News Update
February 4, 2013
MCA, MFB Encourage Establishing Traceability Advisory Group
The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association (MCA) and Missouri Farm Bureau (MFB) sent a letter to Missouri Director of Agriculture Jon Hagler to encourage reestablishing the Missouri Animal Identification Advisory Committee to provide guidance on implementation of the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) system. The USDA released its final rule to implement a national ADT system. The rule will become final in March, subsequent to a 60-day comment period. Each state has the responsibility of implementing the final rule.
When the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) was being discussed a few years ago, the Animal Health Division of the Missouri Department of Agriculture saw value in establishing the Missouri Animal Identification Advisory Committee to provide guidance on program implementation in Missouri. The letter, penned by MFB President Blake Hurst and MCA President Chuck Massengill, noted that the advisory committee was a “successful endeavor at that time” and encouraged MDA to establish a similar committee.
“As we have learned in the past, effective communication is important, and our organizations believe the advisory committee can play an important role by providing feedback/input to you and your staff and keeping our farmer and rancher members informed,” penned Hurst and Massengill.
The letter notes that the system is to be administered by the state to provide flexibility and to allow for the most cost-effective technology to be used.
The new ADT rule applies only to animals moved in interstate commerce. The new rule is satisfactory to the MCA and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA). The rule includes many recommendations provided by interested organizations such as MFB and MCA. The rule recognizes brands as official identification when agreed upon by both the shipping and receiving states. It also maintains back tags as an alternative to ear tags for animals moving directly to harvest. Perhaps, most importantly, the rule exempts cattle under 18 months of age, with the intent to phase in these animals through separate rulemaking once the system is proven effective for breeding cattle.
‘The Year of the Farmer’ Super Bowl Spot Kicks off
Case IH Alliance with Ram to Benefit FFA
For more than 170 years, Case IH has recognized the important role farmers play in providing safe, quality food and fiber for people around the world. Now Case IH is teaming up with sister company, Ram Trucks, in a campaign that declares 2013 “The Year of the Farmer.” In the moving Ram Trucks spot which aired during the Super Bowl on Sunday, viewers were invited to visit RamTrucks.com/KeepPlowing for an opportunity to benefit the FFA. As part of the effort, Case IH is doing their part to bring that message to agriculture.
“Case IH is powered by a steadfast commitment to making farmers more successful,” says Kyle Russell, Case IH senior director of marketing. “Now, we’re pleased to collaborate on this exciting program that salutes the role of farmers throughout history, and also supports farmers of the future with its connection to FFA. Ram Trucks has made this generous offer to donate to the FFA every time someone shares ‘The Year of the Farmer’ video and we want to make sure all of agriculture knows they have the opportunity to influence this donation.”
The two-minute Ram Trucks spot features “So God made a farmer” presented by legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey at the 1978 National FFA Convention. The spot launched a year-long, multi-tiered initiative dedicated to highlighting and underscoring the importance of farmers in America.
Together with Case IH and other partners, Ram aims to raise awareness and generate funds for FFA hunger-relief efforts in local communities across America. For every view, download or share of the two-minute “So God Made a Farmer” spot located on the brand’s website, Ram will make a donation to the National FFA Organization with the intent of generating $1 million. The brand is calling on the public to help reach the goal by viewing and sharing the video posted at www.RamTrucks.com/keepplowing. Russell says he’s very excited about the potential of this endeavor and what it means to the FFA.
“Case IH has supported FFA for more than 65 years, and we are proud to contribute to an organization that has done so much to help students prepare for so many future careers,” says Russell. “The worldwide challenge of doubling food production in the next 30 years is going to take talented, motivated people who are committed to agriculture. The FFA does a great job of educating and developing leadership skills in young people interested in agriculture who have the potential to make a positive impact.”
For more information and the full release, click here.
U.S. Cow Herd Continued to Shrink in 2012
U.S. cattle numbers continue to shrink and Texas is no exception as the Lone Star State has experienced a 22% decline over the past three years, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service livestock specialist.
“Continued drought in 2012 took another year’s toll on the nation’s cow herd, according to the latest USDA inventory report,” said David Anderson. “USDA reported that the U.S. had the smallest cattle herd since 1952. The 89.3 million cattle in the U.S. on Jan. 1 was 1.4 million fewer than last year.”
Drought caused the Texas herd to shrink again, Anderson said, as the state has the fewest cattle since the 1950s.
“Just over 4 million beef cows were reported in Texas on Jan. 1,” he said. “Texas has lost over 1 million beef cows in the last three years, representing a 22% decline in cow numbers. Ranchers across the U.S. and Texas reported that they held more young females, or heifers, to begin to replace the cows lost. Nationwide, 2 percent more heifers were kept compared to the year before.”
In Texas, heifer retention was up approximately 9%, he said. Calf prices have been at levels to encourage keeping more heifers, yet those expansion efforts have been difficult due to dry or drought conditions both nationally and in Texas, Anderson said.
“But, even though more heifers were kept, they were not enough to offset the number of cows lost,” Anderson said. “Most of Texas continues to be in drought and the current drought stretches from South Texas to North Dakota. When we start thinking about rebuilding we have to have our pastures and range in recovery.”
Overall, it’s the smallest cattle herd in the U.S. in 60 years, Anderson said.
Study Shows No Advantage to Delaying Calf Implants at Feedlots
Two recent studies by Kansas State University (K-State) scientists indicate that delaying administering growth-promoting implants to calves did not provide an advantage over implanting immediately upon arrival at a feedlot.
“There has been speculation in the beef industry that calves at high risk of developing respiratory disease would benefit if an implant was not given immediately upon arrival at the feedlot, but rather was delayed and given after a few weeks’ time,” said Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist with K-State Research and Extension. “The idea was to allow high-risk calves to become better acclimated to the feedlot and the new environment in general, as well as to get over any respiratory disease challenges they had upon arrival. Until now, however, there has been no data to support or refute that theory.”
Reinhardt, teamed up with K-State veterinarian Dan Thomson, in two studies to test the theory. Thomson is director of K-State’s Beef Cattle Institute. The research was supported by a USDA Animal Health Grant.
The first study followed 1,600 high-risk steers at a commercial Kansas feedlot. Half the steers were given the growth-promotant implant Revalor-XS immediately upon arrival, and the other half were implanted six weeks after arrival. The researchers monitored the steers’ health and growth rate from arrival through harvest.
“The results indicated that delaying the implants did not improve any health or performance outcomes over providing the implant upon arrival,” Reinhardt said. “Providing the implant on arrival actually led to a numerical improvement in carcass weight at slaughter.”
The second project, a small metabolism study, was conducted at the K-State research farms.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Immigration Reform Would Benefit Ohio Agriculture,
But Some Producers See Downsides
Ohio agricultural producers who employ Latino immigrant workers would favor comprehensive immigration reform for several reasons, according to an Ohio State University Extension specialist on agricultural labor.
Francisco Espinoza, coordinator of OSU Extension's Agriculture and Horticulture Labor Education Program, said effective reform would afford producers a stable, legal workforce of experienced workers, plus newer workers should their operations expand.
“Replacing the current H2A guest-worker program with a more workable, less expensive, less cumbersome visa program would move things in a positive direction for agricultural producers in Ohio," said Espinoza, who is also chairman of the Farmworker Agencies Liaison Communication and Outreach Network (FALCON), a coalition of government agencies and advocacy groups that supports the state's seasonal and migrant farmworkers and agricultural producers.
“Reforming immigration would also address the problem of losing a producer’s workforce when they are found to be undocumented, as this is a costly experience in both profitability and legal problems.”
For more information and the full press release, click here.
Kentucky Alfalfa Conference Coming to Lexington
After several years in Cave City, the 33rd Kentucky Alfalfa Conference will take place Feb. 21 at the Fayette County office of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service in Lexington. The conference begins at 8 a.m. EST and ends at 3 p.m.
Speakers include UK College of Agriculture extension forage specialists, Kentucky alfalfa producers and the conference’s keynote speaker Dennis Hancock, extension forage specialist at the University of Georgia.
Hancock, a graduate of the UK College of Agriculture, will discuss the amount of fertilizer in each bale of alfalfa. Other topics include grazing alfalfa, keys to harvesting alfalfa as baleage, a producer’s experience with Roundup Ready alfalfa, making and marketing hay for the horse industry, and finishing beef on alfalfa. At the closing session of the conference, all speakers will return to the stage to answer participants’ questions.
In addition to the speakers, the conference will include awards, exhibits and a silent auction.
Program organizers have applied for continuing education units for Certified Crop Advisers.
The conference registration fee is $15 and $5 for students and includes proceedings, meals and refreshments.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Website for Beef Producers Packed
with Plenty of Free Resources
There is a website for everything these days, so it is no surprise there is a comprehensive one-stop online shop for all things beef related, including extensive drought specific information and resources.
The website, www.beefextension.com, is a collaborative effort between the animal science and agricultural economics departments in the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University.
The site targets producers and others in the beef industry.
“Overall, we like to provide as much research-based information as we can,” said Damona Doye, OSU Cooperative Extension farm management specialist.
The site offers plenty of guidance, advice and insight — and most of it is free.
In addition to fact sheets related to the care and management of cow-calf and stocker cattle, the site includes links to beef-related initiatives such as the OSU Master Cattleman program, as well as other materials such as research reports, academic opportunities and a listing of OSU beef facilities.
Beyond in-depth material on a wide range of topics, the site touts a number of free downloadable calculators, spreadsheets and tools that can be customized to a producer’s unique circumstances. For instance, RANCHCALC is an overall farm/operation tool, while the OSU Cowculator is a software program designed to help producers make informed decisions about cow nutrition.
Users also can tap into resources like the Cow Repurchase Decision tool, Bull Investment Cost Analysis and CowGame, a beef herd genetic-simulation program.
For more information and the full release, click here.
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