News Update
April 6, 2011

Prices at Angus Sales Are Up This Year

The March summary of sale results submitted to the American Angus Association included 29 consignment sales, 135 production sales and one dispersion, with a total of 15,980 head sold. No steers were reported, but 2,500 females averaged $2,524, and 13,480 bulls averaged $3,868.

Fiscal year-to-date (October-March), 13,946 females have averaged $2,676; 29,681 bulls averaged $3,731; and 155 steers averaged $2,369. The complete summary will be published in the May 2011 Angus Journal along with a summary of the reported number of lots, sale gross and sale averages for the sales reported (click here to subscribe).

For comparison, the March 2010 sale summary included 33 consignment sales, 172 production sales and one dispersion. The 2,904 females averaged $2,132; the 15,552 bulls averaged $2,993; and two steers averaged $900. Year-to-date figures as of the March 2010 summary included 10,862 females selling for an average of $2,501; 28,121 bulls selling for an average of $2,962; and 95 steers selling for an average of $1,744.

To view an individual sale report online, go to www.angus.org/angusproductions/salereports.aspx and click on the name of the sale. Online sale reports are searchable by keyword, state, date and year.

A listing of upcoming sales and Angus events is available at www.angus.org/angusproductions/anguscalendar.aspx.

NCBA Says Cattlemen Will Benefit From Passage of U.S.-Colombia Trade Pact

Expanding opportunities for U.S. cattlemen and women beyond the borders of the United States is a top priority for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). The trade agreement with Colombia gained momentum today, April 6, as President Obama announced an agreement has been reached. The agreement will now be sent to Congress to ratify. NCBA President Bill Donald said with 96% of the global population living outside of the United States, it is essential to take aggressive measures to enable trade and expand market access for U.S. agriculture in order to stimulate the economy and, more importantly, feed a growing global population.

The Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) was signed by the U.S. Trade Representative and the Colombian trade minister on Nov. 22, 2006. The provisions regarding U.S. beef in the agreement announced today are identical to the agreement signed more than four years ago. If the agreement is ratified by Congress, Colombia would open its markets to all U.S. beef and beef products and would immediately eliminate the 80% tariff on USDA Prime and Choice cuts.

According to Colin Woodall, NCBA vice president of government affairs, the Colombia TPA is one of the best-negotiated free-trade agreements to date. Woodall said he is confident the agreement will be ratified.

“We have a new Congress and staunch supporters of free trade on both sides of the aisle who are energized and committed to stabilizing and expanding the U.S. economy. A sure-fire way to do that is to get moving on the pending trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea before we officially sign over U.S. market share to our competitors,” said Woodall. “Debate will occur and some will once again try to derail progress on the Colombia trade pact, but I am confident this agreement will move through the 112th Congress.”

Donald said the U.S.-Colombia agreement represents U.S. ag export gains of more than $815 million per year at full implementation.  

— Release by NCBA.

Checkoff Releases BQA Education Series

The Beef Checkoff Program recently released the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Education Series in DVD format for state BQA coordinators and trainers. These modules focus on the philosophy that underpins Beef and Dairy Quality Assurance programs, the procedures and protocols that are foundations of effective implementation, and the use of stockmanship in support of BQA.

These educational modules were created to help supplement the online and printed materials currently available to state coordinators and BQA trainers. The 12 modules are designed to support and supplement current BQA curricula targeted to beef and dairy producers and are appropriate for producers, 4-H and youth audiences, and agricultural students at both the secondary and post-secondary levels.

The specific modules are as follows:

“The effectiveness of these modules will be enhanced if they are integrated with existing state and national materials,” says John Maas, veterinarian and chairman of the checkoff’s Joint Producer Education Committee. “We are encouraging all BQA trainers and state staff to become familiar with these educational components in an effort to encourage BQA certification for all producers.”

Visit the website to download the videos or for additional BQA materials.

For more information about your beef checkoff, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.

— Release by Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

CSU Forecasters Predict Above-Average 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season

In its 28th year of issuing predictions, the Colorado State University (CSU) forecast team today predicted an above-average 2011 Atlantic basin hurricane season. The team slightly reduced its early December prediction, but still called for an active season based on current La Niña conditions that are expected to transition to near-neutral conditions during the heart of the hurricane season.

The CSU team now calls for 16 named storms instead of 17 forming in the Atlantic basin between June 1 and Nov. 30. Nine of those are expected to turn into hurricanes, with five developing into major hurricanes (Saffir/Simpson category 3-4-5) with sustained winds of 111 mph or greater.

“We expect that anomalously warm tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures combined with neutral tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures will contribute to an active season,” said Phil Klotzbach of the CSU Tropical Meteorology Project. “We have reduced our forecast slightly from early December due to a combination of recent ocean warming in the eastern and central tropical Pacific and recent cooling in the tropical Atlantic.”

“It is recommended that all vulnerable coastal residents make the same hurricane preparations every year, regardless of how active or inactive the seasonal forecast is,” Klotzbach said. “It takes only one landfall event near you to make this an active season.”

The hurricane forecast team made this early April forecast based on a new forecast scheme that relies on 29 years of historical data. The hurricane team’s forecasts are based on the premise that global oceanic and atmospheric conditions — such as El Niño, sea surface temperatures, sea level pressures, etc. — that preceded active or inactive hurricane seasons in the past provide meaningful information about similar conditions that will likely occur in the current year. The team’s annual predictions are intended to provide a best estimate of activity to be experienced during the upcoming season, not an exact measure.

“We remain — since 1995 — in a favorable multi-decadal period for enhanced Atlantic Basin hurricane activity, which is expected to continue for the next 10-15 years or so,” said Gray.

“Except for the very destructive hurricane seasons of 2004-2005, United States coastal residents have experienced no other major landfalling hurricanes since 1999. This recent 9 of 11-year period without any major landfall events should not be expected to continue.”

Five years since 1949 exhibited February-March characteristics most similar to the oceanic and atmospheric features observed during February-March 2011: 1955, 1996, 1999, 2006 and 2008. All years but 2006 had either neutral or La Niña conditions during the hurricane season, and all years but 2006 were very active hurricane seasons.

The team predicts that tropical cyclone activity in 2011 will be approximately 175% of the average season. By comparison, 2010 witnessed tropical cyclone activity that was 196% of the average season.

The hurricane forecast team’s probabilities for a major hurricane making landfall on U.S. soil:

• A 72% chance that at least one major hurricane will make landfall on the U.S. coastline in 2011 (the long-term average probability is 52%).
• A 48% chance that a major hurricane will make landfall on the U.S. East Coast, including the Florida Peninsula (the long-term average is 31%).
• A 47% chance that a major hurricane will make landfall on the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle west to Brownsville (the long-term average is 30%).
• The team also predicts a 61% chance of a major hurricane tracking into the Caribbean (the long-term average is 42%).

Probabilities of tropical storm-force, hurricane-force and major hurricane-force winds occurring at specific locations along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts are listed on the forecast team’s Landfall Probability website at www.e-transit.org/hurricane. The site provides U.S. landfall probabilities for 11 regions and 205 individual counties along the U.S. coastline. Probabilities are also available for the Caribbean and Central America. Klotzbach and Gray update the site regularly with assistance from the GeoGraphics Laboratory at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.

The team will issue forecast updates on June 1 and Aug. 3.

— Release by Colorado State University.

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