News Update
Sept. 11, 2009

Sara Snider Discusses AngusSource® and Gateway

Sara Snider grew up in Buckley, a small town near Traverse City, Mich., where she spent her early years on a diversified farming operation. She completed her college degrees in animal and agriscience at Michigan State University and has developed a deep appreciation for the rural lifestyle.

Today, Snider serves as director of the American Angus Association®’s AngusSource®, one of the industry’s leading process verified programs (PVP). She says it is an important way to offer value-added marketing to producers.

“Our number one priority is our customers, and a big part of that priority is helping them add value to their Angus-sired calves through AngusSource,” Snider says.

To help determine why a producer should rely on the Association for a verification program, Snider answered several commonly asked questions. Read more.

Add Value to Your Cull Cows

As fall arrives, cattle producers are getting ready to wean and market their calves. At the same time, producers are deciding which cows met performance expectations and which cows they will cull. Many producers sell their culls immediately, but that might not be the most profitable marketing strategy, said a University of Missouri (MU) Extension livestock specialist.

“When deciding whether to sell cows when culled or at a later date, first consider the seasonality of cow prices,” David Hoffman said. “Typically, cull cow prices are lowest during the fall and early winter and highest in late winter and early spring.”

Hoffman recommends adding weight to thin cows. “With an abundance of high-quality fall forage, cull cows can rapidly replenish their muscle and body mass,” he said.

Adding cheap weight gains with proper supplementation will result in a greater carcass grade. Higher-yielding cows typically earn a premium — currently $5-$8 per hundredweight (cwt.), Hoffman said.

You will want to sell cull cows before they become excessive in their body condition (BCS of 8 or higher), as they will be discounted. Plan to market cull cows at an optimum BCS 5-6.

When adding value to cull cows, select the best candidates to retain, he said. Heavy-conditioned, unhealthy or older cows are generally poor candidates for adding value.

Consider cull cows as a valuable asset to your operation, Hoffman said. Generally, adding weight or changing marketing time will increase the value of your cull cows and result in greater return for the cow-calf producer.

— Release provided by MU.

USDA Releases Corn, Soybean Projections

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its corn and soybean yield estimates today. Not surprisingly, U.S. farmers are expected to harvest a near-record corn crop and record soybean crop, producing an average 161.9 bushels (bu.) of corn per acre, a 5% increase over last year’s average yield. USDA expects total corn production to reach 13 billion bu., the second-largest crop on record.

USDA is also expecting record soybean production of 3.25 billion bu. According to a news release issued by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), 35 million more acres of corn would have been needed to produce the equivalent of this year’s crop 15 years ago. Because of advancements in farming and seed technology, RFA says, farmers can produce far more per acre, reducing the need for total crop acreage.

According to RFA, as a result of expanding production, the ethanol industry will demand an additional 525 million bu. this year; however, it estimates that yield growth alone will provide an additional 630 million bu.

Based on USDA projections of corn for ethanol use in the 2009-2010 crop year, the U.S. ethanol industry will produce 11.8 billion gallons of ethanol and 32 million metric tons of livestock feed, RFA estimates.

FSIS Hopes to Clarify ‘Natural’ Meat Claims

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced it will solicit further public comment as the agency seeks to define the conditions under which it would permit the voluntary claim “natural” to be used in the labeling of meat and poultry products.

FSIS is seeking comments to clarify and resolve issues surrounding the “natural” claim, including how best to coordinate FSIS regulation of “natural” claims with the agricultural marketing service (AMS) voluntary “naturally raised” marketing claim standard.

The current FSIS policy states that the term “natural” may be used in the labeling of meat and poultry products provided that the product does not contain any artificial flavor or flavoring, coloring ingredients, chemical preservative, or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient and that the product is not more than minimally processed.

For a detailed description of these issues, please refer to the FSIS web site at www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/2009_Notices_Index/index.asp.

Comments must be received by Nov. 13. Comments can be sent to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 2-2127, Beltsville, MD 20705; or through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov.

Go to www.regulations.gov and in the Search for Open Regulations box, select “Food Safety and Inspection Service” from the agency drop-down menu and then click on Submit. In the Docket ID column, select FDMS Docket Number FSIS-2006-0040A to submit or view public comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically.

For further information contact Rosalyn Murphy-Jenkins, senior technical advisor, Labeling and Program Delivery Division, Office of Policy and Program Development, USDA, FSIS, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Block A, 2nd Wing, 2nd Floor Room 2-2124, Beltsville, MD 20705, or by phone at 301-504-0868 or by e-mail at rosalyn.murphy-jenkins@fsis.usda.gov.

Engine Oil Rebate Runs until October 16

Agco Parts announces a special customer rebate following the success of the summer 15W-40 Premium Engine Oil rebate. The company is again offering the program from Sept. 14-Oct. 16. Customers can earn up to 50¢ cash back on every quart purchased during this period up to a total rebate of $25 per customer.

Dick Wauer, Agco manager of parts marketing, says the rebate is available at all participating Agco, Massey Ferguson and Challenger dealerships throughout the U.S. and Canada. It applies to the most popular container sizes available — quart, gallon (gal.), 2.5 gal. and 5 gal.

Full details are posted at www.agcoparts.com and the maintenance page; and also in the Fall issues of Agco Advantage and Massey Ferguson Farm Life magazines.

ERS Releases Livestock and Meat Trade Data

The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) released data today regarding livestock and meat trade. The data set contains monthly and annual data for imports and exports of live cattle, hogs, sheep, and goats, as well as beef and veal, pork, lamb and mutton, chicken meat, turkey meat, and eggs. Visit www.ers.usda.gov/Data/MeatTrade to access the report.

Online Game Teaches Animal Care, Benefits of Animal Research

The AALAS Foundation has teamed up with the Whyville web site to launch the Community Animal Research Environment (CARE), a series of educational games in a virtual laboratory, according to Drovers. The public outreach project is designed to teach teens and pre-teens how animals help scientists in research — and how research, in turn, benefits animals. According to Drovers, Whyville citizens create habitats for animals, take on the role of an animal caregiver and discover how animal research generated cures and treatments for ailments affecting humans and animals.

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