News Update
June 18, 2010

What ‘Lean’ Means in Beef Marketing

Healthy eating is a growing concern for many Americans. The market is flooded with food options boasting “reduced fat,” “low fat” or “no fat.” Meat products join in, to the extent they can be described as “lean.”

Meats offer many benefits, including some essential dietary fats. “They are an incredible source of protein, and all the amino acids that are needed for health,” says Betsy Booren, director of scientific affairs for the American Meat Institute (AMI) Foundation. “They also have nutrients like iron, zinc, niacin, selenium, riboflavin and other B vitamins.”

But to be considered “lean” by USDA definition, meat must contain less than 10 grams total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat and less than 90 milligrams of cholesterol per serving.

All of the hype about fat has led some consumers to believe meat cannot be healthy if it tastes good. They might think the only way to get lean beef is to buy from the lower-grade Select case. But flavor does not have to be the sacrificial lamb of healthy eating. Read more.

Protect Cattle from Heat Stress as Temperatures Rise

With temperatures heating up, cattle producers need to take steps to protect their herds from heat stress, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) beef specialist said.

The approaching high temperatures, coupled with last week’s heavy rains, could cause hot, humid conditions in the next week or two. This weather could cause cattle to experience heat stress, especially if there is little wind and the cattle have not been exposed to these conditions before, said Terry Mader, beef specialist at UNL’s Haskell Agricultural Laboratory near Concord.

“Cattle do not handle heat stress as well as humans,” Mader said. “Sunny days with temperatures above the mid-80s can be stressful, particularly if there is no wind and humidity is above 50%.”

Providing cattle with plenty of water is probably the best way to prevent heat stress, Mader said.

“The cattle don’t have to be thirsty, but as cattle drink water and pass it through their body, it removes a lot of heat in the process,” he said.

Cattle normally take in about 5 to 6 gallons of water per day, but that amount can triple when temperatures rise.

In an emergency, cattle can be sprayed with water to cool them down.

“Once you start doing that, though, you have to keep doing it,” Mader said. “By spraying them and using evaporative cooling, you limit the animals’ ability to adapt to the heat. That’s why this is an emergency step.”

Producers should have an emergency plan for accessing water in case water supplies are low or cut off, Mader added.

In addition, producers should avoid handling cattle when it’s hot and never process after 10 a.m. Cattle body temperatures can rise 0.5° to 3.5° during handling.

Producers should feed cattle most of the day’s feed several hours after the day’s peak temperature, in the late afternoon or evening. Avoid filling cattle up with feed late in the morning when added heat generated by digestion will peak around the hottest time of the day, Mader said.

Cattle yards should be clear of any structures that restrict airflow. Cutting down vegetation around pens and moving cattle away from windbreaks can all help. Building earth mounds in pens also can increase airflow by preventing cattle from bunching together. Spraying water on the mounds will cool the pen surface and help cattle to better manage the heat.

Producers should watch their cattle for signs of heat stress. Cattle will begin walking around the pen in search of a cooler spot and start to slobber. They will raise their heads to make it easier to breathe because their respiratory rates will reach above 100 breaths per minute.

Cattle with dark hides, cattle close to being finished, newly-arrived cattle and cattle suffering from illness or recovering from illness will be especially susceptible to heat stress.

For more information about managing heat stress in feedlots, consult UNL Extension NebGuide G1409, Managing Feedlot Heat Stress, available from local UNL Extension offices or on the Web.

— UNL Extension.

Pulse Tour Set For July 8 at Carrington Research Extension Center

Farmers, crop advisers and agricultural industry representatives are invited to attend a pulse crop tour scheduled for Thursday, July 8, at the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Carrington Research Extension Center.

The tour will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at noon. The event is sponsored by NDSU, Northern Pulse Growers Association and pulse agri-businesses.

Those attending the tour will hear presentations and be able to view research trials on field pea production topics including variety performance, weed and disease management, and options using peas as a cover crop.

The tour will include a visit to the Carrington Center’s livestock unit to discuss feeding peas to beef cattle. In addition, association and industry representatives will talk about pulse prices and markets.

Carrington Center speakers include agronomists Greg Endres, Yvonne Lawley and Blaine Schatz; Michael Wunsch, plant pathologist; and Vern Anderson, animal scientist. Other invited speakers from NDSU include Kevin McPhee, pulse breeder, and plant pathologists Sam Markell and Rubella Goswami.

Refreshments will be available and a sponsored meal will be served after the tour.

Additional information about the tour is available from the Carrington REC at 701-652-2951 or at www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/carringt/. More information also is available from the Northern Pulse Growers Association at 701-222-0128.

— Release by NDSU.

Oil Spill Not Likely to Induce a Fuel Price Influx

Rumors are swirling about the possible impact of the oil spill crisis, including speculation that fuel prices will breach $4 per gallon. However, Harry Cooney, Growmark senior energy analyst, said the spill has not yet affected the oil markets one way or another.

Despite the reassurance of steady fuel prices from specialists such as Cooney, many still wonder why, historically, the mere threat of a hurricane causes fuel prices to skyrocket, and yet an oil spill of the magnitude in the Gulf has not caused a price spike.

“Hurricanes cause oil rigs to actually shut down all along the coastline, from Alabama and Louisiana on west to Texas,” Cooney explained. “When you have to shut down production this affects the supply of oil, which leads to the change in fuel prices.”

An important economic point to remember when analyzing market prices is in order to influence price, there must be a change in supply or demand.

“In reference to the oil spill, demand has not changed, and supply is not being limited,” Cooney said.

According to the United States Department of Energy, the United States imports more than 3 billion barrels of crude oil per year. Since the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has had no effect on import shipments, there has been a steady supply of crude oil.

One of the resources aiding the supply of crude oil to the U.S. is the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP). It is the only port in the United States capable of offloading crude oil from deep draft oil tankers. The LOOP is connected to more than 50% of the United States’ oil refineries and has offloaded more than 7 billion barrels of foreign crude oil since its inception in 1972.

Cooney explained that deep draft oil tankers are still making import and export shipments despite the oil slicks in the Gulf of Mexico. The LOOP allows the boats to unload off-shore, so they do not need to be oil-free since they are not calling at a shore-based port.

In Cooney’s mind, the main issue surrounding this spill is not an increase in fuel prices, but the environmental damage it is causing. “No one knows when the oil will stop leaking, and how much damage will have been caused when it is done,” Cooney said.

As for those concerned about high fuel prices in the summer traveling season, Cooney said unless the LOOP is shut down for some unforeseen reason, the United States will not witness any drastic gas price increases due to the oil spill.

— Release by AgPR.

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