News Update
February 22, 2016
2016 Market Outlook
A year-over-year increase in beef production brought a supply shock to the cattle business in 2015. More beef and total meat on the domestic market also brought a price shock to the system, but is the worst behind us? Or can we expect more market fluctuations in the months ahead?
Kevin Good of CattleFax says: “Generally speaking, there’s a couple of things that we need to take home. No. 1, we’ve had the supply shock as far as protein’s concerned. We’ve had a huge year-over-year increase in production, as well as supply in 2015. Exports were down, imports were up, so there was more meat on the domestic market.”
According to Good, there is hope for beef producers in 2016, saying some of the worst price fluctuations are behind us. But, he cautions that 2016 could still look a lot like the second half of 2015. Good remains optimistic about herd expansion and cow-calf profitability in the coming year.
Watch this week’s full episode of The Angus Report online. You can also watch the show at 5 p.m. CST Wednesday, 1:30 p.m. CST Saturday or 7:30 a.m. CST each Monday morning on RFD-TV.
Top Honors at YF&R Collegiate Discussion Meet
The winner of the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Collegiate Discussion Meet is Kenna Lewis of California. Lewis was awarded the top prize following a discussion that included protecting farmers’ ability to access new technology while ensuring public acceptance and encouraging innovation. Lewis, a senior at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, is studying agricultural communication.
Lewis qualified for the national competition upon winning the California Collegiate Discussion Meet. As the national winner, she received a $2,500 scholarship from competitive event sponsor CHS Foundation.
In addition to Lewis, three finalists participated in three rounds of discussion before making it to the Final Four round. Finalists were Tanner Beymer, University of Idaho; Kole Kelley, Adams University; and Kelly Wilfert, University of Wisconsin–Madison. They each received $1,000 courtesy of CHS Foundation.
For more information, please view the Farm Bureau news release online.
Equine Herpes Virus Confirmed in Texas
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) confirmed Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) in two horses in El Paso County. Both horses showed signs of respiratory illness, fever and nasal discharge, when evaluated by a local veterinarian. The horses tested positive for EHV-1 but neither horse showed signs of the neurologic form of the disease. The stable has been placed under movement restriction as a precaution, and all horses are being monitored daily.
To date, 74 horses linked to Sunland Park in New Mexico have been confirmed EHV-1 positive. Only two of the 74 horses are stabled near El Paso, Texas. Symptoms of EHV-1 include fever, which is one of the most common clinical signs and often precedes the development of other signs. Respiratory signs include coughing and nasal discharge.
For more information, please view the full TAHC news release online.
USDA Announces Animal Care Deputy Administrator
On Jan. 4, Kevin Shea, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced Bernadette Juarez as acting Deputy Administrator for the Animal Care (AC) program. On Feb. 19, he announced her appointment as no longer acting, but permanent.
Juarez has replaced Chester Gipson, who retired on Jan 1. She will lead the program’s many employees in protecting and ensuring the welfare of millions of animals nationwide that are covered under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Horse Protection Act (HPA).
Program on Fence Laws set for March 10
University of Missouri (MU) Extension offers a program on Missouri fence laws, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, at locations throughout the state.
“Missouri continues to have a very complicated fence law, in large part due to the fact that two separate laws cover the state depending on the county that your land is in,” says Joe Koenen, MU Extension agricultural business specialist.
“If you own land, you need to know the law and how it impacts you, whether you own livestock or not,” he says. “Another problem is that both laws are subject to interpretation and can be a little different, depending on the county you’re in.”
To find a program in your area, view the full MU news release online.
Contact Joe Koenen at 660-947-2705 or koenenj@missouri.edu to register or for more information.
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