News Update
April 12, 2010

‘The Angus Report’ Delivers Angus News in Three Minutes

The American Angus Association has debuted its first-ever online news program, offering busy Angus cattlemen and women the opportunity to catch up on important industry issues while learning more about management tools and value-added marketing opportunities.

“We understand how busy producers are these days,” says Eric Grant, Association director of public relations. “This program encapsulates the week’s top stories into as short a time frame as possible — squeezing the information ranchers need into the little time they have available.”

The weekly web-based news program will cover a variety of topics in a traditional television news format and complements additional resources available at www.angus.org.

State Angus associations, publications, breeders and others looking for fresh web site content are encouraged to post the program on their web sites. Videos will be updated regularly at www.angus.org.

For more information on how to post “The Angus Report” to your web site, contact Crystal Young, assistant director of public relations, at 816-383-5100 or cyoung@angus.org.

Reminder: Angus TV Program Airs Tonight

Tune in to RFD-TV at 7 p.m. (CST) this evening to watch “The Vita Ferm® Angus Hour” — the first-ever live educational television program sponsored by the American Angus Association and Vita Ferm, an industry-leading animal nutrition product. RFD-TV is available on Dish Network, channel 231; on DirecTV, channel 345; and on more than 625 small, independent cable operators. Read more.

NCBA, PLC Continue the Push for Estate Tax Reform

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the Public Lands Council (PLC) and a coalition of national organizations representing family farmers, ranchers and growers are joining together in the fight for meaningful and permanent estate tax reform. On Jan. 1, the estate tax temporarily zeroed out for the year 2010, but unless Congress takes action, the tax will come back next year at its staggering pre-2001 levels.

The following is an excerpt from a letter sent by the coalition today to Senate Leadership:

“If estate taxes are allowed to be reinstated at the beginning of 2011 with only a $1 million exemption and top rate of 55%, the negative impact on our industry will be significant. We support permanently raising the exemption to no less than $5 million per person and reducing the top rate to no more than 35%. It is also imperative that the exemption be indexed to inflation, provide for spousal transfers and include the stepped-up basis.

“Family farmers and ranchers are not only the caretakers of our nation’s rural lands but they are small businesses, too. The 2011 change to the estate tax law does a disservice to agriculture because we are a land-based capital-intensive industry with few options for paying estate taxes when they come due. The current state of our economy, coupled with the uncertain nature of estate tax liabilities make it difficult for family-owned farms and ranches to make sound business decisions. We urge Congress to pass permanent estate tax reform now.

“We strongly support estate tax relief as outlined above, which provides the greatest relief and certainty for agriculture. We respectfully request your leadership in reforming current estate tax laws to strengthen the business climate for family farmers, ranchers and growers while ensuring agricultural businesses are passed to future generations.”

NCBA and PLC also continue to support an agriculture exemption from the estate tax. Specific agricultural relief would benefit the American public through greater food security, maintenance of open space and environmental resources, as well as the preservation of valued traditions and lifestyle. Farm estates are five to 20 times more likely to incur estate taxes than other estates, and it is estimated that one in 10 farm estates (farms with sales of $250,000 or more annually) are likely to owe estate taxes in 2009, according to the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS). For more information, visit: www.beefusa.org/uDocs/deathtaxleavebehind.pdf.

— Release by NCBA.

Beef Industry Faces Down Chickens, Economy, Misconceptions

The beef industry is fighting challenges on all sides, participants said during the 2010 Montana Livestock Forum and Nutrition Conference at Montana State University (MSU).

Beef not only faces stiff competition from chicken, but the industry deals with headlines that discourage people from eating red meat and “faulty science” that says organic meat is healthier than beef raised on traditional ranches, speakers said. The industry wants to convince people concerned about animal rights that they, too, care about animals and humane treatment.

“Agriculture is under attack,” said Jacque Matsen, director of issues and reputation management for the NCBA.

Part of Matsen’s job is correcting inaccurate claims about the beef industry, so she monitors headlines, Hollywood movies, articles about the beef industry, comments by activist groups and more. Bad news about beef, myths and a faceless industry lead to consumers who feel guilty about eating beef, Matsen said. She tries to build consumer trust by sharing positive information about beef and people in the industry. She wants consumers to know, for example, that ranchers are good people who care about the environment and safe products.

MSU Extension Beef Specialist John Paterson, conference organizer and MSU professor of animal science, said ranchers and farmers are now using mass media techniques, such as Facebook, Twitter and other modern media to rally support for the beef industry when attacked by animal rights organizations. Three groups, for example, made major contributions to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), an animal rights organization. When ranchers found out, they spread the word that the “Humane Society is not our friend,” and said they would stop supporting the groups that made the donations.

Paterson explained that the beef industry sees the HSUS as a lobbying group that wants to do away with beef cattle. Its name is confusing, he said, and many people think the society focuses most of its money and attention on the proper care of pets.

“It does not,” he said.

Other conference speakers said the beef industry is trying to convince consumers that beef is safe to eat, despite reports of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in recent years. Consumer demand is a major issue in the industry, added Butch Bratsky of Billings, senior banking executive with the Stockman Financial Corp.

“We definitely have the supply to meet increased demand,” Bratsky said.

Paterson said he doesn’t expect demand to increase much, however, until people return to work and the economy improves. Many consumers are “eating down” or “trading down,” he said. That means beef eaters might be eating more hamburger at home instead of higher-priced cuts in a restaurant. Instead of buying the highest priced cuts of beef, they’re eating the less expensive cuts.

“If you are having to be frugal, you are not in the mood to spend $100 on a meal at a restaurant,” Paterson said.

“There are some groups that claim they have people that will eat high-quality beef no matter what the price. That’s true. I have seen that,” he added.

The Montana Livestock Forum and Nutrition Conference took place April 6 and 7 on the MSU campus, with the first day focusing on global issues and the second day on more technical matters, such as winter hay management and strategic protein supplementation.

Speaker Mac White, a rancher from Two Dot, said he read an article that said the best way to feed hay uses the least amount of diesel fuel and iron. By iron, he referred to machinery and processing.

“I came to the conclusion that the article was wrong,” White said.

He has found that cows probably eat only 25% of their hay when it’s in the form of giant bales left in a field, White said. When the hay is ground and put into feed bunks, however, the percentage goes up to 90%-95%. Processing the hay that way leads to higher consumption.

An endowment from Paul and Barb Grieco with the MSU Foundation established the Beef Cattle Lecture Series that brought Janice Swanson to this year’s conference. Paul Grieco is a professor in MSU’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Swanson is director of the Animal Behavior and Welfare Group at Michigan State University, and her primary responsibility is providing outreach and programming in the areas of research, Extension, teaching and service to address issues related to the welfare of animals. Her focus is on farm livestock and poultry.

— Release by MSU Extension.

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