News Update
July 12, 2010

NJAA members, families in Denver this week

Members of the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) and their families are in Denver, Colo., this week participating in the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), Rush to the Rockies. The official event kicks off this evening with opening ceremonies.

World-renowned livestock handling expert Temple Grandin will be among the thousands of people attending the event. Grandin is scheduled to give a special presentation Tuesday evening sponsored by the Arkansas Activities Endowment Fund.

For more information about the event, visit www.angus.org and www.njas.info. For a complete schedule, click here.
 
Thirty Legislative Days Remain on Congressional Calendar This Year

Only 30 legislative days are left on the Congressional calendar until the estate tax reverts back to its staggering pre-2001 levels. If Congress fails to act, starting Jan. 1, 2011, farm estates worth a mere $1 million will be taxed at a rate of 55%.

“If Congress does nothing, they’re in essence handing down a death sentence to family-owned farming and ranching operations,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Steve Foglesong. “Taxing family farmers and ranchers out of business will have serious impacts on all Americans, not just in our rural communities.”

The estate tax, commonly known as the “death tax,” disproportionately hits agriculture. Ninety-seven percent of American farms and ranches are owned and operated by families, and the tax is considered one of the leading causes of the breakup of multigenerational family farms and ranches.

“The death tax promotes the breakup of farms and ranches and the degradation of our nation’s natural resources and wildlife habitat,” said Public Lands Council President Skye Krebs. “Family famers and ranchers not only produce the nutritious food and fiber to feed the world’s growing population, they also serve as stewards of the land, air, and water that make our way of life possible.”

Because farm and ranch assets consist mainly of land, buildings, and specialized equipment, these estates may look wealthy on paper, but they include few saleable assets and little liquidity to pay estate taxes.

“This is not a tax on the ‘wealthy elite.’ The wealthy can afford accountants and estate planners to help them evade the tax. This is a death warrant for small- to medium-sized family businesses,” Foglesong continued. “Farmers and ranchers are often forced to sell land, equipment or even the entire ranch just to pay off tax liabilities. This is money that could otherwise be reinvested to grow the family business and hand it down to future generations.”

Farm and ranch estates are five to 20 times more likely to incur estate taxes than other estates. According to the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), one in 10 farm estates (farms with sales of $250,000 or more annually) were likely to owe estate taxes in 2009.

“Preserving the legacy of American agriculture for future generations should not be a political issue,” Foglesong said. “At the end of the day, we’re simply asking for the ability to keep our farms and ranches in production and hand them down to future generations.”

AngusSource® Enters July with a Bang

Video auctions feature AngusSource® cattle this month.

The American Angus Association’s USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) is gearing up for what looks to be a great month.

AngusSource and Gateway calves are selling in several video auction markets during July, including the Western Video Market sale, July 12-15. The sale features 85 lots totaling more than 8,300 head of AngusSource and Gateway calves from 43 consignors.

AngusSource documents source, group age and a minimum of 50% Angus genetics; while Gateway, a second tier of theAngusSource program, verifies only source and group age. 

Logan Ipsen, American Angus Association regional manager, says both programs add value at sale time.

“We have seen consistent added value in the documentation of calves being sold through the video sales, especially in the last two years,” he says. “The cattle that have been consigned to these sales show that ranchers have responded to the feeders’ need for documented age, source and Angus genetics.”

A video auction sale through Superior Livestock Auction July 5-10 featured more than 6,000 head of AngusSource and Gateway calves from 29 producers.

“The market has clearly highlighted Angus calves that have a vaccination history as well as source and age verification,” notes Paul Dykstra, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) beef cattle specialist. “The feedlots that I work with are demanding those attributes as well as caracass quality; this combination presents an opportunity to make premiums above the commodity market.”

Calves enrolled in AngusSource and Gateway are identified with program-compliant ear tags and are accompanied by official verification certificates.

Other upcoming video auctions sales featuring AngusSource and Gateway offerings include a sale on Northern Livestock Video Auction July 26.

For more information about AngusSource or Gateway, visit www.angus.org/angussource or call 816-383-5100.

Visit www.wvmcattle.com for more information on Angus cattle on Western Video Market; www.superiorlivestock.com for more information on Superior Livestock Auction; and www.northernlivestockvideo.com for more information about Northern Livestock Video Auction.

NAMP Conference to Tackle E. coli O157:H7

Speakers from academia, the industry and governmental agencies will meet Sept. 28-29 to discuss how to reduce the incidence of E. coli O157:H7.

The North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP) conference, to take place in Chicago, will cover the issue from a variety of perspectives, with Meatingplace blogger James Marsden of Kansas State University (K-State) covering the science angle. Fellow Meatingplace blogger Shawn Stevens of Gass, Weber, Mullins LLC in Milwaukee will discuss the legal issues surrounding E. coli, and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Deputy Assistant Administrator Dan Engeljohn will consider the challenges of E. coli reduction from a policy standpoint.

Additional topics will include validation and microbial testing, preharvest E. coli management and how to evaluate a supplier’s food safety program.

There will also be special sessions for Canadian processors as well as Mexican processors, if there is enough interest.

To register for the conference, visit www.namp.com. 

— Release from NAMP and USDA.

Beef Cattle Reproduction Symposium Scheduled Aug 5 and 6 in Nashville, Tenn.

Cow-calf producers find themselves challenged by rising input costs. Given the magnitude of increased expenses, producers are intently focused on the bottom line while seeking both economic and production efficiencies. In response, the University of Tennessee and the Beef Reproduction Task Force are sponsoring the 2010 Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle (ARSBC) Aug. 5 and 6 in Nashville, Tenn.

This symposium will inform producers on cutting-edge reproductive strategies. The speakers will provide the knowledge needed to improve herd productivity and decrease input costs by shortening the calving and breeding season. The symposium will also help producers understand how to improve overall reproductive management through enhancement of both male and female reproduction, as well as innovations in protocols such as estrous synchronization.

The presenters represent leading educational and research institutions and will share their knowledge on the latest topics of cattle reproduction.

Program details and registration are available at http://westcentral.unl.edu/beefrepro/. The early registration deadline is July 22.

More information is available by contacting Justin Rhinehart, University of Tennessee, 615-835-4561, jrhinehart@utk.edu; or Cliff Lamb, 850-394-9124, gclamb@ufl.edu.

Angus Productions Inc. (API) will provide online coverage of the event at www.appliedreprostrategies.com. Visit the site now for a schedule and to access links to the registration brochure. API will provide the synopses, proceedings, powerpoints and audio after the meeting.

The Beef Reproduction Task Force is comprised of Extension animal scientists from Kansas State University, University of Nebraska, South Dakota State University, Iowa State University, University of Idaho, University of Illinois, University of Florida and University of Missouri, with support from several other industry sponsors.

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