News Update

News Update
Nov. 16, 2007

Bush serves Japanese prime minister beef

The White House served beef at a lunch for visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in Washington on Friday as a way to further U.S. efforts to nudge Japan toward fully opening its markets to U.S. beef products, according to a report on Meatingplace.com.

Bush said he hoped to have the Japanese market fully open to all U.S. beef and beef products, consistent with international guidelines; however, the Japanese prime minister, however, was noncommittal.

“We are addressing the beef issue on the basis of scientific findings. We are still in the process of our bilateral meetings,” Fukuda said in remarks translated on the White House web site.

U.S. beef airs complaints with ITC

At a Nov. 15 hearing called by the International Trade Commission (ITC), the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) said South Korea’s trade barriers on U.S. beef were costing the U.S. beef industry billions of dollars. With a fully open Seoul market, it contended, U.S. beef exports would have totaled $1.53 billion this year, Yonhap News reported.

“Constrained by Korea’s beef ban, the United States lost estimated exports of 1.453 million metric tons valued at $4.8 billion from 2004 to 2007,” NCBA said, adding that the industry suffered additional losses by virtue of retaining domestic beef that could have been sold overseas.

Thursday’s hearing was part of ITC’s ongoing investigation of the tiff between Washington and Seoul.

Washington State to Host Cattlemen’s Boot Camp in January

The American Angus Association®, Angus Foundation and Washington State University (WSU) will conduct a Cattlemen’s Boot Camp Jan. 3-4, 2008, in Pullman, Wash. The Boot Camp is open to all cattle producers and will overview the various segments of the beef industry as well as give perspective on emerging technologies.

The Association and Foundation have hosted several Boot Camps across the country, and this will be the first located in the Northwest. Boot Camps are open to all cattle producers, but enrollment is limited, so producers should sign up in advance. “The American Angus Association is excited to bring this Boot Camp to Washington State,” says Shelia Stannard, director of communications and events for the Association. “Boot Camp is a great refresher course for long-time producers and gives beginners an insight to the industry.”

WSU animal science professors, Association and Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) staff will present the program. A variety of topics will be covered, including interactive sessions with live cattle and carcass comparisons in the meats lab.

The event will begin at 9 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 3, in CUE 203 in the Smith Education Center on the Washington State campus. The Boot Camp will conclude Friday, Jan. 4. Following the Boot Camp, Association staff will offer an optional session about specific Association processes and procedures for any member who wants to participate.

Registration is just $75, which includes meals and materials for the Boot Camp. Enrollment is limited, so sign up today, by contacting the Association for registration materials.

Rooms are available at the Holiday Inn Express in Pullman. Contact the hotel directly at 509-334-4437 and ask for the Angus Boot Camp block. Reservations must be made by Dec. 19 to secure the negotiated rate.

Registration forms are available online at www.angus.org. An additional Boot Camp is planned for Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, Dec. 18-19, 2007. For more information about either Boot Camp or to register, contact Shelia Stannard or Kris Sticken at 816-383-5100.

Ag Conference for Women Scheduled Feb 8-9

The 2008 Women Managing the Farm Conference is scheduled Feb. 8-9 at the Grand Prairie Hotel and Conference Center in Hutchinson, Kan.

Titled “Celebrating Ag Women,” the conference is designed for women who are sharing agribusiness decisions with their farmer or rancher husband and for women who have either inherited — or are purchasing a farm or acreage or choosing agriculture as a career, according to Kristy Archuleta, conference coordinator.

The women’s conference concept provides educational opportunities in an environment that fosters understanding of agribusiness and opportunities to network with others who face similar challenges and decisions, Archuleta said. The conference is the fourth in a series for women in agribusiness.

This year’s conference keynote topics and their speakers include:

“Surviving Family Farming Whitewater,” presented by Don Jonovic, a business consultant who frequently speaks on farm business management and guiding transitions for family farms. Jonovic has more than 30 years of experience in advising business owners, and has established his own professional consulting practice, Family Business Management Services in Cleveland, Ohio.
“Celebrating Ag Women,” presented by Elizabeth Kinney, a KTUL television news reporter in Tulsa, Okla. Kinney, a former Miss Oklahoma, was raised on a farm and has been active in farm-youth organizations such as FFA. She is proactive about agriculture and its future.
“Relax! Your Most Important Management Skill is Self Care,” presented by Charlie Griffin, an associate professor in the School of Family Studies and Human Services in the College of Human Ecology at Kansas State University. Griffin is the director of Programs for Workplace Solutions and the Kansas’ Rural Family Helpline. He is knowledgeable about crisis and stress management, and, earlier this year, was among the first to begin helping residents in storm-stricken Greensburg, Kan.

The conference will include a resource fair and 20 concurrent workshops on topics such as planning and managing a family business meeting; evaluating insurance needs; bio-economy; creating educational opportunities for agriculture in the classroom; and food, nutrition and health tips for busy agribusiness professionals. Early registration for the two-day conference is $75 and is due Feb. 1, 2008; registration after that date is $90. A partial (one-day) registration is $50. Registration includes conference sessions and materials, meals (two lunches, a dinner, and a breakfast) and refreshment breaks.

A block of rooms at a conference rate, $71, is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The conference has grown steadily and early reservations are encouraged, Archuleta said. Registration and more information on the conference and a limited number of scholarships are available on the conference web site, www.womenmanagingthefarm.info, and by calling 1-866-FARM-KSU or 1-866-327-6578.

— compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc. (API)