store, the list will appear. As
shoppers scan their items and place them in their cart, the console
gives a running price tally and checks items off the shopping list.
The system also uses radio-frequency ID to sense where the shopper's
cart is in the store. The RFID data can help ShopRite and food makers
understand shopping patterns, and the technology can also be used to
send certain advertisements to people at certain points of the store,
the article says.
-- Associated Press
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I found Troy Marshall's Jan. 11 article, "Should We Just Accept And
Adapt To Ethanol?" a well-written commentary that provides an objective
approach from a perspective outside the Corn Belt.
I agree that corn-based ethanol is not a long-term solution to the
energy shortage; we would be better served with expanded drilling in our
own significant oil reserves. However, ethanol does have an important
role as an oxygenate for clean air standards and on that basis deserves
support.
I would disagree that government policy toward ethanol (i.e., the
subsidies) is a "a gigantic move toward government control of the
marketplace." As Marshall alludes to earlier, there are also subsidies
of the oil industry, many of which have been in place for decades. Yet I
would hardly consider the government to be in control of the petroleum
marketplace.
Jeff Pastoor, P.A.S.
Senior Cattle Consultant
Land O'Lakes Beef Feeds
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Regarding "The Great White Shark Goes Red" in the Jan. 4 edition of
BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly, in golf terms, Greg Norman Australian Prime
brand manager Russ Supplee seems to have shanked one. He says,
"Certified Angus Beef® was a brand when it first started,
but now it's almost like saying Xerox in some ways."
It defies logic to think anyone would say all three words in the
Certified Angus Beef® brand name and maintain that it has
become generic, if indeed, that is the point. We noticed inclusion of
the ® for CAB, yet not for Xerox.
A consumer might say, "I tried some Angus beef and it was nothing
special." That would be due to the large number of "Angus" brands with
varying levels of quality -- in a market where it was impossible to
trademark the phrase, "Angus Beef."
But that is far from Supplee's comment, which goes on to say: "It's just
been out there for so long it's become diluted." Simply an uninformed
and impossible statement, but it could have negative impact on people
who just skim over, as many readers may. Since CAB is based on carcass
specifications, it cannot become "diluted."
And despite annual sales volume 15,000 times greater than Norman's
niche, every pound of CAB is tracked by our brand assurance division so
that we know consumers are getting the real thing. This same division
defends our trademarks around the world, including issues within
Australia.
Perhaps what Supplee's comment means is that a lot of consumers don't
understand that not all Angus is CAB.
With its specifications that include CAB Prime and CAB Natural -- to
include CAB Natural Prime, the world's leading quality brand of fresh
beef figures to hold its own against the imports.
Steve Suther
Industry Information Director
Certified Angus Beef LLC
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