News Update
July 1, 2010

Beef Checkoff Launches New Veal Foodservice Website

The beef checkoff is announcing the launch of a new website for foodservice professionals, www.VealFoodservice.com, in July. Highlights include a database of recipes, among them both traditional and cutting-edge dishes for use in any restaurant format, as well as a special section with a featured restaurant, recipe and chef.

“The typical veal consumer has changed,” says Ray Krones, chairman of the Joint Veal Committee. “Our most recent research indicates that today’s veal consumer is a protein-user that likes variety, taste and nutrition, which plays a key role in their buying decision. The new website aims to help restaurant operators and chefs add veal dishes to their menus to appeal to these consumers.

“Veal can also help deliver more profit, something all restaurants need to consider,” continues Krones. “Many chefs have already discovered how versatile veal can be. While a staple in Italian restaurants, veal is being used more often in ethnic cuisines, like Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. It’s also included on the menu at casual format restaurants where cuts like ground veal add interest to ordinary dishes such as burgers, sliders and meatballs.”

And while creative chefs are adding their own spin on traditional recipes, the website is also a source for nutritional information, tutorials on veal cuts and news about upcoming events.

For more information about checkoff-funded veal retail initiatives, visit www.VealMadeEasy.com. For more information about your beef checkoff, visit www.MyBeefCheckoff.com.

— Release by the Beef Checkoff Program.

Don’t Forget to Look at Your Cattle This Summer

Summer schedules on the farm are busy and can be even more hectic if a producer has employment off the farm. But sometime between putting up hay, clipping pastures and combining fescue or wheat, checking the cattle needs to be high on the priority list.

“Close observation every few days by you or someone with a good eye for cattle can help prevent a variety of problems and will pay off,” said Eldon Cole, a livestock specialist with University of Missouri (MU) Extension.

The frequency of checking the herd will vary depending on the class of cattle, distance to the pasture and a variety of other factors. Cole says there is no set rule for how often cattle need to be seen but more often is better than “every now and then.”

A routine check should involve a head count (remember cattle theft is a possibility).

This time of year, eye irritations can create serious problems. Early awareness and treatment of bad eyes can prevent 25% to 30% of the animals coming down with affected eyes. Bad eyes can cause lower weight gains and reduce the market value of feeder cattle and breeding stock.

Other items to check in the pasture include the effectiveness of fly control, especially horn flies and face flies. If fly tags were put in back in April, their effectiveness could be gone by now. Backrubbers and dust bags should be changed if they show signs of cattle traffic.

Do you notice any lameness, which could be foot rot? Or, if cows calved earlier this year, do they seem to be bred or is there an unusual amount of bull activity?

“Unfortunately, most of the breeding activity takes place during evening and early morning hours when you may not notice it. Just make sure the bull is healthy and mobile,” Cole said.
It is also important to “read” pasture conditions.

“Be sure there’s plenty of pasture and that the quality is suitable for optimum performance of cattle,” Cole said. “It is also a good idea to rotate your pastures at least once a week. This helps maintain legume growth and improve forage use.”

It is also a good idea to observe the cattle for signs of fescue toxicosis. Those symptoms might be signs of heat stress such as pond standing, mud hole wallowing, slow hair shedding, dull, dry looking hair and lost tail switches. Make note of the cattle that appear to be the most affected. This helps identify cull candidates.

Other things to watch for include checking on salt and mineral levels, looking for holes in the fence, water gap problems, water problems, broken wild cherry limbs and cattle with the ADR syndrome (ain’t doing right).

“A few years ago I asked a husband and wife team what the most important management item they did to keep their herd looking good. The wife immediately said that they look at their cattle a lot. I think that pretty well sums up a vital part of beef cattle management,” Cole said.

For more information, contact any of the MU Extension livestock specialists in southwest Missouri: Eldon Cole in Mount Vernon, 417-466-3102 or Dona Goede in Cedar County, 417- 276-3313.

— Release by MU Extension.

Clay Mathis Named Director, Endowed Chair of King Ranch Institue For Ranch Management

Clay Mathis has been selected as the director and endowed chair of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management (KRIRM), part of the Dick and Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human Sciences at Texas A&M University (TAMU)-Kingsville.

Mathis has been serving as professor and Extension livestock specialist at New Mexico State University (NMSU) since 2007. He started teaching at the university in 1998.

Mathis has a broad knowledge of applied beef production, acquired in part through an educational path that includes abachelor’s degree. in animal science and a Master’s degree in physiology of reproduction, both earned at TAMU, and a doctorate in ruminant nutrition from Kansas State University.

As a specialist in his field, Mathis has provided recommendations to producers across all sectors of the beef and sheep industries for the last eleven years. He also has developed and taught courses for ranch managers, as well as a Beef Industry Systems course for graduate and undergraduate students.

Jamey Clement, chairman of the board of King Ranch Inc., serves as chair of the Management Council of KRIRM. He said of the selection, “Clay Mathis brings with him not only a strong academic background, but also years of real-world experience consulting with ranchers and range specialists. It’s not often you find someone with Clay’s credentials who has accomplished so much in all these arenas.

“The KRIRM Management Council is confident Clay will continue to build and enhance the industry relationships and academic training which are so important to this institute’s unique mission of preparing land managers in an increasingly complex world. We look forward to working with Clay as we continue to grow and blaze new trails in the field of ranch management.”

Mathis has chaired numerous college, departmental and professional committees at NMSU. He also has served as acting department head for the NMSU Extension Animal Sciences and Natural Resources Department.

— Release by KRIRM.

Korea FTA has Never Been More Critical

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is encouraged by the Obama Administration’s recent announcement of its intention to press forward on Congressional ratification of the pending U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Tariffs on U.S. beef and pork exports to Korea will be eliminated under the terms of the FTA. Currently, tariffs are 40% on U.S. beef and 25% on most U.S. pork products. The FTA will phase out tariffs on U.S. beef over the course of 15 years. Tariffs would be eliminated on frozen and processed U.S. pork by 2014 and on chilled pork within 10 years.

By value, Korea is this year’s fourth-largest destination for U.S. beef exports (through April, $112.3 million) and fifth-largest for U.S. pork ($69.5 million). While imported beef and pork from most of our major competitors face the same tariffs, this situation is changing rapidly. Chile, which has an FTA in place that has already lowered the tariffs assessed by Korea, has captured 14% of Korea’s imported pork market and its pork exports to Korea are up 22% compared to last year. The European Union and Korea have already completed negotiations on an FTA that will eliminate duties on the same schedule outlined in the U.S.-Korea FTA. Korea also recently completed its fifth round of FTA negotiations with Australia, which is its largest foreign provider of beef.

“As the EU and Australia move ever closer to implementing FTAs with Korea, the urgency of the U.S.-Korea agreement becomes all the more pronounced,” said USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng. “Korea’s high tariffs already impact demand by artificially raising the cost for consumers. But the situation will become even more difficult if our major competitors in the market get a running head start on the tariff reduction process.”

Seng said Australia gaining a price advantage would be especially unfortunate now that U.S. beef is regaining market share and finding renewed success in Korea. Beef export value to Korea is running nearly 60% ahead of last year, and has been especially strong in recent weeks.

“We have come so far since U.S. beef returned to Korea in 2008,” Seng said. “U.S. beef is back in Korea’s major retail stores and restaurant chains, and is gaining consumer acceptance every day. Ratification of the FTA would allow us to build further on this momentum.

“The situation with pork is equally concerning,” Seng continued. “We have already seen an FTA provide momentum for Chilean pork exports and we cannot afford to fall behind other major competitors. The U.S. is still the leading provider of pork to Korea, but it’s a very competitive market and we absolutely cannot afford to take that position for granted.”

— Release by USMEF.

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