News Update
Feb. 7, 2011

Producer Confidence In Beef Checkoff Growing

A survey of 1,200 beef and dairy producers nationwide was conducted in late Dec. 2010 and early Jan. 2011 by the independent firm Aspen Media & Market Research. This research found that producers’ attitudes toward the beef checkoff program are quite favorable and have improved noticeably in the past year.

Currently, about three in four approve of the program, a five-point positive shift in the past 12 months. At only one other time in checkoff history have approval levels increased by at least this amount in a one-year period. The last time approval levels were this high was in 1994. Producers have consistently tended to rate the checkoff positively. In the past five years, approval levels have ranged between 68% and the current level of 74%.

“Knowledge about the checkoff continues to predict favorability toward it,” says Wesley Grau, a cow-calf farmer from Grady, N.M., and chair of the Joint Producer Communications Committee (JPCC). “Producers who are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ well-informed are more likely to approve of the checkoff, particularly among those who say they are very well-informed. Among this group, 86% approve of the program (51% of them strongly), while only 10% disapprove. This finding marks a significant 8% positive shift in the past year. This tells me producers are not only getting to know their checkoff but are also very satisfied with what they learn.”

To that measure, the underlying value of the checkoff remains strong: a large majority (81%) feels the checkoff program has helped contribute to a positive trend in consumer demand for beef; a similar number (80%) believe the program has value in weak economic conditions or are confident (77%) it is on their side during a crisis.

And, when it comes to their own operations, many producers believe the program has benefited them. A large majority (68%) believe it helps contribute to the profitability of their operations, up sharply from a year ago.

“A key goal as identified by the JPCC is that farmers and ranchers have a positive view of the way the checkoff is being managed; that they trust in the leadership and the decisions being made about their checkoff investment,” says Grau. “This research shows that management of the checkoff is viewed favorably, with 66% saying they believe it is being managed well.”

A copy of the research report is available online.

For more information about your beef checkoff investment, go to www.MyBeefCheckoff.com.

Coverage of 2011 Cattle Industry Convention Available Online

Angus Productions Inc. (API), publisher of the Angus Journal and the Angus Beef Bulletin, is posting coverage of the 2011 Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show online at www.4cattlemen.com. Visit the site now for summaries of newsworthy take-home messages written by API Field Editors Troy Smith and Kindra Gordon, as well as Editor Shauna Hermel and Certified Angus Beef LLC Industry Information Staff Steve Suther, Miranda Reimann and Laura Nelson.

You can also catch the CAB staff’s commentary on the Black Ink blog at www.blackinkwithCAB.com. And the American Angus Association will provide video coverage at www.angus.org.

Tendon Troubles in Newborn Calves Require Quick Attention

Every now and then calves are born with a condition called contracted tendons. It results in the calf not being able to straighten out its front pasterns so it can put its hooves flat on the ground.

“Calves that have this end up walking with the hooves turned back. Some people refer to this also as knuckling,” said Eldon Cole, a livestock specialist with the University of Missouri (MU) Extension.

The problem surfaces out of the clear and seems to affect a few calves, then it disappears.

“I’ve read about it and visited with veterinarians. The conclusion is nutrition, intrauterine positioning and genetics may all play a role,” said Cole.

The minerals that may be involved are manganese and selenium. Vitamin D and E also play a part in muscle and tendon growth in the infantile calf.

Certain plants (I lupine, locoweed and poison vetch), if eaten by the pregnant female at just the right point in gestation may contribute to the problem.

Autosomal recessive genes have been known to cause musculoskeletal defects in infant calves.

“If the problem occurs in the herd, you might do a pedigree check to see if the sire and dam are closely related,” said Cole.

The most often mentioned theory revolves around insufficient room in the uterus for extension and growth of the tendons.

“This seems logical to me if the affected calf is big, and a bull calf, which it seems often is the case,” said Cole.

The affected calf normally straightens out after hobbling around several days. It’s important in the first few days to make sure the calf nurses, so keeping the cow and calf in a smaller area is advised.

“I’ve heard lots of home remedies such as massaging the pastern area, using splints or casts — and these may speed recovery. Others will just leave them alone and they also straighten out,” said Cole. “Unfortunately, this condition does not have a well-defined cause or solution that I’ve been able to find.”

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.

Free Ag Seminars

Make plans now to attend a free seminar hosted by FCS Financial at eight different locations around Missouri. James “Jim” R. Wiesemeyer, senior vice president, Farm and Trade Policy at Informa Economics and Washington consultant for the Pro Farmer newsletter, will present “The Business of Agriculture: What’s Ahead and What to do About It — A candid look at the policy and price outlook for U.S. agriculture from a global perspective.”

Pat Guinan, Professor of Climatology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, will discuss “Historical and Recent Climate Trends in Missouri.” FCS Financial representatives will also provide brief updates on the 2011 spring crop insurance provisions.

Lunch or dinner will be provided at all seminars. Space is limited and advance reservations are required at least seven days prior to the meeting. To reserve your spot, register online at www.myfcsfinancial.com or call your FCS Financial office at 1-800-444-3276.

Registration begins at 30 minutes prior to the meeting start time.

• Lake St. Louis — Feb. 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Lake St. Louis Banquet Center
• Columbia — Feb. 17, 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Stoney Creek Inn
• Hannibal — Feb. 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Quality Inn & Suites
• Lamar — Feb. 22, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Thiebaud Auditorium
• Warrensburg — Feb. 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Elks Lodge
• Marshall — Feb. 24, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Martin Community Center
• St. Joseph — Feb. 24, 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Stoney Creek Inn
• Chillicothe — Feb. 25, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Elks Lodge

— Release by FCS Financial.

USDA To Release New Long-Term Agricultural Projections  

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release new 10-year agricultural projections Feb. 14 at noon EST. The “USDA Agricultural Projections to 2020” report will be released on the Office of the Chief Economist website at www.usda.gov/oce. USDA publishes the projections each year in February.

The long-term projections are developed by interagency committees in USDA, with the Economic Research Service (ERS) having the lead role in the preparation of the report. The new projections cover crop and livestock commodities, agricultural trade and aggregate indicators such as farm income, and food prices through 2020. The projections do not represent a USDA forecast, but a conditional, long-run scenario based on specific assumptions about farm policy, weather, the economy and international developments. Provisions of the 2008 Farm Act are incorporated into the projections and are assumed to remain in effect through 2020. Normal weather also is assumed throughout the projection period.

Background on USDA’s long-term projections and past issues of the report are available on the ERS website at www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/projections.

The report will be available in printed form Feb. 24-25 at USDA’s 2011 Agricultural Outlook Forum in Arlington, Va. (Conference details are found at: www.usda.gov/oce/forum). Copies also can be ordered from the National Technical Information Service at www.ntis.gov or 1-800-999-6779. Request document OCE-2011-1.

— Release by USDA.

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