News Update

News Update
April 20, 2006

BIF Coverage Available

The 38th annual Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Meeting and Research Symposium, themed “21st Century Genetics: Rising to the Challenge Southern Style,” is under way this week in Mississippi.

Angus Productions Inc. (API), publisher of the Angus Journal and the Angus Beef Bulletin, is proud to present online coverage at www.bifconference.com.

Conference highlights include ultrasounding for genetic improvement, meeting retail and consumer targets, and improving cow herd efficiency and environmental adaptability. The seedstock and commercial producer of the year will also be announced.

Check www.bifconference.com for daily updates in the “Newsroom” section of the site. Within two weeks, audio files of the sessions will also be available online.

Angus Foundation Golf Tournament

Mark your calendars for the Angus Foundation’s 6th Annual Golf Tournament on Tuesday, July 11, at the Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., in conjunction the with National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) in Indianapolis.

For a $100 entry fee for adults and $75 fee for junior members, players can enjoy a round of golf with fellow Angus enthusiasts and know that the proceeds generated will support the Foundation’s education, youth and research activities. Early registration must be received by Thursday, June 15. After that date, an additional $10 charge will be added to player registration rates.

If you can’t make it to the tournament, but still want to support the Foundation’s activities, consider becoming a sponsor. Sponsors who submit payment prior to Monday, May 1, will be guaranteed recognition at the tournament. Although recognition may not be extended if payment is received after this date, late sponsorships are welcome.

The Angus Foundation is excited to again offer this increasingly popular and fun Angus social activity and fundraiser. Visit www.angusfoundation.org/golf_tournament.html to download a player registration form or sponsorship form.

Brochure Calms Consumers’ Avian Influenza Fears

A new consumer-targeted brochure from the American Meat Institute (AMI) demystifies avian influenza and explains the United States’ “aggressive, multi-firewall strategy” to prevent, detect, contain and eradicate the virus if it arrives in our country.

Designed to be downloaded and easily printed by retail stores who may receive consumer questions, the brochure is available at www.poultrysafety.org by clicking on “The Facts about Avian Influenza.”

Skip Seward, AMI’s chief microbiologist and vice president of industry affairs, says the brochure will “help educate the public about the safety of the U.S. poultry supply [and] the steps being taken by both government and industry.” Seward also says it “outlines why consumers should rest assured that poultry will remain a safe protein choice.”

— by Meghan Soderstrom, assistant editor, API