News Update
September 2, 2011
Conference Focuses on Hitting the High-Quality Target and Being Rewarded
The Aug. 31-Sept. 1 Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle (ARSBC) symposium focused on reproductive strategies to hit the high-quality target and the benefits of doing so, using “The Missouri Recipe” for success. University of Missouri Extension (MU) hosted the conference in Joplin, Mo., with a special evening session at the Joplin Regional Stockyards.
Comprehensive coverage of the symposium is being posted online at www.appliedreprostrategies.com and will be featured in part in the October Angus Journal and Angus Beef Bulletin. Compiled by Angus Productions Inc. (API), the site is made possible through sponsorship by the Beef Reproductive Task Force, SEK Genetics, and liveauctions.tv. Coverage includes summaries of the speaker presentations, PowerPoints, proceedings and audio.
Early Registration Deadline Nears for Boise, Idaho, ARSBC
The University of Idaho and the Beef Reproductive Task Force will host another symposium Sept. 30-Oct. 1 in Boise, Idaho.
“Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle – Northwest,” will draw together top beef experts from across the nation, says John Hall, superintendent of the Nancy M. Cummings Research, Extension and Education Center operated by the University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences near Salmon, Idaho. Beef producers will learn how to increase the quality and efficiency of their herds through use of modern breeding technologies to improve genetics.
The conference will focus on the technology of artificial insemination (AI) and the genetic and economic benefits for beef operations that adopt the practice, Hall said. “The group that ramrods this is the Beef Reproduction Task Force, a consortium of land-grant universities that work on beef cattle reproduction.”
“A lot of what we talk about is the basic reproductive biology of cattle, as well as those factors such as nutrition, handling, diseases and genetics that influence reproductive efficiency in cattle,” Hall said. The group promotes AI as an asset because it provides access to proven sires that have thousands of calves that can be assessed for their genetic merits.
“Through AI we capture superior genetics that we couldn’t afford to if we had to buy the animal itself,” Hall said. Another advantage, and its most popular aspect among cattle producers, is that it allows producers to breed heifers with bulls that produce smaller calves, easing the stress of first-time births.
Another technology, estrus synchronization, increases the reproductive efficiency of the herd, Hall said. “We end up getting cows that may not be cycling to cycle and shift them to the front end of the calving season so that calves are older and weigh more at weaning time, and therefore are of greater value.”
Producers will find that one of the greatest values of attending the conference, Hall said, is the opportunity to spend time individually with top experts before or after their presentations.
The conference is sponsored by University of Idaho Extension, Oregon State University Extension Service and the Beef Reproduction Task Force in cooperation with University of Missouri Extension.
More information about the conference is available online at muconf.missouri.edu/
arsbc-northwest/index.html, by phone or from John Hall at the University of Idaho’s Cummings Center by email at jbhall@uidaho.edu. Registration is available online or by telephone at 866-682-6663. Registration for both days costs $175 through Sept. 9 and $200 beginning Sept. 10. Registration costs $100 for one day or for students and educators.
Statement from Vilsack on Reports of Record Ag Exports and Strong Farm Income
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement on data released this week showing record U.S. farm exports and farm income:
“This year brought a host of challenges for America’s farmers, ranchers and producers: Hurricanes, floods, drought and other extreme weather have driven thousands of Americans from their homes, destroyed crops and threatened our rural communities. But, despite the setbacks, American agriculture is thriving, demonstrating again that the men and women who own and operate America’s farms and ranches are some of the most resilient in the world.
“We learned this week in the Farm Income report that both net cash income and net farm income are record in nominal terms and, adjusting for inflation, are at their highest levels since the early 1970s. Meanwhile, total farm debt declined nearly 2%.
“That’s a major achievement and a testament to our farmers and ranchers, who continue to work hard, innovate and make smart business decisions in these challenging times. It shows that they are making good investments, reducing their debt, and using their resources wisely. Their success story is not celebrated often enough. And it is due, in part, to their willingness to seize opportunities in new markets, both domestic and foreign.
“Farmers are working with USDA and other partners to expand opportunities to sell their products regionally and in their own communities. Making these sorts of connections — so a farmer can sell to a local school, hospital, or a family just a few dozen or hundred miles away —helps keep wealth right here in America, and is creating good paying jobs in our rural communities.
“Our farmers are also the best in the world at finding consumers far from home. Today, a new forecast of U.S. agricultural exports confirmed that ‘Grown in America’ products remain in high regard and high demand in the rest of the world. The current U.S. export forecast for fiscal year 2011 is $137 billion, $22 billion higher than the previous record set in 2008 and $28 billion above 2010. And exports for 2012 will remain equally strong and help to support over one million American jobs. In fact, taken as a whole, the United States is in the midst of experiencing the three best years in our history in terms of agricultural exports.
“Strong exports have enabled agriculture to remain one of only a few sectors of the U.S. economy to enjoy a trade surplus. This year’s surplus is projected at $42.5 billion — a record — and next year should be $32 billion, the third-highest. In the months ahead, USDA will continue to work to maintain and expand this level of production through our commitment to agricultural research and development, removing barriers to trade, maintaining a strong safety net for farmers, and helping to expand our local and regional food systems. This is how we will build an economy that continues to grow, innovate and outcompete the rest of the world.
“The export forecast also highlights why we must move forward with pending trade agreements. Congress can help U.S. farmers and ranchers maintain a competitive advantage — and help to keep jobs here at home — by ratifying the South Korea, Colombia and Panama agreements. When fully implemented, those three agreements will immediately add more than $2 billion per year to our economy and support thousands of additional jobs here in the United States.”
The latest export data is available via the Global Agricultural Trade System at www.fas.usda.gov/data.asp. The latest Farm Income data is available at www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FarmIncome/.
‘All Roads Lead to Georgia’ Sept. 6-8
Don’t miss the 2011 National Angus Conference & Tour, “All Roads Lead to Georgia,” Sept. 6-8 in Athens. The event features nearly a day of educational speakers followed two days of tours in the rich agricultural and historical South. The early registration fee is $175, which includes bus transportation on the tour, meals, a welcome reception Sept. 5 and materials. You can register online at www.angus.org or contact the Activities department sy 816-383-5100.
For those making travel arrangements to Athens, a shuttle service does offer transportation between the Atlanta International Airport and Athens several times daily at a reasonable rate. For more information about this and the entire event, visit www.nationalangusconference.com.
Register Now for Grazing Management and Stockmanship Clinic
Beef producers looking for management strategies that can benefit their ranching operations through the ongoing Texas drought should attend the upcoming Grazing Management and Stockmanship Clinic scheduled for September 15 in Athens at the Henderson County Regional Fairpark Complex.
“These are challenging times with the current drought. Now more than ever it is critical that ranchers have management practices in place that optimize their animals’ performance, while minimizing input costs,” said Ryan Walser, NRCS grazing lands specialist. “We’ve put together a cattle clinic that can help ranchers meet these challenges. For a registration fee of only $10, ranchers will learn information and techniques that can help them become more profitable with their cow herd.”
Experts from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Grazing Land Conservation Initiative (GLCI), Texas AgriLife Extension and Texas Farm Bureau are scheduled speakers. Topics such as managing beef cattle nutrition through a drought, post-drought grazing management strategies, along with water rights legislation will be covered. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions during a panel discussion.
Acclaimed stockmanship and stewardship instructor, Ron Gill, Texas AgriLife Extension Service’s livestock specialist, will share with attendees behavioral principles of cattle, stockmanship skills and tips, and methods for reducing stress during cattle handling. Gill will be horseback while he demonstrates proper cattle handling methods. A chute-side demonstration also will be given.
The clinic starts with registration at 12:30 p.m. The registration fee of $10 includes a meal. The clinic should conclude at 6:30 p.m. with the meal. For more information or to register contact Matthew Machacek, NRCS-GLCI, at (903) 257-6633 or matthew.machacek@tx.usda.gov.
Farm Bill Hearing Draws Call to Eliminate Livestock Title,
GIPSA Rule
Nearly 500 people with a stake in Kansas agriculture attended last week’s U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Farm Bill field hearing in Wichita, Kan. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), the ranking member on the committee, welcomed Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to Kansas, where 15 individuals representing all aspects of agriculture presented testimony.
Kansas Livestock Association President Ken Grecian, a cow-calf producer from Palco, Kan., represented the livestock industry at the hearing Aug. 25, 2011. Grecian said cattlemen continue to fight issues defeated during debate on the 2008 Farm Bill but resurrected in the form of a proposal by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) that would greatly expand the role of government in marketing livestock and eliminate marketing arrangements that add value to cattle.
“The proposed regulations ultimately may remove from the marketplace products consumers prefer. Producers have responded to consumer demand by finding innovative ways to develop and market premium quality and branded products. Programs like Certified Angus Beef,® U.S. Premium Beef, “naturally raised” and others would be jeopardized,” said Grecian, who also serves on the board of directors of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).
“These alternative marketing arrangements have allowed producers to get paid for the value they add. These arrangements ensure a consistent supply of livestock that meet the requirements of such programs. Without these arrangements, neither these programs, nor the producer alliances that support them could be sustained.
Grecian stated that NCBA and KLA members believe the proposed rule would set the beef industry back to a time when all cattle received the same average price and beef demand was in a downward spiral. He strongly urged the committee to take action to prevent the implementation of the GIPSA rule.
Grecian also suggested there is no need for a livestock title in the 2012 Farm Bill. He said a livestock title “only provides a home for misguided initiatives” like the GIPSA rule and mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL).
“The livestock title reminds me too much of the old saying that we’re from the government and we’re here to help,” said Grecian. “We believe markets free from government interference best serve the beef industry. A livestock title only provides a home for misguided initiatives like the GIPSA rule and COOL. We prefer a farm bill that does not restrict our marketing options or distort market signals.”
Sen. Roberts said GIPSA clearly acted outside the intent of Congress when it proposed the rule. He recently sent President Barack Obama a list of regulations proposed by the current administration, including the GIPSA rule, which should be reconsidered. NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall said Sen. Roberts has been one of the strongest supporters of cattlemen and women.
“Sen. Roberts has remained strong in his efforts to support farmers and ranchers as they work to make a living off the land and provide safe and healthy food for U.S. consumers and abroad. He has the commonsense we need more of inside the Beltway. He understands the importance of U.S. agriculture,” said Woodall. “We encourage Sen. Roberts to continue his work to stop big government intervention into the private marketplace.”
New Website Saves Drought Info-Seekers in a
Sea of Helpful Facts
The Texas AgriLife Extension Service has launched a new website called Water Education in Texas (http://agrilife.org/drought/), solely for the purpose of providing homeowners and producers with easy-to-find water-wise drought tips.
“We found that the longer this historical drought hangs on, the more information is generated to help Texans cope with it,” said Pete Gibbs, AgriLife Extension associate director at College Station. “The trouble is, we’re now drowning in a virtual sea of drought-related information. To stem the flow, AgriLife Communications has siphoned off only the most pertinent information that’s been submitted by our experts. This information has been updated, then further edited down to provide the public with just what they need to know.”
Gibbs said the site is easy to navigate because it has only three main categories, which are easily accessed by a single click of the mouse. The site’s categories are “Your Home,” which deals with everything from leaky faucets to washing machines; “Lawn and Garden,” which addresses topics including drip irrigation and watering trees, and “Agriculture and Wildlife,” which offers tips on livestock, crops, fish and wildlife.
The information is offered in short, bulleted single sentences with a key word or phrase embedded within the text for those seeking more in-depth information on that particular topic, Gibbs said.
“Our main goal is to provide the best information possible that people can actually use,” Gibbs said. “You can have the best information in the world, but if your clientele can’t find it or don’t know it exists, it’s pretty much worthless.”
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