News Update
June 30, 2010

NCBA Members Gear Up for 2010 Summer Conference

Members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the largest organization dedicated solely to representing the interests of U.S. beef producers, are gearing up for their Summer Conference in Denver, Colo., July 28 through Aug. 1, 2010.

According to NCBA President and Illinois cattle producer Steve Foglesong, the Summer Conference is “where the rubber meets the road” regarding industry priorities. “The Summer Conference is where we dig into issues affecting all segments of the beef industry and the organization,” said Foglesong. “We gather as an industry and discuss in great length how to best address critical issues affecting today’s beef producer while also looking at the future. Producers are afforded the opportunity to ask questions, provide insight and, most importantly, serve as a guiding light for the organization and the industry. Their input is absolutely vital to the success of NCBA and the sustainability of the U.S. beef industry.”

Foglesong said there are many issues that will be on the table for discussion at the conference. One of the most important, he said, is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) plans for a proposed rule (as required by the 2008 Farm Bill and through existing authority under the Packers and Stockyards Act) regarding livestock and poultry marketing practices. The issue will be discussed during the organization’s Policy Division Forum.

“While we’re still looking at the details of the proposal, in general, we have serious concerns with any efforts to increase government intrusion in the marketplace. Cattle producers support free-market principles and we deserve the right to enter into private negotiations between willing buyers and sellers — just like other sectors of American business. NCBA will fight to protect the use of contract and alternative marketing arrangements in the cattle industry to satisfy the demands of our consumers,” Foglesong said. “We absolutely need to hear from our producers on this matter. We have to have a policy in place that is representative of U.S. cattle producers.”

Federation Chair Scott George said working with members of the Federation of State Beef Councils to collectively clarify its role within NCBA will be one of the most prominent priorities. “We plan to have very candid conversation with representatives of State Beef Councils,” said George. “We have successfully partnered with NCBA for 14 years. We want to ensure we are on track to continue our track record of successful initiatives on behalf of U.S. cattle producers.”

The Summer Conference also offers participants the opportunity to hear from several speakers including Jude Capper, assistant professor of dairy science at Washington State University; Frank Mitloehner, associate professor and air quality specialist at the University of California; and Jason Clay, senior vice president of Market Transformations, who leads the World Wildlife Federation’s forests, fisheries, agriculture, aquaculture and finance initiatives. Temple Grandin will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Grandin is a world-renowned designer of livestock handling facilities, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, and one of the world’s highest functioning autistics.

For more information about NCBA’s Summer Conference visit www.beefusa.org.

— Release from NCBA.

USDA Provides Emergency Assistance to Producers of Honeybees, Livestock and Farm-Raised Fish

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that disaster assistance will be issued starting today to livestock, honeybee and farm-raised fish producers that suffered losses in 2008 because of disease, adverse weather or other conditions. The aid will come from the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP).

More than $10 million in disaster assistance, including more than $6 million to compensate beekeepers for 2008 losses will be issued starting today, June 30. Under the program, producers are compensated for losses that are not covered under other Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance Payment programs established by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, specifically Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), and Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) Program. ELAP benefits related to 2009 losses are expected to be issued later this summer.

— Adapted from a USDA release.

Angus Representatives Participate in National Cattlemen’s Elite Conference

James Coffey, a fifth generation Angus producer, and Shelia Stannard, director of activities and events for the American Angus Association, were two of the nearly 50 young beef industry advocates selected to participate in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) 31st Annual Young Cattlemen’s Conference (YCC). The YCC program is a comprehensive, nationwide tour of beef industry sectors, created to enhance leadership skills of young cattle producers.

“YCC is a prestigious and competitive program designed to foster the future leadership of our industry,” Forrest Roberts, CEO of NCBA, says. “The participants selected to attend YCC were chosen because of their exceptional contributions to the beef industry and their potential to be a strong voice in our future development. I look forward to seeing James take an increased leadership role within NCBA and the beef industry. I am also excited to have Shelia and all of the representatives of the American Angus Association as partners of NCBA. They are undoubtedly an organization that represents their producers extremely well.”

Coffey farms in partnership with his parents and grandparents at the family operation. Branch View Angus is home to 350 registered and commercial Angus cows, heifers and bulls. The family farm relies on cattle for the primary source of income. Coffey is actively involved in industry organizations including the Kentucky Angus Association; Central Kentucky Angus Sales; Lincoln County Cattlemen’s Association; Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association; and the American Angus Association. He said YCC was an opportunity to learn more about the issues facing the beef industry in order to be a better advocate back home.

“This was a tremendous opportunity to learn every aspect of the beef production chain,” said Coffey. “I feel more prepared to address the challenges facing our industry after having gone through this program.”

Stannard, who organizes and conducts educational and leadership events that the America Angus Association sponsors, focuses a large part of her efforts on working directly with U.S. Angus producers to equip them to serve as leaders in the cattle industry. She recently completed nine years on the advisory board to the National Junior Angus Association Board of Directors and was inducted into the Honorary Angus Foundation in 2008. She said the YCC was an all-around “win-win” for participants and the entire cattle industry.

“It is really important for the participants to see the range of beef production — from a cow-calf ranch to a feedlot and a processing plant,” Stannard said. “It drives home the point that our industry, though composed of many sectors, is ultimately interconnected in our efforts to produce wholesome and nutritious beef.”

The eight-day tour began at NCBA headquarters in Denver, Colo., where participants were given an organizational overview of NCBA and the Beef Checkoff Program. While in Denver, the group also heard from representatives of Cattle-Fax and the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). They toured a new Safeway retail store and learned about Rancher’s Reserve brand beef marketing efforts. The group spent a day in Greeley, Colo., visiting JBS feedyards and processing facilities.

In Chicago, the group met with the senior management of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange at the Chicago Board of Trade. They had the chance to watch the activity on the floor and witness futures trading firsthand. Participants also visited The OSI Group, a family owned company providing quality products and custom solutions for the food industry since 1909. This tour offered a view of how boxed beef is turned into custom order portions for both major restaurant chains and some of the nation’s top steakhouses.

The group then traveled to Washington, D.C., where participants were greeted at a reception hosted by John Deere. The following morning, the group received an issues briefing from NCBA’s government relations staff about policy issues currently facing the cattle industry.

Later in the day, these future leaders were given the opportunity to visit one-on-one with members of their state’s Congressional delegation, expressing their viewpoints regarding the beef industry and their cattle operations. During their Congressional visits, participants focused on issues like animal welfare, the safe use of antibiotics, climate change and food safety legislation.

The group then traveled to Aldie, Va., for a tour and barbecue at Whitestone Farms, one of the nation’s elite purebred Angus operations.

For more information on the NCBA Young Cattlemen’s Conference or to nominate someone for next year’s tour, contact your state cattlemen’s association or Marvin Kokes at 303-850-3339 or mkokes@beef.org.

— Release by NCBA.

Annual Beaumont Field Day Set for July 8

“Maximizing Profits — Minimizing Risk” is the theme for the 63rd annual field day at Texas AgriLife Research–Beaumont, 1509 Aggie Dr.

The July 8 event begins with field tours at 8 a.m. and a program at 10:45 a.m. Afternoon field tours begin at 1 p.m.

Ted Wilson, resident director of research, will open the program with an overview of the center’s research. Speakers include Dennis Delaughter, Progressive Farm Management president; Eric Webster, professor of weed management, Louisiana State University AgCenter; and Rick Norman, professor of crop, soil and environmental sciences, University of Arkansas. Presentations on economics, resistance management and fertilizing management will tie into the theme.

The morning tour stops will address recent developments in rice breeding, a photosynthesis study, rice physiology and fertility, rice insect and disease management, and rice quality and molecular genetics. Afternoon tours will address weed management, organic rice, and oilseed crops for biofuels.

The event is free and open to the public, and a barbecue lunch will be provided.

For more information, contact Brandy Morace at 409-752-3045 or bmorace@aesrg.tamu.edu.

— Release by TAMU.

Hair Shedding Rate May Affect Weaning Weight

How quickly cows shed their winter coats in the spring may have an effect on their calves’ weaning weights. Research led by Trent Smith, Mississippi State University, with funding from the American Angus Association, shows a probable link between the two.

“The objectives of this three-year study were to develop a method to measure hair shedding, determine the variation in shedding and estimate shedding’s effects on 205-day weights and body condition scores (BCS),” Smith says. “We observed 532 cows from 2007-2009 in North Carolina and Mississippi to determine if the perception is true that cows who do not shed or shed later are not good performers. Cows seem to perform better when they are in a thermo-neutral zone (TNZ), where heat stress does not suppress reproduction, milk production and appetite.”

A 1-to-5 scoring system to describe hair shedding was established, and visual evaluations were done by the same technicians on a monthly basis from March through July. Data analysis revealed that BCS was not significant, so researchers focused only on weaning weights. In the adapted score analysis, Smith found that cows that shed by May had, on average, 589-pound (lb.) calves. Cows that shed after May had, on average, 565-lb. calves, for about a 24-lb. difference.

“What we concluded is that cows that shed later weaned lighter calves, but more data is really needed to confirm the findings,” Smith said. “We believe hair shedding is moderately heritable, which means it may be possible for producers to select for this. There is some variation.”

Smith further notes that animals with little or later hair coat shedding might be good candidates for culling, especially in the Southeast where the evaluations were made. However, more studies are again needed to determine if the advice would be the same for other environments. In addition, researchers would like to consider the effects of prolactin concentrations, hair regression, changes in the type of diet and temperatures to assess the rate of shedding.

“Our next steps would be to try the same observations in different (geographic) areas, as well as see if any other traits are related to hair shedding,” Smith says. “Over the three years, these results were repeatable. The same cows tended to shed at about the same time each year. We would need to find out if that is true in other environments.”

Smith spoke in Tuesday's Producer Application Committee session at the 2010 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) symposium. Themed “Gateway to Profit,” the 42nd annual research symposium and annual meeting was hosted by BIF June 28-July 1 in Columbia, Mo.

— by Barb Baylor Anderson for Angus Productions Inc.

— Compiled by Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, Angus Productions Inc.