News Update
October 15, 2012
Celebrate American Angus Auxiliary
60th Anniversary in Louisville
Celebrate another successful year for the American Angus Auxiliary while attending the 129th American Angus Association Annual Meeting. Events are held in conjunction with the 2012 North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) Nov. 10-13 in Louisville, Ky.
Saturday, Nov. 10
All Auxiliary members are encouraged to attend the annual meeting, scheduled for 3 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Crowne Plaza. Agenda items include electing new officers and announcing the new team of regional directors.
In addition, the Auxiliary silent auction and Gift Barn will be on display throughout the week in the Crowne Plaza.
Sunday, Nov. 11
Begin the week with the Auxiliary breakfast at 8 a.m. Nov. 11 in the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center (KFEC) South Wing C, Room 101. The breakfast honors outgoing Auxiliary President Anne Lampe, Scott City, Kan., and the 2012 Miss American Angus Brooke Harward, Richfield, N.C.
"This is one of our most popular events," Lampe says. "We have great entertainment scheduled combined with an atmosphere for new and old friends to mingle — all within feet of the showring."
A limited amount of tickets are available, and reservations are strongly advised. To purchase a ticket, contact the Auxiliary program and hospitality chair Michelle Rieff at michellerieff@aol.com or 479-936-1685. Tickets will also be available at the Crowne Plaza Angus registration desk.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Beef Cattle Program, Livestock Symposium Features
Speakers from Nev., Texas and Midwest
According to Garry Mathes, chair of the 2012 Missouri Livestock Symposium, this year's beef cattle section is intended to help producers economically plan for the future, be safe and provide the latest on some economically significant cattle diseases.
The program will be Dec. 7 and 8 in Kirksville, Mo. Program details may be found at www.missourilivestock.com or by calling Mathes at 660-341-6625 or the Adair County Extension Center at 660-665-9866. There is no cost to attend the program and no registration is needed. Event hours are from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dec. 7 and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 8. In addition to educational programs and speakers on multiple species of livestock (horses, beef cattle, sheep and meat goats), the symposium also has a great program and speakers on forages, stock dogs farm succession planning and more. Mathes says, "The program will also cover a long-term weather outlook which should be of interest to all after the summer of 2012."
For more information and the full release, click here.
NMSU Hosts New Ranch Management Series in
Northeastern New Mexico Communities
As New Mexico beef producers continue to manage through one of the state's most severe droughts, New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service is offering a free Ranch Management Series across northeastern New Mexico. The series is focused on managing cattle and the ranch through these challenging times.
The series, which will begin Thursday, Oct. 25, in Clayton, N.M., will be hosted by the Cooperative Extension Service in Colfax, Guadalupe, Harding, Quay and Union counties through March.
"The bottom line is the drought is taking a toll on the country, the cattle and the people," said Manny Encinias, NMSU Extension beef cattle specialist.
The sessions are designed to be driven by questions from program attendees into a discussion with experts and fellow ranch managers on timely management topics.
The Oct. 25 session will be at the Elks Lodge, 201 Main St., Clayton, N.M. Meeting start time will be 4:30 p.m. A supper will also be provided at all sessions. Encinias, who will moderate the Oct. 25 session, will be joined on the panel by Ted McCollum, Texas Agri-Life beef cattle specialist in Amarillo, Texas; Kip Karges, nutritionist with AC Nutrition in Winters, Texas; and Kris Wilson, ranch manager of the Bell Ranch in Mosquero, N.M.
For more information and the full release, click here.
American Royal Announces Winners of
New Steak Competition and Wine Competition
The American Royal Association announced the winners of the first American Royal Steak Competition and the American Royal Wine Competition last night at the Wine Competition Tasting and Auction in Wagstaff Theater in the American Royal Complex. The winners were as follows:
Steak Competition
Grain-Finished Grand Champion: Thompson River Ranch, Marion, Mont.
Grain-Finished Reserve Champion: Bichelmeyer Meats, Kansas City, Kan.
Grass-Finished Grand Champion: Merrill Cattle Co./Beefalo Meats, Linda and Mark Merrill, Ellensburg, Wash.
Grass-Finished Reserve Champion: Galen Johnson, Dwight, Kan.
Beef producers from across the nation were invited to submit ribeye steaks to compete for the best tasting steak. Steaks were judged by a panel of experts. There were two entry categories, grass-finished and grain-finished. Each steak was prepared in an identical manner at the Kansas State University (K-State) Olathe campus. They were cooked on a George Forman grill to an internal temperature of 155° F, sliced into one-inch cubes and served to a panel of expert judges. Each steak was identified only by a numerical code, to ensure unbiased judging. Points were assigned for flavor, juiciness and texture, and scores were tabulated by computer. The judging took place Sept. 12.
For the full release, click here.
Brazil No. 4 Beef Processor Sold to Management
for U.S. $100 million
Brazil's fourth largest beef processor, Rodopa Alimentos, was sold last week for approximately BRL 200 million (U.S. $100 million) in a management buyout to a consultancy run by its executive director, a former chief executive of JBS SA, reports Brazil's Valor Economico newspaper and Exame news magazine.
The buyout includes the assumption of Rodopa's debt, totaling BRL 160 million (U.S. $78.3 million), which should be paid by the company following this injection of new cash. New shareholders won't inject additional new cash to pay the debt.
Management buyouts are unusual in Brazil, and consist of a company being acquired by its own officers, in this case, the main shareholder being executive director Sergio Longo, a former chief financial officer (CFO) for JBS, and his company Selo Consultoria, which specializes in bankruptcy restructuring for meat processors.
Rodopa's new ownership will aim to lengthen its debt and increase the role exports play in revenue. The company reported a net debt of BRL146.6 million (U.S. $71.7 million) in the second quarter, 80% of which was short term. About 20% of Rodopa's sales now come from beef exports.
HSUS Responds to Tyson Animal Welfare Program
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) released a statement after Tyson Foods announced Friday that it would launch an animal welfare audit program.
In the statement, HSUS notes that it filed a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) complaint last May regarding Tyson's animal welfare claims and said Tyson's announcement did not mention what HSUS termed "the most pressing animal welfare issue of the day"— namely, gestation stalls.
"Audits are valuable if farm inspectors ask the right set of questions," HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle said in the statement. "We've not suggested that Tyson contractors are denying food to animals or intentionally abusing them, but that they are denying them enough space to even turn around. Tyson's announcement would mean more if the company was getting its pork from farmers who do not confine sows in crates that immobilize the animals."
Harvest-Time Danger: Common Farm Injuries
The hectic fall harvest is under way, and that means the dangers of everyday farm work — one of the nation's most hazardous occupations — are compounded by the rush to bring in crops on time. Many agricultural injuries can be prevented with basic safety equipment and mindfulness about the need for caution on the job, says emergency medicine physician Howard Schumaker of the Mayo Clinic Health System in Sparta.
"We've seen everything from broken bones and amputations to unfortunate traumatic situations," Schumaker says. "Many times farmers feel that due to the weather, they need to hurry to complete their field work. It's important to just slow down and make sure farm work gets done safely and efficiently."
Schumaker outlines several important safety steps for harvest season and routine farm work:
- Regular inhalation of dust from grain bins, silos, milk vats and manure pits can cause respiratory issues such as bronchitis and other dangerous cardiac conditions. Wearing a mask over your nose and mouth can reduce risk.
- Farm vehicles such as tractors and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) cause many injuries, particularly among children. Wearing a seat belt and helmet can help prevent traumatic brain injuries or even death. Children should be supervised and given only age-appropriate tasks and access to vehicles and other farm gear.
- Grain augers are one of the most dangerous pieces of farm equipment. Broken bones, electrocutions and amputations can occur if augers aren't handled properly.
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