News Update

News Update
May 10, 2007

Trump Steaks^™ Feature CAB Prime

Sharper Image Corp. announced May 8 its plans to exclusively offer Trump Steaks.™ The company is touting Trump Steaks as “The World’s Greatest Steaks” in promotions featuring Donald Trump.

Trump Steaks feature Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) Prime product, delivered to customers at home. According to the Sharper Image, “Trump Steaks delivers a taste of Donald Trump’s luxurious lifestyle, allowing steak lovers to enjoy at home the same sumptuous cuts of meat available at Trump’s award-winning restaurants.”

Timed to coincide with the Father’s Day grilling season, promotion of the service refers to CAB Prime as an elite category for which less than 1% of all U.S. beef qualifies.

Four unique packages will be offered, each with a variety of CAB Prime cuts. The Trump Steaks collection includes the: Trump Steaks Classic Collection for $199, Trump Steaks Country Club Collection for $349, Trump Steaks Resort Collection for $499, and Trump Steaks Connoisseur Collection for $999. Each package features different combinations including the Porterhouse, filet mignon, New York boneless strip, and bone-in ribeye. In addition, all Trump Steaks collections include sirloin burgers.

For more information, visit www.certifiedangusbeef.com or www.sharperimage.com. To order, visit any Sharper Image store, call 1-800-344-4444 or go online.

U.S., Mexican Officials Discuss Trade Issues

Officials from the United States and Mexico met Tuesday for the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-Mexico Consultative Committee on Agriculture (CCA).

Mark Keenum, undersecretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, said the two countries had constructive discussion on several critical issues, including full implementation of the remaining provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 2008.

Keenum said the parties agreed to conduct several technical assistance projects in Mexico in the corn and dry bean areas to help prepare Mexican producers for NAFTA implementation.

Officials also discussed pending U.S. and Mexican farm legislation, biotechnology, and sanitary and phytosanitary issues. According to USDA, the next U.S. Mexico CCA meeting, to be hosted by Mexico, is tentatively scheduled for November 2007.

AMI Releases Updated Handling Guidelines

The American Meat Institute (AMI) May 7 released the 2007 Animal Handling Guidelines and Audit Guide. The guidelines are an updated version of the 2005 guidelines and have been revised based upon feedback from the field, AMI reports.

Audit points in the guidelines, which were first introduced in 1996 after Temple Grandin audited U.S. meat packing plants, include measurement of: frequency of slips and falls by livestock; frequency of vocalizations; frequency of electric prod use; stunner accuracy; and how effectively livestock are made insensible during processing.

The audit also calls for the monitoring of any willful acts of abuse (which is an immediate audit failure) and the provision of water at all times. Major changes include the addition of a new audit point for monitoring slips and falls at unloading and a new approach to vocalization scoring of pigs.

All of AMI’s materials and guidelines, which are free and accessible to the public, may be found at www.animalhandling.org.

Johanns Highlights Farm Bill Proposals for Specialty Crops

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns earlier this week highlighted the array of changes put forward in the Farm Bill proposals that would benefit specialty crop growers.

The proposal includes an additional $2.75 billion in Section 32 funds over 10 years to specifically purchase fruits and vegetables for USDA nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.

For further information on additional components of the specialty crops package, visit www.usda.gov.

Forest Service Purchases Elkhorn Ranch in N.D.

Secretary Johanns Tuesday announced that the USDA Forest Service (FS) has purchased a 5,200-acre parcel that houses the historic Elkhorn Ranch in western North Dakota.

The Elkhorn Ranch, located in the Badlands of western North Dakota, was the site where President Theodore Roosevelt operated a ranch in the 1880s. The ranch, purchased for $4.8 million from a private owner, becomes part of the Little Missouri National Grasslands. The Forest Service will honor existing legal rights and valid permits. Traditional uses such as livestock grazing, oil and gas development, and hunting will continue. It is the intent of the Forest Service to convey a like number of acres to the private sector to continue the same balance of federal lands in North Dakota

“This is a unique piece of land both historically and ecologically,” Johanns said. “President Roosevelt helped to define conservation practices throughout the 20th century. The process leading up to acquisition of the ranch embodies principles of cooperative conservation; this is a tribute to President Roosevelt’s legacy as well as a symbol of a new and exciting area of conservation and stewardship.”

— Adapted from a USDA release.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.