News Update
April 2, 2014
NJAA Board of Directors Attend YBIC
The National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) Board of Directors attended the 2014 Youth Beef Industry Congress (YBIC), March 27-29 in St. Louis, Mo. The biennial event gathered more than 125 junior members of national beef breed associations and state cattlemen’s organizations. The 2014 YBIC was offered thanks to the following sponsors: Purina, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Allflex®, GeneSeek and Ranch House Designs.
“The YBIC conference is a great opportunity for the NJAA Board of Directors to create relationships with fellow beef leaders and industry professionals who will help inspire them to build a better future,” says Jaclyn Upperman, American Angus Association director of junior activities. “Today’s juniors are the beef industry leaders of tomorrow, and we need to prepare them with the knowledge and experience they need to be successful.”
While attending YBIC, NJAA directors met with GeneSeek representative Gary Felger, toured the Monsanto world headquarters, and visited Purina’s Longview Animal Nutrition Center. They also learned about the importance of beef feed efficiency from Jared Decker, University of Missouri, and Megan Von Emon, Iowa State University. Motivational speaker, Eddie Slowikowski, taught attendees the importance of living each day to its fullest and becoming a confident leader.
In addition, participants were given time to share ideas about how to improve their respective groups, and better serve their memberships throughout the country through creative activities and events, fundraising initiatives and more. They also discussed current issues facing agriculture and how to be a positive leader in all aspects of their lives.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Larry Corah’s ‘Did You Know’ Column
Says Consumer Tastes Sets Target for Beef
With recent advances in cattle and beef prices, a common question among producers is, “Can we maintain beef demand?” One fact brings some comfort: as an industry, we are producing the highest quality beef in nearly 50 years.
In 2014, the share of cattle grading Choice is averaging nearly 67%, compared to the mid- to low-50% area just a few years ago. Percent Prime is averaging more than 4%. Angus-type cattle qualifying for the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand are up from 24%-25% a year ago to a range of 26%-29% for early 2014.
What you might not know is how important quality grade is to consumer satisfaction. Dale Woerner, Colorado State University meat scientist, noted at a recent industry seminar that flavor has replaced tenderness as the key driver of beef consumption. He added that marbling is the critical component in beef flavor, so as quality grade increases, consumer satisfaction increases.
That’s based on research funded by the Beef Check-off, he said, where a panel trained to detect differences in beef flavor evaluated middle meats from carcasses of varying quality grade. The results were enlightening. Select grading product was less than 30% desirable while Prime was in the upper-90% range. Since flavor is our beef consumption and demand driver, the target is very clear.
Lee Leachman, at his recent pre-sale educational event for Leachman Cattle of Colorado, told cattlemen that the beef industry’s grading target is not 70% Choice as once supposed — it is 70% Premium Choice and Prime. Then we achieve consumer satisfaction and ensure demand.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Checkoff Calling for Nominations for
Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Awards
Award applications for the seventh annual checkoff-funded National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Award are now being accepted. The 2015 National BQA Awards recognize four winners in the area of beef, dairy, marketing and education.
The beef and dairy awards recognize producers that best demonstrate animal care and handling principles as part of the day-to-day activities on their respective operations.
The BQA Educator Award is open to individuals or companies that provide high quality and innovative training to individuals that care and handle cattle throughout the industry chain.
The BQA Marketer Award is open to livestock markets, cattle buyers and supply-chain programs that promote BQA to their customers and offer them opportunities to get certified.
The BQA award winners will be selected by a committee of representatives from universities, state beef councils and affiliated groups. Nominations can be submitted by any organization, group, or individual on behalf of a U.S. beef producer, marketer or educator. Individuals and families may not nominate themselves, however the nominees are expected to be involved in the preparation of the application.
Applications are due via the online submission form by June 20.
For more information, please visit the Beef Checkoff website here.
Delayed 2012 Drought-Loss Aid on the Way;
Livestock Producers Eligible for USDA Help
Farmers who lost forages or livestock in the drought of 2012 should prepare to document those losses. The 2014 Farm Bill includes livestock disaster aid going back to 2011.
Nearly $1 billion in disaster aid will be spent, the Congressional Budget Office estimates, says Scott Brown, University of Missouri (MU) agricultural economist.
“Many Missouri livestock producers will be eligible for payments. Some payouts may be big,” Brown says.
“Regulations have not been released. While USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) prepares rules, farmers can prepare to make their cases.
“There are few details in the disaster section of the Farm Bill. Those details must be spelled out before farmers can file claims at their FSA office.”
MU Extension plans educational support to producers. “Livestock disaster aid is our first priority,” says Dave Baker, assistant dean for extension, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
MU Extension specialists will assist FSA staff in their educational efforts over the next year.
USDA says livestock farmers can sign a local list at FSA offices to schedule enrollment. In many cases, farmers who have not received federal crop assistance may not be on local office rolls.
“We’re trying to reach producers not normally involved in government programs,” says Brent Carpenter, MU Extension agricultural business specialist, Sedalia. “They may not be familiar with their local USDA office.”
Signing the list and giving contacts, including email, will speed the process. FSA will start sign-ups April 15.
“Being prepared will speed the process,” Brown says.
Those first in line are not likely to deplete available funds, Brown says. “From reading the Farm Bill, it appears there is no cap on funding.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
Excellent Forage Starts with Planning,
Not the Finished Product: Variety Selection
Although the calendar says spring has arrived, the hot topic of discussion by most farmers will probably get to the weather forecast faster than you can say, “A long, hard winter.” Many farmers may have already purchased their forage seed for spring planting based on rotations or the need for livestock feed. However, spending time to evaluate alfalfa varieties is a crucial decision that has a direct influence on the bottom line. In addition to yield, there are other valuable selection criteria that producers should consider when looking at their seed needs and planting intentions.
Forages are an integral part of agricultural systems and producer goals may include improving soil health and structure, providing wildlife and beneficial insect habitat, improving water retention and protecting water quality. The best seed varieties will differ across these different goals, so it’s a vital decision point in planning. Excluding fertility, it’s the decision where farmers can have the most influence, so they should carefully choose the best seed variety for optimum economic and environmental impact.
To select the right alfalfa variety to meet the goals of your system, the main areas to consider include length of time in the rotation, yield, disease resistance and variety traits.
Winter hardiness is the primary evaluation to determine whether a variety will survive in a long-term stand. A short-term stand in Michigan (three to four years) should have varieties that are at least moderately winter hardy.
For more information, please view the full release here.
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