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It's absolutely striking to see how poorly the economy performs in
an election year, especially if there is not an incumbent running. Some
economists argue that this is nothing more than the business cycle and
that the cycle has more effect on elections than elections have on the
cycle. I don't attempt to argue that point, but I believe that the
economy, like everything else in life, is largely determined by our
attitudes.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has amended
regulations regarding the importation of animals and animal products
from regions that present a minimal risk of introducing bovine
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) into the U.S. Ten comments from the
August 2006 published rule are reflected in the amendments, published in
the Federal Register, Jan. 18, 2008. The following changes go
into effect Feb. 19, 2008.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Alaina Burt
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Congressman Jim Walsh (R-NY) announced he will retire from the House
of Representatives at the end of the year. Walsh makes the 21st House
Republican to announce he will not be running for re-election. Only five
Democrats have announced they are retiring from the House.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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USDA this week announced that Indonesia and Barbados have fully
reopened to U.S. beef. "Indonesia is setting the standard for other
Asian nations by agreeing to import U.S. beef and beef products
consistent with World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines,"
said acting Ag Secretary Chuck Conner.
Conner said USDA is equally optimistic about what the agreement with
Barbados means for U.S. beef exports to the Caribbean. "Barbados
possesses one of the strongest economies in the entire Caribbean and
enjoys some of the largest per-capita incomes," he said, in addition to
being a tourist destination.
U.S. beef exports to Indonesia reached a high of $17 million in 2005
with partial market access, Conner said, and USDA estimates the
agreement could cause beef exports to double in 2008 and 2009. In 2007,
Barbados imported U.S. beef worth $2.7 million.
-- USDA release
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The beef industry lost one of its visionary leaders on Sunday, Jan.
20 with the passing of Roy Wallace, long-time sire selection specialist
for Select Sires. Wallace began his career with Select Sires in 1967,
and he once told me, "It's the only job I've ever had."
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Kindra Gordon, for American Cowman
(www.americancowman.com)
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After an overnight flight from Miami, the 2008 Beef Study Tour of
South America landed in Argentina at 6 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20, and were
greeted by a beautiful summer morning in the low 80s (see the list of
participants at the end of this article).
Designed to provide participants with a first-hand, in-depth look at the
makeup and competitive positions of the Brazil and Argentina beef cattle
industries, the group will spend five days in Argentina and five days in
Brazil. During that time, we are meeting with beef producers,
researchers and government officials from both countries, as well as
touring cow-calf, stocker, feedlot and processing operations. Also on
the agenda is touring some of South America's most stunning tourist
destinations.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Joe Roybal
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Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) has re-launched its website, www.herefordbeef.net, to make
it more user-friendly for CHB's three publics: consumers, customers
(retail/foodservice) and producers. Visitors to the site can locate
grocery stores and restaurants selling CHB, or distributors in their
region.
The website also shares information on the CHB producer, including their
stewardship of the land and care given to animals. In the future, the
site will contain information geared specifically towards chefs and
cattlemen.
-- CHB news release
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The Senate returned this week with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
(D-NV) outlining priorities for the next few weeks. They include a
stimulus package, children's health care, global warming, patent reform,
and the 2008 Defense Authorization bill. Next Monday, President George
W. Bush will present his State of the Union address in which he will
report to the nation and outline his goals for this year and the future.
On Feb. 4th, the White House will release its budget for Fiscal Year
(FY) 2009. This will outline the administration's priorities for FY
'09.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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Even as the industry gets ready to honor the 2007 winners in the
Environmental Stewardship Awards Program (ESAP), the call has gone out
for 2008 nominations.
Nominations can be submitted by any organization, group or individual on
behalf of a U.S. cattle producer. Seven regional winners and one
national winner are selected each year by a committee of representatives
from universities, conservation organizations and federal and state
agencies. The deadline to submit nominations is March 14. For info, go
to www.beefusa.org/esap
or call 202-347-0228 to request a copy of the application.
-- NCBA release
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House and Senate Agriculture Committee staffs continue to meet on
the farm bill. However, until an agreement is reached between the
administration and Congress on how to fund the farm bill, little
progress will be made. Key issues will be the cost of the farm bill and
how it is funded and commodity payments to producers.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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With the recent Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) announcement on
meat and milk from cloned animals, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) is
urging the Senate to pass S. 414, the "Cloned Food Labeling Act." The
bill would require the FDA and USDA to mandate that all food that comes
from cloned animals be labeled: "THIS PRODUCT IS FROM A CLONED ANIMAL OR
ITS PROGENY." Mikulski said, "Labeling does two things. It gives
consumers the right to know, and allows scientists to monitor. My bill
allows the American public to make an informed decision." A companion
bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives by
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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USDA and Mexican officials met to discuss the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA) now that it has been fully implemented on Jan.
1, 2008. Mark Keenum, USDA under secretary of agriculture for farm and
foreign agriculture, said, "NAFTA has been a positive force for our
respective agricultural sectors, creating not only dramatic growth in
two-way agricultural trade, but providing our farmers, ranchers, and
processors with the potential to take advantage of new export
opportunities, while providing a clear and certain path to enhance
trade." With full implementation, all duties for U.S. agricultural
products have been removed. Canada and Mexico are now the number 1 and 2
export markets for U.S. agriculture.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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With the exception of parts of two eastern New Mexico counties, the
state is TB free, and officials are closing in on the disease in the
region of the counties designated as a TB Modified Accredited Advanced
Zone.
All the operations that had an association with an infected herd in
Curry county have been tested and no positive cows were found, said Tim
Hanosh, deputy state veterinarian. Additionally, all but one of the
dairies in the TB zone that require annual testing have been tested.
Depopulation of the infected Curry county herd has been completed with
approximately 11,500 cows depopulated. Five more positive cows were
discovered at slaughter from this herd. The cows all tested negative in
June 2007, Hanosh says, demonstrating the elusive nature of bovine
tuberculosis.
Monitoring continues on the herd in Eddy county that produced a positive
cow discovered at slaughter in February 2007. The herd underwent testing
last spring with no positives found and was tested again in December.
Results of that test are pending.
"There are seven cattle herds in New Mexico that have been designated as
potential high-risk TB herds," Hanosh said. "Three of seven have been TB
tested with no positive cattle diagnosed. The four remaining potential
high-risk herds will be tested in the near future."
In association with surrounding states, New Mexico has tightened its
regulations regarding TB. Effective Jan. 1, all intact diary cattle four
months of age and older are required to have a negative TB test prior to
receiving a New Mexico entry permit. All beef bulls over 12 months of
age are required to have a negative TB test prior to receiving an entry
permit and all breeding cattle entering the state must be individually
identified on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection with a
USDA-approved form of identification.
-- New Mexico Livestock Board
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USDA announced that the one-millionth acre has been enrolled in the
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Acting Secretary of
Agriculture Chuck Conner said, "Enrolling the one millionth acre is an
important milestone in the history of USDA's Conservation Reserve
Enhancement Program. By collaborating with agricultural producers, state
agencies and many other partners through this highly effective program,
USDA is improving water quality, wildlife habitat, soil productivity and
air quality throughout the country today and for the next generations."
CREP is a voluntary land retirement program that helps agricultural
producers protect environmentally sensitive land, decrease erosion,
restore wildlife habitat and safeguard ground and surface water. The
contracts for this program are 10 to 15 years. Participants convert the
enrolled land to grass, trees, wetlands, wildlife cover and other
conservation uses.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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Is the beef industry responding to consumer desires, or are those
desires driving what's in the meat case? The conclusion, according to
the 2007 National Meat Case Study, is both.
More than 120 retail supermarkets and 10 club stores in 48 cities across
the country were audited by the checkoff-funded study. Detailed info on
more than 157,000 packages (beef plus its competing meats) representing
more than 281,000 lbs. of meat was captured. The results were
benchmarked against similar studies in 2004 and 2002.
Among the findings, the study showed that fresh meat's share of the
retail case increased. In particular, growth in branded programs
increased while store brands gained. The presence of supplier brands was
similar to 2004, but store brands grew after a significant loss in 2004.
This came at the expense of generic or no-branded meat.
In 2007, the majority (51%) of beef was branded. Beef saw the largest
shift toward store branding with whole muscle cuts up 16% to 31% of the
packages in 2007. Ground beef packages with a store brand were up 14% to
21% in 2007.
For more info, log on to www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com.
-- Burt Rutherford
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In what some have termed a "standard negotiating strategy," South
Korea has hinted it may gradually lift all restrictions on U.S. beef
imports. The U.S. government has consistently said it won't accept a
gradual reopening of the Korean market, insisting instead on complete
market access for all U.S. beef.
The move is aimed at winning approval from Congress on the U.S.-South
Korea Free Trade Agreement. Incoming president Lee Myung-bak, who takes
office Feb. 25, supports the deal, according to the Korea Herald.
The first phase of the gradual reopening, the paper said, would be to
allow bone-in beef from cattle under 30 months of age.
-- Korea Herald
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Earlier this week a beef herd in Minnesota tested positive for
bovine tuberculosis (TB). The herd tested negative for TB in 2005 and
2006, but during a third follow-up round of testing in November, one
animal tested suspect for bovine TB. Tissue samples were collected and
submitted to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames,
IA where the diagnosis of bovine TB was confirmed late last week.
USDA has begun the indemnification process, which consists of appraising
the herd so that it can be purchased from the producers and put down.
At this time, Minnesota's Modified Accredited Advanced TB status will
remain unchanged. The discovery of additional infected herds could
result in the downgrading of Minnesota's status.
Minnesota's eradication effort includes the following
components:- Area testing: Cattle herds located within 10 miles of
a previously infected farm,
- Disease investigation: herds that have had contact with one of the
previously infected farms, and
- Statewide surveillance: a sampling of 1,550 cattle herds across
Minnesota, all of which tested negative for bovine TB.
In all,
approximately 347,000 TB tests have been performed since the disease was
discovered in Minnesota, July 2005. The Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) conducted TB surveillance of hunter-harvested
white-tailed deer in the affected area of northwest Minnesota. Over
3,000 deer have been tested in this area since 2005, with 13 deer
testing positive, and an additional four testing presumptive positive
for the disease this past fall.
For more info, visit www.bah.state.mn.us and click
on "Bovine Tuberculosis" under the Hot Topics menu.
-- Minnesota Board of Animal Health
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The continuing growth of the biofuels industry is fueling a
transition with significant implications not only for U.S. agriculture,
but the food system and rural communities. Those issues are the subject
of a conference, "Transition to a Bioeconomy; Integration of
Agricultural and Energy Systems," Feb. 12-13 in Atlanta, GA.
The conference will explore farming systems, markets for co-products,
potential impacts on animal agriculture, energy efficiency and
biotechnology. Cost is $200 until Jan. 28, $230 thereafter. For info,
log on to www.farmfoundation.org.
-- Farm Foundation
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Economics, water, transportation, technology and a host of other
factors that affect Colorado agriculture will be on the table at the
17th annual Governor's Forum on Colorado Agriculture, Feb. 28 at the
Double Tree Hotel in Denver.
Registration is $100/person and $45 for students until Feb. 8; $120 and
$50 after. For info, go to www.colorado.gov/ag and click
on "Governor's Forum on Colorado Agriculture."
-- Colorado State University
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In response to Troy Marshall's article on accepting ethanol (Jan.
11, "Should We Just Accept And Adapt To Ethanol?"), I absolutely agree.
While I know I'm preaching to the choir, having an extra direct subsidy
for ethanol benefits one crop (which happens to be the largest acreage
in the country). The benefits have good intentions but the effect on
many other areas is devastating. Byproducts are a wonderful option for
feed, but will be priced as close to corn as the market can bear.
When the entire industry seems to be based on corn, the ethanol subsidy
could be considered a cattleman's tax. Recent talk about a shifting in
the industry to forage based programs is excellent... until you consider
the price of land. Land that brought $2,000/acre just a few years ago
has blown right past $5,000/acre. Where does that leave us? Extremely
high overhead cost, extremely high inputs, and shrinking margins.
The cattle industry has prided itself for years on its independence and
a review of farm bill proposals and mandates seemingly covers every
single industry but cattle. Do we want government intervention?
Absolutely not. Do we need some fairness in agriculture? Yes. The cattle
industry is not going to just survive, it is going to thrive.
As markets reopen, the cowherd shrinks and cattle continue to convert
forage, byproducts, and industry leftovers to the best tasting and
healthy eating experience the world population wants and needs, we will
move forward. It is clear, however, that the cattle industry has no
voice and power.
Kris Folland
Halma, MN
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