News Update
April 11, 2013
Profitability Starts with Genetics
At one point or another, many cattlemen wonder: Do all black-hided calves bring the same price on sale day? How much emphasis do buyers put on the genetic value of those calves?
For about 14 years, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) Supply Development has been conducting research to answer those questions. The study, titled “Here’s the Premium,” analyzed data from 10 markets that sold more than 300,000 calves in 13,794 lots. What they discovered is positive news for those who rely on Angus genetics.
Data from nine cooperating auction markets last fall showed an all-time high Angus premium. It was $5.30 per hundredweight (cwt.) for the combination of 504-pound (lb.) heifers and 511-lb. steers sold in 660 lots, compared to non-Angus contemporaries.
In addition, data from 13 years of marketing 4.9 million cattle in 40,799 lots on the leading U.S. video auction shows a clear dominance of Angus genetics. Most of the calves sold on the video include data on breed type, which consistently affects sale price.
The study has also found that the premiums for Angus calves have grown in a near linear trend for the past 13 years. So the answer is yes, known Angus steers and heifers bring more on sale day. But to tap into that added value, producers need to provide potential buyers with an idea of how the cattle will perform — and to verify that those black hides are, in fact, Angus-sired.
For more information see page 242 of the April 2013 Angus Journal.
Reform Biofuels Mandate, Beef, Pork Urge Congress
Following an announcement by House lawmakers that they will introduce legislation to address issues with the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) urged Congress to reform the biofuels mandate.
Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Steve Womack (R-Ark.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), at a press conference, said they would introduce the Renewable Fuel Standard Reform Act to “help ease concerns created by the ethanol mandate and protect consumers, energy producers, livestock producers, food manufacturers, retailers and the U.S. economy.”
The RFS last year required 13.2 billion gallons (gal.) of corn-based ethanol to be blended into gasoline; it mandates that 13.9 billion gal. be blended in 2013, an amount that will use about 4.9 billion bushels of corn, or about 40% of the nation’s crop. NCBA
Tama Bull Selection Clinic Provides Useful Information
Understanding and using some simple tools can help cattle producers make the right selection for new herd bulls. Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach beef program specialist Denise Schwab said that’s why a bull selection clinic is scheduled prior to the bull sale hosted by the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) at the Tama Livestock Auction, Tama, Friday, May 3. There’s no cost to attend, and no preregistration is necessary.
“Sorting through performance measures and expected progeny differences doesn’t have to be a chore or a mystery,” Schwab said. “Iowa Beef Center staff members from Iowa State have scheduled the two-hour clinic so attendees can go to the bull sale immediately following the session and use the information from the clinic.”
The clinic starts at 4 p.m. with the sale beginning at 6 p.m. Heifers will sell first, followed by bulls. The sale will feature bulls that have been through ICA’s Bull Evaluation Program, according to ICA seedstock manager Kellie Carolan. She said bulls that go through this 112-day test are evaluated for growth, carcass traits, yearling weight, disposition and scrotal circumference, and are some of the breed’s best pedigrees for calving ease, performance and carcass merit.
Schwab said Iowa Beef Center staff, including new extension cow-calf specialist Patrick Gunn, will break down the process of bull selection into simple steps and assist those attending with interpreting the EPD numbers in the sale book.
“We can help you evaluate your cow herd and determine the economically relevant traits that you want to emphasize,” Schwab said. “With that information, you can use the index EPDs and visually appraise the bulls to identify some options that will help you get the most benefit from your cow herd.”
To learn more about ICA’s Bull and Heifer Program, go to www.iacattlemen.org/bullheifer.aspx. For more information on the bull clinic, contact an Iowa State beef specialist at www.extension.iastate.edu/ag/beef.
April Report Forecasts Tight Corn and Soybean Supply
The April World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report released April 10 by the USDA forecast tight corn and soybean stocks for the United States, confirming the ongoing impact of the extensive drought of 2012, according to analysis by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
This month’s WASDE report estimated an increase in 2012-2013 corn ending stocks; however, the increase was not as drastic as predicted in the March stocks report. AFBF economist Todd Davis said the stocks report found 400 million bushels (bu.) more than the pre-stocks report forecast. Today’s WASDE report showed ending stocks at 757 million bu., up only 125 million bu. from the March estimate. And although the projected corn stocks are up slightly from the March projection, the stocks-to-use ratio is still straggling, at 6.8%.
“There is not a large buffer of corn available to withstand weather or other production-related problems for this year’s crop,” said Davis. “Planting will start in the Midwest in the next few weeks, and the latest report, if realized, shows ending stocks to be the smallest since 1995-1996.”
The USDA reduced feed and residual use by 150 million bu., but increased the corn for ethanol demand by 50 million bu. to 4.55 billion bu. Davis said an expected element of the report is the decrease in export use.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Students Will Experience ‘AgROUND the World’
at the 2013 Micki Zartman Scarlet and Gray Ag Day
The 2013 Micki Zartman Scarlet and Gray Ag Day will be hosted April 19 at Ohio State University to demonstrate to youth in central Ohio how agriculture will be the underlying solution to many of the world’s dilemmas.
Scarlet and Gray Ag Day (SGAD) is a one-day educational outreach program on the campus of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The event strives to educate central-Ohio elementary students about agriculture through hands-on laboratory activities.
This year’s theme is AgROUND the World. Agriculture offers solutions to alleviating world hunger, say the event’s organizers, who hope SGAD participants gain an appreciation for agriculture around the world and realize the impact of agriculture in their lives.
More than 350 students from Brookside Elementary, Baldwin Road Junior High/STEM, Winchester Trail Elementary, Worthington Christian Schools, Clinton Elementary School and Genoa Christian Academy will participate in this year’s event.
Sessions will range from microbiology and biotechnology to food science and bioresources. They will be taught by Ohio State faculty and staff, commodity leaders, representatives of student organizations, and Ohio State students who have a passion for agriculture and service.
The event will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with sessions hosted across the college’s campus.
For more information and full release, click here.
Bill Dicke Named to Block and Bridle Hall of Fame
Bill Dicke of Lincoln, Neb., will be honored as the 79th member of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) Block and Bridle Hall Fame. Dicke will be honored April 26 at the Block and Bridle Club Honors Banquet at 6 p.m. at the Nebraska East Union.
The Block and Bridle Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made commendable contributions to Nebraska agriculture through leadership, service, youth projects and community activities.
Dicke, a lifelong Nebraskan and UNL animal science alum, has been a feedlot nutritional consultant since 1979. His business, Cattlemen’s Nutrition Services in Lincoln, is one of the largest independent consulting firms in the United States. During the past eight years, he has brought three young nutritionists, all UNL graduates, into his business. The company consults for about 130 clients in 13 states.
Dicke is a strong supporter of UNL and the Department of Animal Science, where he worked as an undergraduate and continues to be a collaborator on research whenever possible. He believes the department is critical to Nebraska’s livestock industry, and his support for faculty and students has been demonstrated in many ways.
When the feedlot internship program was first conceived, he was an early supporter and promoter and continues to stay involved.
He initiated and was the lead fundraiser for the Klopfenstein Scholarship.
His latest endeavor, the Ruminant Nutrition Department Support Fund, has raised almost $250,000 along with a matching fund from the Kenneth and Caroline Eng Foundation, equaling almost half a million dollars to support teaching and research in this area. For more information and the full release, click here.
Editor’s Note: The articles used within this site represent a mixture of copyrights. If you would like to reprint or repost an article, you must first request permission of Angus Productions Inc. (API) by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.