News Update

News Update
Jan. 15, 2008

U.S.-Mexio livestock working group to meet in February

U.S. and Mexican officials will meet by mid-February to address trade concerns in the livestock sector, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said in a news release.

The livestock meeting was agreed last week when USDA and USTR officials met with a Mexican delegation on future agricultural trade between the two countries now that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is fully implemented, effective Jan. 1.

“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 enhanced trade,” said Mark E. Keenum, USDA undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.

The United States wants Mexico to open its borders to all U.S. beef products. While Mexico is the leading U.S. beef importer, it currently restricts imports to beef products from animals less than 30 months of age, due to concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

— release from Meatingplace.com.

Conference explores integration of agriculture and energy systems

The continuing growth of the biofuels industry is fueling a transition to a bioeconomy, with significant implications for U.S. agriculture, the food system, rural communities and the global economy. Those issues are the subject of the Farm Foundation conference, Transition to a Bioeconomy: Integration of Agricultural and Energy Systems. A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) collaboration, the conference will be Feb. 12-13 at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel, Atlanta, Ga.

The conference will explore farming systems, markets for by- and co-products, potential impacts of the bioeconomy on animal agriculture, energy efficiency and biotechnology. It is targeted to producers, processors, input suppliers, community leaders, government agency representatives, commodity group leaders and academics.

The Atlanta conference is the first of a series planned to address specific aspects of how the rapidly evolving transition to a bioeconomy will impact agriculture, the food system and rural communities over the next decade. Detailed program information, as well as registration and hotel information, is available at the Farm Foundation web site, www.farmfoundation.org. Early bird registration of $200 is available until Jan. 28, after which the fee will be $230. Hotel reservations can be made by calling 888-627-7211 or by visiting www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=0712114624&key=3C07E. A room rate of $129 plus tax, single or double, is available for reservations made by Jan. 20.

For more information contact Steve Halbrook, Farm Foundation vice president, at steve@farmfoundation.org, or Mary Thompson, Farm Foundation director of communications, at mary@farmfoundation.org.

Severe Discounts for Heavy Carcasses being Promoted by Tyson

The nation’s largest beef packer is getting very serious about controlling carcass weights and making sure the cuts from their beef carcasses will fit the box. Tyson Foods is phasing in a new cattle pricing grid designed to reward producers of animals that best meet their customers’ needs — namely, animals that are not too heavy.

“Retail and foodservice beef customers have consistently expressed concern about excessive piece weights from heavy carcasses,” the company said in a written statement. “These beef subprimals are subsequently difficult to portion and merchandize.”

Heavier carcasses face significant penalties. Under Tyson’s new “True Value Grid,” beef carcasses weighing more than 1,000 pounds (lb.) are discounted $15 per hundredweight (cwt.), while those more than 1,050 lb. are discounted $35 per cwt. The grid also incorporates the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) regional weekly weighted average prices as well as average premiums and discounts based on quality.

— release from the Oklahoma Farm Report.

— compiled by Tosha Powell, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.