News Update
February 11, 2013
Cattle Industry Ends Successful Week in Tampa
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President J.D. Alexander said more than 6,500 cattlemen and women enjoyed a highly productive week in the Sunshine State. Attendees from across the country gathered for a week of education, engagement and entertainment while also conducting important business at the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show.
“The hospitality of our hosts in Florida has been second-to-none this week and everyone here has been very enthusiastic about the welcome we have received,” said Alexander. “This is truly the largest gathering of cattlemen and women in the country and it has been encouraging to feel the optimism about the future of the beef industry.”
Attendance at mid-week was estimated at more than 6,500 registrants, and many international guests took part in the week’s activities. The convention featured opportunities for cattle producers to learn about new trends and the latest technologies during the 20th anniversary of Cattlemen’s College® and throughout the week at the NCBA Trade Show, which drew large crowds to more than 230 exhibitor booths.
A new committee structure spent time handling cattle industry business. NCBA members were hard at work taking part in the organization’s grassroots policy process and making sure that the voice of the industry will continue to be heard wherever policy decisions are being made during the year ahead.
“The opportunity to shape the policy that impacts this industry and the direction we take in the future is an important part of why we are in Tampa this week,” said Alexander. “I am encouraged that so many people have taken the time away from their farms and ranches to be here.”
Although cattlemen and women were hard at work during the day, Alexander noted that there was plenty of opportunity to enjoy exciting entertainment in the evenings. That entertainment concluded Friday night with a performance by The Beach Boys at the Cattlemen’s Beach Bash, an event that was fun for the entire family. The Bellamy Brothers closed out the convention entertainment with a performance at the Hot Havana Nights after-party.
For more information and the full release, click here.
U.S. Cattle Numbers Lowest Since 1952;
Indiana and Ohio Not Immune
U.S. cattle numbers have dropped to their lowest level since 1952 on the heels of record-setting drought that decimated feed supplies and forced producers to cull animals, says Purdue Extension agricultural economist Chris Hurt.
The numbers, found in the latest USDA inventory report, also show that the U.S. beef cattle herd, specifically, has hit the lowest point since 1962. Beef cow numbers dropped by 3% last year and are down 11%, or 3.6 million head, since 2007.
“The 2012 drought was the primary driver of the decrease last year as it destroyed pastures and forage supplies and catapulted corn, sorghum and soybean meal prices,” Hurt said. “The impacts were largest for producers in the Southern Plains where beef cow numbers dropped by 9% last year, and in the Central Plains where numbers were down 6%.”
Since 2007, the beef industry has struggled to compete with other sectors for expensive feed and limited land resources that are being converted to corn and soybean acreage, Hurt said.
While the Central and Southern Plains states have struggled the most, the eastern Corn Belt certainly hasn’t been immune to the herd reduction.
Indiana’s beef herd has dropped by 18% since 2007. In 2012, the state lost 2% of the herd, or about 4,000 beef cows.
Ohio lost 3%, or 10,000, of the state’s beef cows in 2012 but has lost only about 2% of the herd overall since 2007.
Stopping the decline is going to take some help from Mother Nature in the forms of more rain and crop production, Hurt said.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Beef Producers Weigh Options on Buying Replacement Cattle
“When somebody sells 100 acres outside of Waco, who is buying it? Folks are using it for a lot more reasons than just cows,” Stan Bevers said. “You’ve also got to factor in rising input prices. Land that’s being sold is not being bought by ranchers to run cows on.”
Overall, the outlook for cattle prices will continue an upward climb, a trend that could last for at least two more years, Bevers, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist, said, unless rain returns through the Midwest and the Dakotas.
“(Ranchers) there are making the same decisions we were making two years ago during the 2011 drought,” he said.
Feedlot capacity is approximately 38-42 million calves with this year’s calf crop being (only) about 34 million head, Bevers said.
“Feedlots either pay high prices or they close down,” Bevers said. “We are going to continue to see this market contract. If you’ve got cows, hold onto them. You aren’t going to get just decent prices, but good prices as a result of our supply situation.”
Bevers said rebuilding the nation’s beef cattle herd has not begun. “We aren’t done going down yet,” he said. “We’ve got 29.3 million female cows and 34 million calves. We’ve seen very little indication that heifers are being held back even though the recent cattle inventory report showed retention in Texas. Most pastures have not recovered enough yet to sustain increased numbers.”
He said retail beef prices will likely continue to move higher and that’s going to test what price consumers will pay.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Farmer Donations Help Local Ronald McDonald Houses
The American Farm Bureau (AFB) Women’s Leadership Committee donated food and funds to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Phoenix, Ariz., as a kick-off to Farm Bureau’s annual Food Check-Out Week. During the week, which runs Feb. 17-23, farmer and rancher members of many local Farm Bureaus will talk with consumers about how to cut costs while putting nutritious meals on the table for their families.
“Farmers and ranchers remain committed to producing safe, healthy food for all Americans,” said Terry Gilbert, a Kentucky farmer and chair of the AFB Women’s Leadership Committee.
“We do share with many American families concerns about putting nutritious meals on the table on a tight budget.”
During the past few years, rising energy costs for processing, packaging and transportation have been the driving forces behind modest increases in retail food prices, Gilbert noted.
“Plenty of options are available so that consumers do not have to turn to less-nutritious foods that lack essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients, to make ends meet,” said Gilbert.
“Tips for better nutrition on a stretched budget, making sense of food labels and understanding USDA’s MyPlate guidelines are among the topics Farm Bureau members will be talking about with consumers at supermarket demonstration stations, farmers’ markets and other venues,” according to Gilbert.
“Stretching Your Grocery Dollar With Healthy, Nutritious Food,” the official theme of Farm Bureau’s Food Check-Out Week, reflects the fact that many Americans continue to look for ways to deal with an economic squeeze. Shopping for food to prepare more meals at home and dining out less frequently are two strategies people are using to cope with the situation.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Now Time to Assess Finances, Check Insurance Coverage
With tax season approaching, a Kansas State University (K-State) financial management specialist suggests that reviewing records for taxes also is a good time to check your credit report, assess personal finances and goals, and, after a year with historic weather-related losses, review insurance coverage. According to Elizabeth Kiss, a K-State Research and Extension family resource-management specialist, a periodic assessment is key to building financial security and protecting your assets.
“If we are to improve our situation, we have to know where we are,” said Kiss, who recommended four areas for review:
- Request a free credit report.
- Review bank or other financial services provider’s statements, balances, fees and services.
- Review insurance policies, coverage and beneficiaries.
- Make saving for an emergency fund a priority.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Workshop Offered on Introductory RUSLE2 and
P Index for Manure and Nutrient Plan Writers
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, in collaboration with the Iowa USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has scheduled a workshop to train livestock producers and service providers on how to use the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation 2 (RUSLE2) and the Iowa Phosphorus Index for use in nutrient-management and manure-management plans.
The workshop will be hosted March 20, 2013, at the Polk County Extension Office in Altoona, Iowa. The workshop starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 4:15 p.m. This workshop is an introductory level, hands-on workshop that will provide the participant with software orientation. It also will introduce participants to the operating parameters, selection of input values, and developing and saving management operations for RUSLE2. In addition, real field examples will be used in the workshop to determine risk calculations of the Iowa Phosphorus Index and how to incorporate these numbers into manure and nutrient management planning requirements. Also included will be parameters for RUSLE2 and P Index calculations on snow-covered or frozen ground. Soil sampling requirements, common errors and the DNR’s review process will be discussed.
“Many livestock producers in Iowa have manure management plans that will need to be revised in 2013 to meet the requirement to update plans every four years,” said Angie Rieck-Hinz, extension program specialist. “This four-year plan requires new RULSE2 and P Index calculations, and this workshop will be a great refresher for those producers who develop their own plans or for consultants who only develop a few plans.”
The cost of the workshop is $200 if registered on or prior to March 18; the registration fee is $225 after March 18. The workshop fee includes handout materials, a CD with software, refreshments and lunch. Because software will be provided, participants are required to bring an MS Windows compatible laptop equipped with a CD-ROM drive and Microsoft Excel Software. Participants must have their administrator password to the computer they bring in order to install software. The workshop is limited to 30 participants and walk-in attendees are not allowed.
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