News Update
June 27, 2013
2013 National Junior Angus Show Media Kit Available
Summer is here, and with it brings junior national competitions. The media kit for the 2013 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) can now be accessed online. The six-day event is a highlight for many National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members and their families, and this year, the festivities take place at the American Royal Complex in Kansas City, Mo.
In addition to cattle in the showring, the NJAS is full of educational competitions, career development events and much more. All members of the media are invited to attend and encouraged to contact the American Angus Association Public Relations and Communications Department for more information.
“The National Junior Angus Show is a time to celebrate our NJAA members and all they are accomplishing for the Angus breed,” says Jena Thompson, Association assistant director of public relations. “It’s a week jam-packed with media opportunities, including photos and video. Let us know how we can help coordinate coverage.”
On page eight of the media kit, the Association has designated specific times where staff and junior members will be available for interviews. If time is needed beyond the schedule, the Association public relations department can set that up, as well.
The media kit also includes history on the Association, NJAS information, a full schedule, map and parking information, potential stories and news releases.
For more news and information from the 2013 NJAS, visit www.angus.org to find contest results, awards, scholarships and show photos. Backdrop and candid photos will be available for purchase online. Coverage will be available on the NJAA, Angus Journal and Angus Association Facebook pages, as well.
Also, plan to tune in to a special NJAS episode of The Angus Report at 7:30 a.m. (central) Monday, July 22 on RFD-TV.
For more information, please view the media kit here.
Missouri State Fair Accepts Essays in New Contest
Written essays from youth on the topic of alleviating hunger are being accepted starting today, June 27, as part of a new two-part contest, which culminates at the Missouri State Fair. The contest is being offered to help raise awareness of the hunger concern in Missouri and to perpetuate the fair’s food drive promotion taking place Aug. 13, Missouri Farmers Care Food Drive Tuesday.
There will be two divisions in the contest, 8-12 years of age and 13-17 years of age. Essays from up to three entrants in each age division will be selected to advance to the speech portion of the competition. These finalists will be asked to read their essays in front of a panel of judges at 2 p.m., Aug. 13, on the Kid’s Stage. A first-place winner from each age division will receive two gate admission tickets and two carnival ride wristbands, good for the 2013 Missouri State Fair.
Those wanting to participate are asked to submit an essay of 500 words or less, describing how they think Missouri farmers can help alleviate hunger in Missouri. The essays should be typed in a 12-point font, and double-spaced. A cover page written by the parent or guardian must accompany the essay, and must list the entrant’s name, age, mailing address, phone number and email address, if available. Contest rules are also available at the fair’s website, special contests.
Essays are due by Friday, July 26, and can be mailed to the Missouri State Fair, 2503 W. 16th Street, Sedalia, Mo. 65301, or emailed to mostatefair@mda.mo.gov. The fair will notify those participants selected to advance to the speech portion of the contest.
There is no entry fee for the contest; however finalists in the speech portion of the contest, and those accompanying them Tuesday, Aug. 13, will be required to pay gate admission into the fair.
Consumer Preferences for Beef to Play Important Role This Summer
Summer beef demand will play an important role in fed cattle markets, bringing together two aspects of the industry that have largely been analyzing their relative status by different factors.
Feeder cattle markets have been focused heavily of new corn crop prospects for several weeks. Feedlots have been looking for feed price relief for the coming crop year relative to the drought-driven record corn prices of the last year.
“Fed cattle markets are groping for a summer bottom amidst seasonally large slaughter and beef production,” said Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension livestock marketing specialist. “Meanwhile feeder markets appear to have found a bottom after being on the defensive since February.”
Feedlots have taken advantage of significantly lower feeder cattle prices the last three months to increase year-over-year placements in March and April and maintain a large, though slightly down, placement level in May.
Feeder markets have been strengthening recently based on better demand, as evidenced by projected feed prices this fall and a tightening of feeder supplies. Peel said improved feed prices are expected to be offset by higher feeder-cattle prices this fall.
A strong July 4 holiday — likely to be an extended weekend for many — stands to potentially strengthen beef demand in July.
“Beef is also receiving some help from stronger pork and poultry prices, plus there are indications beef exports have recently strengthened somewhat; however, the lag in verifiable data means it will be awhile before we know for certain,” Peel said.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Livestock and Poultry Groups Urge Congress to Repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard
Following an announcement by Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that they have introduced the bi-partisan Renewable Fuels Standard Repeal Act (S. 1195), the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), National Chicken Council (NCC) and the National Turkey Federation (NTF) urge Congress to repeal the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).
“The RFS has been such a poorly managed mess, it’s time to drain the swamp,” said NTF President Joel Brandenberger. “The RFS needs a fresh start in order to put in place a smarter policy on the mix of fuel and feed.”
The RFS last year required 13.2 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol to be blended into gasoline; it mandates that 13.9 billion gallons be blended in 2013, an amount that will use about 4.9 billion bushels of corn, or about 40% of the nation’s crop.
“Chicken producers are already competing with the weather,” said NCC President Mike Brown. “Why must we also compete with an inflexible federal mandate that voluntarily places another strain on our limited resources? I commend Senators Barrasso, Pryor and Toomey for taking an approach that would let the free market decide whether corn should go to food or to fuel.”
Livestock and poultry groups called on the administration last fall to waive the RFS for the second time since 2008. For the second time, in spite of the widespread drought and lowered harvest, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) refused to use the safety valve built into the biofuels mandate.
“Cattlemen and women are self-reliant, but in order to maintain that, we cannot be asked to compete with federal mandates like the Renewable Fuels Standard for the limited supply of feed grains,” said NCBA Policy Vice Chair Craig Uden, an Elwood, Neb., cattle feeder. “When EPA is unable to provide even a temporary waiver of the RFS during the worst drought in 50 years, it is apparent the RFS is broken and we appreciate the efforts of Senators Barrasso, Pryor and Toomey to fix this flawed program.”
NCBA, NCC and NTF call on Congress to repeal the RFS to ensure market stability certainty for rural American economies.
Farmers Hit Congress Hard With Immigration Reform Message
From Christmas tree farmers, to dairy owners to fruit and vegetable growers, farmers and ranchers from across the country are personally delivering a united message to Capitol Hill lawmakers this week: As it is in the fields when crops are ready for harvesting, time is of the essence in passing immigration reform legislation.
This full-court press comes as the Senate takes up the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744). The balanced immigration reform bill includes fair and workable farm labor provisions, according to the Farm Bureau Federation.
“It’s been six years since we had the last real conversation on immigration reform, and it’s been more than two decades since Congress passed an immigration reform bill,” said Cody Lyon, American Farm Bureau Federation director of grassroots and policy advocacy. “This is really important for farmers and ranchers. We want to make sure this is done right, which means putting in place a system that really works for all of agriculture.”
What doesn’t work for most growers is the current H-2A guest worker program. Gene Richard, who works with Pennsylvania mushroom farmers, has no shortage of examples of how ineffective the current system is, which provides only seasonal workers.
A local grower “told me he is 30 people short and for two straight days he didn’t get his mushrooms harvested,” said Richard. “He figures he lost anywhere between $10,000 to $15,000 over those two days because his mushrooms went from the mushrooms you buy in a store [in the fresh produce section] to the mushrooms you buy in a can, bringing the price down from about 85¢ per pound (lb.) to about 35 to 40¢ per lb. We’ve got to stress to our legislators that we can’t wait until tomorrow or the next day to get our products harvested. They have to be harvested when they’re ready, which is why we need immigration reform that will give us a steady workforce.”
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