News Update
February 18, 2013
Grazing Improvement Act
Reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives
The Public Lands Council (PLC) and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) strongly support the Grazing Improvement Act of 2013, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Reps. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho), Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), Scott Tipton (R-Colo.) and Greg Walden (R-Ore.) introduced the bill as companion legislation to S. 258, which was introduced in the Senate recently by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).
The bill seeks to improve the livestock-grazing permitting process on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The bill was debated during the last session of Congress in both the House and Senate; it passed the House with bipartisan support as part of the Conservation and Economic Growth Act (H.R. 2578).
PLC Vice President Brenda Richards, an Owyhee County Idaho rancher, expressed PLC’s support for the bill, adding that the uncertainty surrounding grazing permit renewals is threatening the ability of federal lands ranchers to keep their businesses operating.
“This legislation will contribute greatly to providing a stable business environment to federal lands ranchers, who face ever-increasing uncertainty as to the future of our livestock grazing permits,” said Richards. “By increasing the term of grazing permits from 10 to 20 years, ranchers will have certainty that their operations will remain in business and continue to operate without the fear of losing their permits on process-based grounds.”
NCBA President Scott George, a dairy and beef producer from Wyoming, said that the bill is commonsense legislation, as it proposes to allow the BLM and USFS to renew federal-lands grazing permits under existing terms and conditions while the backlog of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses is being addressed.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Now is the Best Time for Novices to Get Into Beef Production
“It’s been a long time since beef producers had this good of a chance of off-setting their production costs,” said Monte Rouquette, Texas A&M AgriLife Research forage scientist. Those new to the business can still find it a money pit if they don’t have the proper training, Rouquette said.
A three-day intensive class in East Texas on March 26-28 is designed to do just that: to give those new to the business the prerequisite training to be successful in the beef cattle business, he said.
Rouquette is optimistic about the chances of success for novice and experienced beef producers because of unusually high prices for weaned calves. Though production costs remain high, at current prices, it’s possible to gross $500 to $1,000 for a weaned calf, he said.
Returns vary so widely because lighter calves — those in the 500-pound (lb.) range — are selling for as much as $1.40 to $1.50 per lb., while heavier calves may sell for $1.10 per lb. Another reason is tied to fertilizer prices, Rouquette said. Though they remain high since a surge in prices from 2008 through 2010, they haven’t climbed much since, while calf prices have risen dramatically.
There are other trainings on pasture management available, but the Pasture and Livestock Management Workshop, more commonly known as the Grazing School for Novices, goes into a lot more in-depth and basic information than is possible in a one-day school, Rouquette said.
For more information and the full release, click here.
N.D. Stockmen’s Foundation Offers
Six Collegiate Scholarships, Deadline March 1
North Dakota students who are interested in the state’s beef industry have six $500 scholarship opportunities available to them through the North Dakota Stockmen’s Foundation (NDSF).
The NDSF will award three $500 Junior Scholarships to North Dakota college sophomores who, among other criteria, are enrolled in a beef-related major at an accredited North Dakota college or university.
The NDSF will also award three $500 Legacy Scholarships to North Dakota high-school seniors, and college freshmen, sophomores or juniors who have an interest in the beef cattle industry. There are no requirements regarding college or university location or major.
Interested applicants can find more information about each scholarship at www.ndstockmen.org. Applications will be accepted until March 1.
The scholarship recipients will be named during the NDSF Luncheon at the North Dakota
Stockmen’s Association’s Annual Convention & Trade Show Sept. 28 in Bismarck.
The NDSF, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was created to advance North Dakota beef industry leadership, scholarship, research, building and promotion objectives.
Cornhusker Economics Outlook Meetings in Scottsbluff, Whitney, Other Locations
The 8th annual Cornhusker Economics Outlook meeting series will focus on the ag outlook and management decisions for farmers and ranchers at eight locations across the state in late February, including Scottsbluff and Whitman in the west.
The annual meeting series is offered by University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension and the Department of Agricultural Economics, and is available free to participants with grant support from the Nebraska Corn Board and the generous sponsorship of Great Western Bank.
The Scottsbluff session is Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 9-11:30 a.m. at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center, 4502 Ave. I. To register or for more information, contact Tom Holman, Scotts Bluff County Extension Office, at 308-632-1480, or email tholman1@unl.edu.
At Whitman, the meeting is Feb. 27 from 3-5:30 p.m. Mountain Time at Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory. To register or for more information, contact Bethany Johnston, Central Sandhills Extension Office, 308-645-2267, or email bjohnston3@unl.edu.
Although there is no cost to participants, preregistration is encouraged to plan for facilities, refreshments and materials.
For more information and the full release, click here.
New Bill Repealing HIT Good for Farmers, Ranchers
Legislation introduced in the House is a major step for farmers, ranchers and small businesses that would otherwise be negatively affected by healthcare reform, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). The Jobs and Premium Protection Act of 2013, introduced by Reps. Charles Boustany (R-La.) and Jim Matheson (R-Utah), would repeal the Health Insurance Tax (HIT).
“The cost of health insurance is a major concern for farmers and ranchers,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “Health insurance costs already have gone up more than 100% since 2000, and the HIT will impose even more devastating costs on America’s farmers, ranchers and small businesses.”
A recent Congressional Budget Office report confirms that the HIT Tax “would be largely passed through to consumers in the form of higher premiums for private coverage.” The new tax would raise insurance costs even more, making it harder for farmers and ranchers to purchase coverage for themselves, their families and their employees.
“Most farmers and ranchers do not have large enough pools of employees to be self-insured,” continued Stallman. “Instead, they purchase health insurance in the fully insured market, from which it is solely determined how much HIT an insurance company must pay. Because of this, the cost of this erroneous tax will be passed through to small businesses that purchase those plans.”
The HIT was passed as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). According to AFBF, it has nothing to do with reforming the health-care insurance system but was included in PPACA as a way to raise revenue to offset the cost of the legislation. During 2014, the first year that the HIT takes effect, $8 billion dollars will be collected.
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