News Update
March 24, 2010

Nominations Sought for CAB Awards

The Angus breed can do it all, from cow herd to superior beef. Some producers obviously get that, and stand out for their vision of working across all sectors to realize the breed’s potential.

Through two Annual Conference awards, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) recognizes those who Commit to Excellence, typically working with a feedlot to sell finished cattle to a CAB-licensed packer.

Each year, CAB solicits nominations for the seedstock and commercial awards. The seedstock award honors a producer for commitment to finding and multiplying superior Angus genetics that enhance carcass traits. Read more.

UN Admits Flaw in Report on Meat and Climate Change

One of the authors of the 2006 United Nations (UN) report claiming meat production is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than transportation, is acknowledging that the comparison is flawed in light of recent research by an American scientist, the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) reports.

Frank Mitloehner from the University of California at Davis, author of the published study, “Clearing the Air: Livestock’s Contribution to Climate Change,” says it is simply not scientifically accurate to blame livestock for climate change.

Mitloehner traces much of the public confusion to the 2006 report, “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which he says overstates the role livestock play in greenhouse gas emissions.

“This lopsided ‘analysis’ is a classical apples-and-oranges analogy that truly confused the issue,” Mitloehner says. He presented his findings at this week’s American Chemical Society Conference in California, which was reported on by the American Meat Institute (AMI).

Pierre Gerber, a policy officer with FAO, told the BBC he accepted Mitloehner’s criticism.

“I must say honestly that he has a point — we factored in everything for meat emissions, and we didn’t do the same thing with transport,” he said.

AMI has long contended that attempts to apply these global numbers to the U.S. are misleading because the vast majority of global greenhouse gas emissions attributed to livestock production result from deforestation and converting rain forests and other lands to grow crops or pasture. Such changes do not occur in the U.S., which has seen an increase in the total acreage of forested land during the last several decades even while total agricultural production has increased.

In fact, according to EPA, in 2007 only 2.8% of U.S. greenhouse emissions came from animal agriculture. This number has remained nearly constant since 1990, which is impressive considering U.S. increases in meat production of almost 50% during the same time period.

“The fact that greenhouse emissions have remained nearly constant while industry production has increased shows that U.S. livestock and meat producers have taken responsible steps to protect the environment, such as improving feed efficiency, implementing better manure management strategies and using cropland more effectively,” noted AMI President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle.

“We’ve accomplished this feat all the while providing the most abundant, safe, diverse and affordable meat supply in the world.”

Boyle concluded, “AMI looks forward to FAO’s completion of a more comprehensive analysis of emissions from global food production at the end of this year.”

— Release by AMI.

Keep Cattle Dry This Wet Spring

Ample moisture this winter and early spring makes for a muddy feedlot situation, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) beef cattle specialist says.

Keeping pens clean and cattle dry is critical for cattle producers, said Terry Mader.

“Particularly in eastern Nebraska we have had excessive moisture and a good amount of snow deposited in these yards,” Mader said. “There isn’t a lot you can do but push the snow and mud out and try to get cattle on a solid base.”

Under these conditions, he recommends animals have 250 square feet (sq. ft.) of pen space per head with 350 or more sq. ft. even better. Smaller areas become muddier quicker and stay muddier longer.

“If you have cattle crowded, that can present some problems. So, if you have an empty pen, use it,” he said. “This will help minimize the depth of the mud.”

Mader said this winter will result in cost of gains being about 10% to 15% greater than normal.

When cattle get wet, they get muddy and can carry up to 50 pounds (lb.) of mud on their coats. Maintenance requirements can double under wet and cold conditions, which, for feedlot cattle, may result in 10 to 20 more days on feed or being 50-plus pounds lighter when cattle can go to market.

In addition to good pen cleaning, bedding is important.

“If you can use enough to where you can get the animal dry, it can be very beneficial,” Mader said.

His research and research elsewhere shows producers will see benefits from bedding, particularly when it is priced in the $50 to $60 per ton range.

“Instead of having a 15% to 20% cost of gain increase, it may only be a 5% to 10% increase and that includes the extra bedding and bedding handling cost,” he said.

— Release by Nebraska Ag Extension.

New Climate Change Bill Expected Soon

Three U.S. senators are close to finalizing details on compromise climate change legislation, according to the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). Sources in Washington, D.C., expect the bill to be introduced in the Senate sometime soon.

The bill reportedly will call for reductions of greenhouse gas emissions across multiple economic sectors. Capitol insiders said language in the bill targets a 17% decrease in emissions below 2005 levels by 2020 and an 80% decrease by 2050.

Sponsors of the legislation are Sens. John Kerry, Joe Lieberman and Lindsay Graham. NPPC reports the senators are not sharing information about the bill’s contents.

Many livestock trade groups opposed the original climate change legislation, known as Waxman-Markey, due to the substantial increase it would have caused in energy prices and meat production costs. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) analysis of Waxman-Markey found as much as 50 million acres of cropland would be converted to forest, which would reduce feedgrain supplies and increase costs to the livestock and poultry industries.

— Release provided by the Kansas Livestock Association.

— Compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.