News Update
Feb. 11, 2011

American Angus Association releases genomic-enhanced EPDs for growth

The American Angus Association and Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) continue to expand their offering of genomic-enhanced expected progeny differences (EPDs). Beginning today, Feb. 11, genomic-enhanced EPDs incorporating the Igenity® Profile for Angus are available for several growth traits, including birth, weaning and yearling weight EPDs, as well as milk EPDs.

The selection tools are generated using the Association’s extensive growth database and genomic results from the Igenity Angus-specific profile.

Growth EPDs now join other genomic-enhanced EPDs offered through the Association, including carcass traits, docility and residual average daily gain (RADG).

“This was the next logical step in our efforts to further incorporate genomic data into our extensive selection tools,” says Bill Bowman, AGI president and Association chief operating officer (COO). “We continue to work toward utilizing genomic data in additional EPDs to benefit our members and their commercial customers.”

Sally Northcutt, Association director of genetic research, says genomic-enhanced EPDs allow Angus producers to make even more accurate, more rapid genetic improvements. 

“These tools can provide an advantage for any operation, regardless of herd size,” Northcutt says.

Visit www.angus.org/Nce/WeeklyEvalGenomicData.aspx for a complete, regularly updated list of available genomic-enhanced EPDs.

Visit www.angus.org for more information.

— News release by the American Angus Association.

American National CattleWomen Elect Jill Ginn President

Jill Ginn, Granbury, Texas, has been elected the 60th president of the American National CattleWomen Inc. (ANCW) during the organization’s 2011 Annual Meeting Feb 1-3 in Denver, Colo. ANCW is a voice for women who support and promote the beef industry.

For 2011, Ginn has chosen the theme “Ridin’ for the Brand” and she encourages CattleWomen to “do all you can to support this great industry with the passion, experience and knowledge we have for cattle production, beef and our way of life. It is up to us to tell our ‘Beef Story’ and to educate the consumer, both young and old, on the benefits of beef in their diet.”

According to Ginn, “In 2011, the National Beef Cook-Off will focus on bringing new, nutritious, consumer friendly recipes to America’s table. We will continue to grow future leaders for this industry through the National Beef Ambassador Program, and we will blaze the trail with the new National Beef Speakers Bureau program. This year, ANCW plans to build on our Legislative Action Network by giving CattleWomen across the nation direction and a voice when it comes to policies being made in Washington, D.C., that directly affect our producers and our way of life. We are committed to “Ridin’ for the Brand” and doing our part to carry on the legacy of the Beef Industry.”

Jill Ginn grew up in Hereford, Texas, “Beef Capital of the World.” She has had a passion for the beef industry since she was a young girl. Jill graduated from Texas A&M University (TAMU) with a degree in agricultural science. After graduation, she began her career in the beef industry as a fat cattle buyer for Excel Corp. in the Northern Texas Panhandle. Jill is currently a territory manager for Novartis Animal Health in Central/East Texas and Louisiana. She works with cow-calf and stocker operators to manage their animal health programs.

Jill has served as president of Texas Aggie CattleWomen (1993), Hereford CattleWomen (1998), and Texas CattleWomen (2003). She also served as Host State Chair for the National Beef Cook-off (NBCO) when it was in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2003. Since that time, Jill has remained on the NBCO Committee, and served as Chairman for the 2009 NBCO.

Jill and her husband, Scott, reside in Granbury with new twins Luke and Grace.

ANCW’s 2011 Executive Committee members, in addition to Ginn, are: President Elect Tammi Didlot, Okla.; Vice President Barbara Jackson, Ariz.; Recording Secretary Desta Crawford, Tex.; Past President Lana Slaten, Ala.; Region I Director Bonnie Bargstedt, N.Y.; Region II Director Marcia Callaway, Ga.; Region III Director Bev Rowe, Iowa: Region IV Director D’dee Haynes, Okla.; Region V Director Peggy Biaggi, Ore.; Region VI Director Judy Ahmann, Calif.; Region VII Director Janice Rustad, N.D.; and Parliamentarian, Ginny Lee, Neb.

— Release by ANCW.

Writer, Photographer Named CattleWoman of the Year

Jean Barton of Red Bluff, Calif., was named the American National CattleWomen (ANCW) Outstanding CattleWoman of the Year at the Cattle Industry Annual Meeting in Denver, Colo. Each year the award recognizes a CattleWoman who has excelled in beef promotion, education and leadership. The award is sponsored by Land O’Lakes Purina.

Jean’s talent as a photographer and writer are widely recognized. She writes a weekly column for her local Red Bluff Daily News on beef industry issues, recipes and CattleWomen activities. Her photographs have appeared in not only the local newspaper and its internet site, but also in numerous industry publications. She has contributed photographs for the American National CattleWomen’s magazine, the American CattleWoman, for more than 15 years as well has having served as an editor.

As a longtime member of the Tehama CattleWomen, Jean has served in most positions including president. She has also been California CattleWomen president and served for ANCW on the National Beef Cook-Off, Legislation and Media Relations committees. As an active ANCW member since the early 1990s, she helped promote beef in seven northeast states through projects including ground beef irradiation, New York State Fair and the ANCW Promotion Project. She was instrumental in raising thousands of dollars in California for the 2009 National Beef Ambassador Program.

Jean and her husband, Bill, are cow-calf producers. They have five grandchildren and two daughters, who are also involved in agriculture. As Melanie Fowle, California CattleWomen president says of Jean, “She is our California Mom, always there, hard-working and dependable. She serves us daily as the beef industry news vehicle for all CattleWomen.”

Judy Ahman said, “Jean is a stalwart member of ANCW. Through good and lean years, Jean has always recognized the importance of our national organization and has been diligent in her ANCW responsibilities.”

The Outstanding CattleWoman of the Year Award is given to one cattlewoman each year who has excelled at continued beef promotion on the local, state, and national level, while contributing dedication, commitment and support to the American National CattleWomen Inc.

— Release by ANCW.

North Korea Confirms Large-Scale FMD Outbreak

North Korean state media on Friday, Feb. 11, acknowledged for the first time that foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has broken out in the Asian country, affecting eight provinces. Rumors had been circling for several weeks that FMD had broken out in the Communist country. On Thursday, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) confirmed that the disease broke out in Pyongyang at the end of 2010 and has since spread to eight other provinces.

KCNA said the most seriously affected areas are Pyongyang, North Hwanghae Province and Kangwon Province. Other areas which have been affected are North and South Phyongan Provinces and Jagang Province, although the other three affected provinces were not identified. “Type O foot-and-mouth diseases broke out on cooperative farms, diary farms and pig farms in those areas, doing harm to domestic animals,” KCNA said. “More than 10, 000 heads of draught oxen, milch cows and pigs have so far been infected with the diseases and thousands of them died.”

The state broadcaster said a national emergency veterinary and anti-epizootic committee has since been established. “An emergency anti-epidemic campaign was declared throughout the country,” it added. KCNA further added that infected areas had been quarantined and disinfected and that measures were taken to treat those infected with the disease.

“All the catering networks and markets have stopped selling meat of the above-said domestic animals,” the state agency concluded. Late last month, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations called for veterinary and border control authorities in Asia to be on alert for animals showing signs of infection by FMD after a large outbreak in South Korea. Since late November 2010, South Korean authorities have imposed quarantines, initiated a vaccination campaign that is targeting 9 million pigs and 3 million head of cattle, and culled 2.2 million livestock.

The overall cost of this effort is estimated at around $1.6 billion. “The current FMD dynamics in eastern Asia, as well as the magnitude of the outbreak in South Korea, are unlike anything that we've seen for at least a half century,” said Juan Lubroth, FAO’s chief veterinary officer. “This makes preparedness and monitoring extremely important right now.”

In recent years, FMD has made an unparalleled spread through China and entered eastern regions of Russia and Mongolia for the first time. It recently affected an estimated 1.5 million Mongolian gazelles, whose migration may have helped carry the virus into China. FAO sent an emergency response team to Mongolia to help authorities cope with the disease.

The overall situation in Asia is cause for concern, said Lubroth, especially given the recent Lunar New Year holiday, during which large numbers of people will be on the move in the region, many of them carrying meat products and some transporting animals.

FMD is a highly contagious disease affecting cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, swine and other cloven-hoofed animals. It causes blisters on the nose, mouth and hooves and can kill young or weak animals. There are several types of viruses. The type causing the outbreak in South and North Korea is Type O.

The disease does not pose a direct health threat to humans, but affected animals become too weak to be used to plow the soil or reap harvests, and farmers cannot sell the milk they produce due to infection by the virus. One of the early signs of the disease in infected animals is the excessive production of saliva and nasal discharges. The virus may survive for several hours outside the infected animal, especially in cold and humid environments. This means it can be transported on almost any object that has been in contact with contaminated saliva or other discharges.

The cost of cleaning farms and culling animals is a burden for farmers, and trade restrictions based on disease outbreaks can have major effects on both local and national economies. Costs resulting from an outbreak in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2001 have been estimated at 13 billion euro (17.6 billion dollars), FAO said.

— News release by BNO News.

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