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News Update
July 22, 2005


More Farm Bill Forums Scheduled

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns has announced yet another Farm Bill Forum, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Aug. 11 at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. The public is invited to attend the forums and offer comments on farm bill policy.

When participating in the forums, producers are invited to respond to one or more of the following six questions. The format of the forum will also allow an open comment period for general farm bill comments.

1. How should farm policy address any unintended consequences and ensure that such consequences do not discourage new farmers and the next generation of farmers from entering production agriculture?

2. How should farm policy be designed to maximize U.S. competitiveness and our country’s ability to effectively compete in global markets?

3. How should farm policy be designed to effectively and fairly distribute assistance to producers?

4. How can farm policy best achieve conservation and environmental goals?

5. How can federal rural and farm programs provide effective assistance in rural areas?

6. How should agricultural product development, marketing and research-related issues be addressed in the next farm bill?

The Secretary also reminded producers of other upcoming forums, including:

July 26, 12:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (CST), North Dakota State Fair, Minot, ND
Aug. 3, 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (CST), Farm Fest, Redwood County, MN
Aug. 4, 11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. (CST), Wisconsin State Fair, West Allis, WI

The public may also submit their comments via the USDA Farm Bill Forums Web site at www.usda.gov/farmbill. The dates, locations and times of the forums will continue to be announced as they are scheduled and posted on the USDA site.


Researchers Study Cattle Eyes For A More Accurate Age Verifier

Kansas State University (K-State) researchers are looking at the eye lenses of cattle in hopes of developing a new age verification method, said Michael Dikeman, K-State professor in the department of animal sciences and industry. Scientists believe that the weight of a lens and/or its nitrogen content may correlate with chronological age in cattle.

Researchers have found that there is a relationship between the amount of nitrogen in the eye and the chronological age of pigs, Dikeman said. K-State is looking to see whether the same is true in cattle.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed using a method of evaluating carcasses known as “A40 carcass maturity” to assure Japan and others that cattle are 20 months of age or younger. That method, however, has some flaws, K-State scientists said.

“Under this standard (A40 carcass maturity), approximately 90 percent of cattle which are actually 20 months or younger would be excluded,” said Chris Raines, a K-State graduate student who is working on the eye study. “This is because the carcass maturity assessment is not as accurate as the beef industry would like.” Beef carcass maturity is evaluated by USDA graders to determine whether the animal was 20 months or younger at the time of harvest. But Dikeman said that the actual age of a steer or heifer and the age that it appears to be can vary greatly from animal to animal.

K-State, in the study funded by the Kansas Beef Council, is looking for a more accurate method of determining age in hopes that a higher percentage of beef will be eligible for export. “If the eye lens method is more accurate in determining the age of cattle, then both beef processors and cattle producers could benefit because a higher percentage of cattle would be eligible for export,” Dikeman said.

The procedures of the study include collecting eyes from 500 head of cattle with known ages ranging from 14 to 36 months at commercial processing plants. After collection, the lens of each eye will be separated out, weighed and then tested for total nitrogen content, Dikeman said.

These findings, correlated with the chronological age of each animal, will be used to develop an age-prediction equation with a high enough confidence level to meet Japanese standards. Raines said that the biggest challenge with the study so far is trying to find cattle older than 20 months with known ages.

Results from the research are expected to be available by next spring.

— Information provided by K-State Research and Extension


Salute to Military Scheduled for July 25

The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA), North Dakota Beef Commission and North Dakota CattleWomen will host the Beef Industry Military Appreciation Day at the North Dakota State Fair. A free beef dinner will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., July 25 in the Pioneer Village at the state fairgrounds in Minot.

The organizations are hosting the event in an effort to show military servicemen and women their appreciation, an NDSA release stated.

In addition to the free roast beef meal, the event will feature games for children and beef gift certificate drawings. The North Dakota State Fair is also offering reduced gate admission to military personnel (with military identification), free carnival rides for military families from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and $4 off the $20 carnival-ride wristband for the rest of the day.

For more information about the Military Appreciation Day, call (701) 328-5120 or (701) 223-2522.

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