News Update
Nov. 9, 2010

Kansas Farmer Elected Leader of Meat Export Group

Members of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) have elected Great Bend, Kan., farmer and rancher Keith Miller to serve as chairman of the group’s executive committee. Miller represents Kansas Farm Bureau on the Federation.

Miller looks at the projections for global population growth and sees opportunity for U.S. red meat exports. Experts are predicting agriculture will have to feed 2 billion more people worldwide by 2050.

“If we want to be profitable, exports are where the future is,” said Miller, who owns a 370-head cow herd and raises wheat, corn, alfalfa, milo and soybeans.

He said for farmers and ranchers to remain profitable, they need to be ready to meet the demand from foreign customers. This means supplying international consumers with what they want, said Miller, not just what is convenient.

The customer, as Miller has observed in his travels to overseas markets, is being actively targeted by U.S. red meat competitors, including Australia, Brazil and Denmark.

“Our competition is not standing still,” he said. “Markets like Hong Kong, Japan and Korea are where the premiums are being paid for U.S. beef and pork, and every beef- and pork-producing country in the world wants those premiums.”

— Release by Kansas Livestock Association and USMEF.

NDSU’s Hettinger Research Extension Center to Host Beef Research Review

With today’s economic climate, cattle producers need to explore new techniques to increase ranch profitability.

The North Dakota State University Hettinger Research Extension Center (REC) will host its third annual Beef Research Review Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010.

The workshop is open to beef producers or anyone else who is interested in beef cattle production.

The day’s program, “Management Alternatives to Improve Your Bottom Line,” will focus on ethanol coproducts in diets, artificial insemination (AI), cattle and wildlife interactions, and grazing to improve soil health.

Keynote speakers are members of the North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition. They are Gabe Brown of Bismarck, Ken Miller of Fort Rice and Lance Gartner of Glen Ullin. They will discuss the techniques they have utilized and integrated into their beef operations to promote the soil health of their grazing lands.

“With today’s economic climate, cattle producers need to explore new techniques to increase ranch profitability,” says Michele Thompson, Southwest Feeders Project coordinator and program organizer at the Hettinger REC.

The review will be from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. The event is free, but the registration deadline is Dec. 2. A free noon meal will be served by the Hettinger Area Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee. For more information or to preregister for the review, contact Thompson at 701-567-4323 or michele.thompson@ndsu.edu.

— Release by NDSU.

Consumers Say They Want More Healthy Menu Items But Don’t Order Them, Survey Finds

Nearly half of consumers say they want healthier menu items, but only about a quarter of them actively consider nutrition when dining out, according to a new survey by food industry consulting firm Technomic.

The 2010 Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report also found that contrary to previously held beliefs, only 19% of consumers responded that food described as “healthy” on the menu does not taste as good as other options.

Most respondents did not indicate that the restaurant industry is responsible for America’s obesity epidemic, with only 16% placing blame solely on restaurants.

Consumers confirmed that their eating behavior differs significantly for at-home and away-from-home dining occasions. Two out of five consumers described their at-home eating as “very healthy,” while only about a quarter said the same about away-from-home dining, the report found.

For more information on the report, go to http://www.technomic.com/.

— Release by American Meat Institute.

The AVMA Seeks Your Input On Model Practice Act

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is soliciting comments from veterinarians and veterinary healthcare team members on its Model Veterinary Practice Act (MVPA) in order to help shape the future of veterinary medicine.

The current MVPA, which was last reviewed in 2003, includes sections on definitions, veterinary medical boards, licensing, client confidentiality, veterinary education, veterinary technicians and technologists, abandoned animals, and cruelty to animals, as well as other topics.

“This is an excellent opportunity for veterinarians and members of veterinary healthcare teams — as well as pet owners, the public, farmers or really anybody who cares about animals and veterinary medicine — to offer input that will help guide the profession,” says John Scamahorn, chair of the AVMA Model Veterinary Practice Act Task Force. “The Model Veterinary Practice Act is used by state legislatures and state veterinary licensing and exam boards to help shape the rules and laws that govern the course of veterinary medicine.”

The AVMA is providing early notice of this public input period to encourage all interested parties to get involved and provide informed comments. The current MVPA is available for public review on the AVMA website at www.avma.org/issues/policy/mvpa.asp. Organizations and individuals can make comments about the MVPA on the AVMA website during the 30-day public comment period that is scheduled to start in January 2011. The AVMA requests that the comments submitted be specific and include suggested language for the new MVPA.

“Early notice of this comment period was essential in order to give veterinarians and their colleagues adequate time to review the current Model Veterinary Practice Act,” explains Ron DeHaven, CEO of the AVMA. “By issuing this alert early, we’re hoping veterinarians will take time to review the many provisions of the act in advance of the comment period. Some allied and constituent organizations may even choose to meet in order to come to consensus on their comments, and we want to encourage and allow for these discussions about the future of veterinary medicine.”

The first MVPA was created by the AVMA in the early 1960s. Through the years, it has been revised several times to reflect changes in the profession such as new technologies and techniques and even societal changes.

For more information, visit www.avma.org.

— Release by AVMA.

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