News Update
October 17, 2014
State of the Angus Business
There’s never been a better time to be in the Angus business, according to the latest data from the American Angus Association. Despite historically low cow-herd inventories, business has grown for Angus breeders and the member-driven organization reports growth in nearly every category in fiscal year 2014.
From registrations to sales data to cattle qualifying for the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand, numbers are up and signal positive news for the business breed.
“An intentional focus on quality has become apparent in the cattle market this year,” says Bryce Schumann, Association CEO. “Whether it’s cattlemen looking to rebuild herds or a consumer purchasing beef for their dinner table, quality reigns supreme, and the Angus breed delivers on that expectation.”
Angus seedstock sales reported to the Association from Oct. 1, 2013, to Sept. 30, 2014, show the breed exceeded $326 million in sales — a first in Association history. Collectively, Angus breeders across the country earned $61.5 million more than the prior fiscal year — a 23% increase in total dollars spent on registered-Angus seedstock.
During the past year, the average registered-Angus sale generated twice as much income as it did in 2010, or nearly $250,000 more than it did four years ago. That’s added revenue that goes back to rural communities and families across the nation, Schumann says.
The Association also reports a positive bottom line throughout the organization and its entities, with total assets of nearly $47 million.
“Adopting new technology and attention to continuously improving selection decisions have driven the value for Angus during the past year,” Schumann says. “That was extremely evident in our bull sale averages. We are selling more bulls at higher prices, sustaining increased demand for registered-Angus bulls.”
Registered-Angus bulls averaged a record $4,997 in fiscal year 2014. Angus females witnessed market growth, as well, averaging $3,614. The Association also saw a rise in overall Angus cattle registrations, increasing the registry by 298,369 animals. That’s up more than 9,500 head from cattle registered the year prior.
Proof that more Angus breeders are incorporating technology into their herds is that more than 53% of calves recorded in fiscal year 2014 were produced by artificial insemination (AI), the second-largest figure ever for the Association; and 10% of registrations were calves produced via embryo transfer.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Murano Named Director of Texas A&M AgriLife’s
Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture
Elsa Murano, professor and president emerita of Texas A&M University, has been named director of the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture. She had been interim director since June 2012.
“It is a great honor to be named director of an organization whose mission is to help improve the lives of poor farmers and their families around the world,” Murano said. “I’m humbled and very grateful to be doing my part in furthering the legacy of such a great man and dedicated scientist as Dr. Norman Borlaug.”
The institute, an entity of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, designs and implements science-based development projects and training programs that fight hunger and poverty, specifically among small-holder agricultural communities of the developing world.
Murano has managed a project portfolio of $55 million during her time with the institute. Current projects span the developing regions of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
“We are excited to have Dr. Murano continue to lead our international programs at the Borlaug Institute. She brings a wealth of experience and leadership skills to this position that will help our college and agencies fulfill their missions,” said Bill Dugas, acting vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences. “The agency directors and I could not be happier to have Dr. Murano in this role.”
A professor in the department of nutrition and food science at Texas A&M, Murano also served as the USDA’s undersecretary for food safety from 2001-2004. She was vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences from 2005-2007 and served as president of Texas A&M from 2008-2009.
Hall of Fame Recognizes Lifetime Achievements
of Renowned Beef and Dairy Veterinarians
Honoring their significant contributions to the beef and dairy cattle industry, veterinarians David Bechtol and Maarten Drost were inducted into the Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame (CPVHOF). Established in 2011, CPVHOF recognizes the rich traditions of production veterinary medicine and honors the distinguished individuals who have made a lasting impact on the profession. The Hall of Fame is sponsored by Merck Animal Health, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC), Bovine Veterinarian magazine and Osborn Barr.
“The beef and dairy industries have been fortunate to have benefited from the wisdom, vision and determination provided by these remarkable men,” said Rick Sibbel, director of beef technical services for Merck Animal Health. “Drs. David Bechtol and Maarten Drost have been leaders, teachers and innovators and have significantly advanced feedyard-management practices and bovine reproduction.”
The new inductees were honored at the AABP Annual Conference in Albuquerque, N.M., in September and were chosen by their peers, including members of AABP and AVC.
David Bechtol — Beef Inductee
For 35 years, Bechtol, of Canyon, Texas, has been operating a consulting business and feedyard research facility in the Texas Panhandle. Last year, he was named one of the 20 most influential beef and dairy veterinarians in the United States.
Maarten Drost — Dairy Inductee
Drost, of Gainesville, Fla., is well known for his work in embryo-transfer technology and mechanisms of pregnancy recognition and fertility management in cattle. He is a world-renowned expert in bovine reproduction, and his slides and videos of cattle palpation and parturition have been reproduced and used throughout the world.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Farm Bill Workshops Scheduled in Panhandle
University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Extension and the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) are teaming up to provide educational meetings about the 2014 Farm Bill.
Workshop times and locations:
Rushville: Oct. 21, 9 a.m., at the Methodist Church Hall
Scottsbluff: Oct. 22, 9 a.m. at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center
Kimball: Oct. 23, 7 a.m. at the Kimball Event Center
Sidney: Oct. 23, 9 a.m. at Western Nebraska Community College Room 115-116
Valentine: Oct. 24, 1:30 p.m. at Niobrara Lodge
Box Butte County: Nov. 20, 9 a.m., location to be determined
Chadron: Nov 20, 2 p.m. Chadron State College, Scottsbluff Room
Bridgeport: Nov. 25 1 p.m., at the Prairie Winds Community Center.
Topics include:
- Farm Bill program sign-up process, including the documentation needed and the deadlines for sign-up;
- Base, yield and commodity program decision, considerations for your operation;
- How to calculate farm program payments; and
- Tools to determine what program is best for your operation.
UNL Extension Educator Jessica Johnson and the local FSA offices will present information to help owners and operators make an informed decision. It is helpful if both the owner and operator of a farm can attend together. Everyone is welcome.
Statewide, these meetings are sponsored by Nebraska Farm Bureau. Additional sponsors vary by location.
The decisions to be made in the next few months regarding commodity program selection are very complex and will last for the duration of this Farm Bill. For the latest information about the Farm Bill visit www.farmbill.unl.edu.
For more information or assistance, contact Jessica Johnson, UNL Extension Educator at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center, 308-632-1247 or your local FSA Office.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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