News Update
Jan. 12, 2011

Angus Activities at National Western Stock Show Under Way

This morning’s Angus events at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) included the Angus Bull Sale Show at 8 a.m. and the Super-Point Roll of Victory (ROV) Angus Bull Show beginning at 11 a.m. The American Angus Association is posting results of the shows at www.angus.org/showresults.

Tonight’s events include the sale of the Angus Foundation Heifer Package to kick off the National Western Angus Bull Sale at 5 p.m. Camron “Cam” Cooper, owner of Talon Ranch of Twin Bridges, Mont., donated TR Barbara Perfection 9711 to headline the Foundation Heifer Package. For more information about the heifer, see page 50 of the January 2011 Angus Journal.

The sale book for the National Western Angus Bull Sale was inserted in the December 2010 Angus Journal and featured 31 lots by 25 breeders. Visit www.angus.org/showresults to see how the bulls fared in competition this morning. If you want to inquire about the bulls or send in a bid, contact your regional manager, sale manager David Gazda (706-296-7846), API General Manager Terry Cotton (816-390-3227), or one of the other contacts listed on the inside front cover of the sale book.

Stocker Conference Set for Feb. 21-22 in Bowling Green

The University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture is once again teaming up with the University of Tennessee (UT) to offer the sixth-annual Mid-South Stocker Conference set for Feb. 21-22 in Bowling Green.

Sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Services of the Universities of Kentucky and Tennessee and each state’s Cattlemen’s Association, in partnership with Bayer Animal Health and BEEF magazine, this year’s conference will offer information relative to a changing industry.

“As we watch new challenges face the industry, we look to convey viable solutions for these,” said Jeff Lehmkuler, Extension beef specialist for the UK College of Agriculture. “This year’s conference will provide attendees with new information to aid farmers in adapting to some of the changes facing the industry.”

The conference will begin at 1 p.m. CST at the Holiday Inn University Plaza & Sloan Convention Center. A new feature on Mon., Feb. 21, offers a virtual tour of area cattle operations. Lehmkuler said the virtual tour will allow attendees to learn about local producers’ innovations while relaxing in a warm, comfortable environment in February.

In an afternoon meat-cutting demonstration, UK College of Agriculture Meat Scientist Gregg Rentfrow will showcase new beef cuts, which could add value to cattle. The day will conclude with a reception and trade show at the convention center, allowing attendees to learn about new products and services available. The program continues Tuesday, Feb. 22, beginning at 7 a.m.

The formal program will get under way at 9 a.m. covering stocker cattle health, managing forages for stocker cattle, and strategies to meet environmental regulations, including a discussion on properly composting livestock mortalities. The afternoon program will include an update and outlook of the beef cattle industry by Cattle-Fax and a research update from UT and UK professionals. Additional details and the conference program are available online at www.midsouthstocker.org.

Rooms at the Holiday Inn University Plaza are available at the special rate of $89.99 per night. The preregistration fee for the conference, which includes the virtual tour, meat-cutting demo, reception, meals, proceedings and access to the trade show, is $95 per person or $150 per couple. Registration is available online at www.midsouthstocker.org or contact John Bartee, with UT Extension’s Montgomery County office at 931-648-5725, jbartee1@utk.edu. Registration after Feb. 14 and on-site at the conference is $125.

If you have any questions about the conference, please call Jim Neel, 865-974-7294; Roy Burris, 270-365-7541, ext. 208 or Jeff Lehmkuhler, 859-257-2853.

— Release by UK College of Agriculture.

CFI’s Animal Agriculture Committee Hits Membership Milestone

The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) Animal Agriculture Committee has more than doubled its membership since its formation two years ago. The group, which had a roster of 18 members in 2008, ended 2010 with 50 organizations and companies working to build consumer trust and confidence in today’s food animal system.

“2010 was a great year for the CFI Animal Agriculture Committee,” said Terry Fleck, CFI’s executive director. “The collective wisdom of this group is truly impressive and we look forward to another productive year in bolstering public trust.”

The CFI Animal Agriculture Committee brings together a national network of well-informed and highly motivated individuals and organizations dedicated to helping build public understanding of the commitment today’s farmers have for the responsible production of meat, milk and eggs.

“This group helps guide us as we develop programming to address issues impacting the food animal industry,” Fleck said.

Individuals or organizations interested in learning more about the CFI Animal Agriculture Committee activities should contact Cliff Becker at cliff.becker@foodintegrity.org.  

— Release by the Center for Food Integrity.

Ethanol Industry Reacts to USDA Corn Report

Earlier today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its final report on the size of the 2010 corn crop and supply, as well as its updated estimates of corn use. The January report did make a couple of important changes.

First, it lowered average corn yields to 152.8 bushels (bu.) per acre, still the fourth highest in history. The reduction in yield was offset by the addition of 100,000 harvested acres. Final 2010 corn production as seen by USDA stands at 12.45 billion bu. — the third largest crop in history. 

Second, USDA increased its demand forecast for ethanol to 4.9 billion bu. for the marketing year (Sept. 1, 2010 to Aug. 31, 2011). That translates to ethanol production of about 13.5 billion gallons (gal.).

Recognizing the contribution of distillers’ grains and other feed coproducts of ethanol production, USDA did lower its livestock feed usage by 100 million bu.

Third, USDA is showing ending stocks of corn at 745 million bu., down from the previous report.

RFA Analysis: While not as large as originally thought, the 2010 corn crop is quite robust considering the challenges much of the Corn Belt endured. With the fourth highest yields and third largest crop on record, American farmers once again demonstrated their ability to produce a safe and abundant corn supply.

USDA’s estimates of ethanol production for the 2010/2011 marketing year fall in line with industry expectations. It is unlikely that USDA will revise that number any higher in the near term given the constraints of the E10 blend wall and the anticipated slow adoption of E15 ethanol blends.

While domestic corn supplies are lower than last year’s record supply, global supplies of food grains like rice and wheat (i.e., those most often used for direct human consumption) remain strong.

This report will undoubtedly be like catnip for speculators that will predictably seek to drive commodity markets higher. This scenario has played out before, most recently in 2007/2008 when all commodities, led by crude oil, soared to unjustified and unsustainable levels. Moreover, enthusiastic Malthusians and other doomsday prognosticators will use this report to blame biofuels for food insecurities that have existed for decades. 

— Release by Renewable Fuels Association.

AgriLabs Promotion Benefits Breast Cancer Research

Steve Schram, AgriLabs president and CEO, announced today that the company’s “Get Your Pink On” Promotion was an unqualified success.

The program spotlighted the efficacy of AgriLabs single-dose, I-Site XP® vaccine and its ability to protect cattle against “pinkeye,” a serious disease caused by Moraxella bovis. Producers who purchased I-Site XP, Agrimycin® 200 or KMG Animal Insecticides had a choice of receiving a valuable AgriLabs-branded “Get Your Pink On” gift or allowing AgriLabs to donate the equivalent amount to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), whose mission is a worldwide fight against breast cancer. 

The overwhelming majority of the beef and dairy producer customers directed AgriLabs to donate the value of their premiums to the foundation to sponsor lifesaving research.

“This important work is conducted by brilliant scientists from around the globe whose work holds the greatest promise to eliminate breast cancer in our lifetime,” noted Peg Mastrianni, deputy director of BCRF.

With donations like the one from AgriLabs, the BCRF was able to award grants to more than 170 carefully selected researchers in October 2010. These men and women lead the most advanced and groundbreaking international breast cancer investigations.

“AgriLabs is proud of the thoughtful generosity of our customers. Even in these challenging times, producers in our industry looked beyond personal benefit and decided to actively forward the aim of BCRF researchers working to uncover the underlying causes of breast cancer, its prevention, the development of effective treatment strategies, and ultimately, a cure for this terrible disease,” added Schram.

— Release by AgriLabs.

— Compiled by Linda Robbins, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.