News Update
January 11, 2013
Early Registration for 2013 Cattle Industry Convention Ends Today
Today, Jan. 11, is the last day for cattlemen and women to get their boots on the bay and register early for the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show, taking place Feb. 6-9 in Tampa, Fla. Registration after Jan. 11 will only be available onsite at the Tampa Convention Center, and late registrants will need to call area hotels directly for a reservation.
The Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show create a great environment for cattle industry members to come together to network and create policy for the industry. This year’s convention participants will hear from industry leaders, gather insight on industry trends, take part in NCBA’s grassroots policy process and enjoy Tampa’s Gasparilla Pirate Fest, a night full of lively pirates, sounds from the Caribbean Chillers and plenty of local eats. The convention will close on Feb. 9 with the Cattlemen’s Beach Bash featuring music from the Beach Boys.
NCBA encourages all cattlemen and women to register by Friday, as onsite registration fees will increase. For more information about the convention and how to register, visit www.beefusa.org.
Cattle Enthusiasts ‘Tweet Up’ in Tampa
Each day Twitter is flooded with #agchat, #ranchlife and #beef topics — and that’s just the beginning. Get to know the people behind the tweets during a “tweet-up” at the 2013 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Tampa, Fla.
Hosted by the American Angus Association, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) and Angus Productions Inc. (API), the third-annual “tweet up” is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, at the Angus booth, #323, during the NCBA Trade Show Welcome Reception.
“Whether you’re an avid Twitter user or just getting started, we encourage you to come by the booth and meet fellow ‘tweeps’ in the cattle business,” says Jena Thompson, Association assistant director of public relations. “It’s an open event for anyone who would like to learn more about online communications.”
Attendees will have a chance to meet and share more than Twitter’s 140 characters, while in a social setting at the trade show. For more details or questions, follow the Association, CAB and API using the following Twitter handles, respectively: @AngusAssoc, @BlackInkBasics, @ABBeditor and @AJeditor.
“Tweeps” following coverage of the 2013 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show can use the hashtag #CIC13. More information on the 2013 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and NCBA Trade Show can be found online.
Application Deadline Extended for Young Cattlemen’s Conference Participant Sponsorship
Every year, the Angus Foundation sponsors one individual to attend the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Young Cattlemen’s Conference (YCC). The application deadline for this sponsorship has been extended to Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, and the application can be found at www.angusfoundation.org.
The Foundation’s sponsorship covers flight costs and registration fees. The applicant must be between the ages of 25 to 50 and must also be a member of the NCBA.
YCC allows young leaders the chance to see first-hand and further understand all aspects of the beef industry. Attendees participate in a nationwide tour of the beef production chain from ranch to feedlot to packing plant, through marketing and regulatory affairs and finally ending at consumer foodservice.
“YCC is an incredible opportunity for a young Angus breeder to broaden their scope of the beef cattle industry,” says Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president. “From their increased level of knowledge gained through participating in this comprehensive educational program, participants become more adept and effective communicators in promoting the benefits of beef consumption to an ever-increasingly health conscious consumer public.”
Recent tours have typically begun at the NCBA headquarters in Denver, Colo., then traveled to Swift & Company headquarters, visited a feedyard in Kansas, a packing plant in South Dakota, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and seedstock operations in Virginia, before the trip ends in Washington D.C., which includes stops at USDA, the Capitol, the White House and the Department of the Interior.
“With this investment by the Angus Foundation in the education of our young producers and members through invaluable experiences such as YCC, our Angus breed and beef industry’s future will continue to be bright for many years to come in the future,” says Jenkins.
For more information on YCC, the Angus Foundation, or a list of previous Angus YCC representatives, visit www.angusfoundation.org.
Animal ID Rule is a Win for the Livestock Industry
The last time the livestock industry tackled animal ID and disease traceability, it felt like finding a lump of coal at the bottom of the stocking. Not so this year.
Representatives from the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) praise the USDA’s final rule for improving the traceability of U.S. livestock moving interstate.
During the past 10 years, LMA has been an advocate for a simple and cost-efficient system. Seeing a need for cooperation and dialogue that would help accomplish those goals, LMA brought together 14 organizations in the cattle industry to form the Cattle ID Group (CIDG).
“USDA has been very responsive to the CIDG and its member organizations’ concerns about the rulemaking process. This rule is very favorable to livestock markets. I hope our members feel as good as I do about what we’ve been able to accomplish to make it easier and more cost effective for them to comply,” said Nancy Robinson, LMA’s vice president for government and industry affairs.
USDA published the final rule Dec. 28, 2012, though it will not take effect until Feb. 26, 2013. John Clifford, deputy administrator and chief veterinary officer for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services program, said the agency will give states time to finalize and communicate their specific guidelines before enforcement begins, perhaps in six to 12 months.
Robinson called out three significant wins for the livestock marketing industry.
- Back tags will be a permanent alternative to official eartags for cattle and bison moved directly to slaughter
- Brands, tattoos and brand registration will qualify as official ID when accepted by the shipping and receiving states or tribes
- Feeder cattle will be dealt with later in a separate rulemaking
For more information and the full release, click here.
Managing Through Stress: A Livestock Information Event Is Feb. 4
Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach and Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) are teaming up to deliver current market and management information to Iowa livestock farmers in these challenging times. The “Managing Through Stress: A Livestock Information Event” will be hosted Monday, Feb. 4.
The event starts at 10 a.m. with a morning general session delivered to 14 sites throughout the state via the Web. Farmers will hear from leading experts on livestock and feed price outlook and strategy, weather outlook, financial strategies and managing the stress of farming in challenging times. After lunch, each site will have local presentations geared toward the challenges faced by a specific species of livestock — beef, swine or dairy. Afternoon sessions will be facilitated by ISU Extension and Outreach livestock specialists.
“This information is vital for Iowa farmers right now because they are making 2013 livestock business decisions and there is a lot on the table for them,” said Ed Kordick, IFBF commodity services manager. “Those who come to the ‘Managing Through Stress’ event can hear nationally noted experts give advice on a variety of issues, including the looming feed supply and 2013 costs.”
For more information and the full release, click here.
Emergency Farm Loans Available after USDA Disaster Designations
Thirty-one Missouri counties are among almost 600 counties across the U.S. that have been designated by the USDA as primary natural disaster areas due to drought and heat. Farm operators in these counties are eligible for low-interest emergency loans from USDA.
Whether to take advantage of those loans is an important decision for many farmers in those counties, especially livestock producers, according to Ron Plain, a University of Missouri Extension agricultural economist.
Hot, dry conditions last year sharply reduced crop, pasture and hay production, leading to very high feed costs, Plain said. “For a lot of producers, this designation gives them the opportunity to get some low-interest financing so they can carry their herds through the winter.”
Currently, the interest rate on these emergency loans is 2.15%. Producers need to remember that it is a loan and put it into an investment that will generate revenue, Plain said.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Forage Cost of Production Regional Workshops
Many times when producers are asked, “What is the cost of production for one ton of forage?” they have a hard time answering. According to the Michigan State University (MSU) Extension 2011 Michigan Cash Grain Farm Business Analysis Summary, the difference in operating profit margin between the top 25% and the bottom 25% of producers is startling.
The top 25% of producers averaged a +42% operating profit margin, compared to the bottom 25% that had a -3.1% operating profit margin. The middle 50% of producers averaged +29.3% for operating profit margin. According to MSU Extension farm management educator Dennis Stein, some of the differences can be attributed to knowing what cost of production is for the crops they grow.
To help those involved with growing forages — including corn silage, haylage, annual or perennial grass –— gain an understanding and the tools to help them answer the question of forage cost of production, MSU Extension is conducting three regional workshops (same workshop, different locations) called Forage Cost of Production 2013. Locations are Alpena, Grand Rapids and Bad Axe, Mich. These three workshops are scheduled for the last week of January (Jan. 29, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1). Producers and agribusinesses are encouraged to consider this workshop or recommend to those involved with forages.
Everyone is encouraged to preregister for the Forage Cost of Production Workshop 2013. If you or someone else is unable to register online, contact the Lapeer County MSU Extension office to register at 810-667-0341.
For more information and the full release, click here.
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