News Update
August 25, 2016
GMO Labeling Laws
During the next two years, the USDA will be finalizing plans for a national labeling standard for food products that contain genetically modified ingredients (GMOs).
President Obama signed the measure into law late last month, and many in agriculture are calling the move a win for farm groups, food companies and the biotechnology industry, which have been pushing for a federal standard that prevents consumer confusion and differing state-by-state requirements.
The new law will require products to carry a GMO designation through a label, symbol or an electronic code that can be scanned using a smartphone. The federal legislation’s urgency came after Vermont became the first state in the nation to establish GMO-labeling standards, and supporters say the new law will ensure national consistency for GMO identification practices.
For the full story watch this week’s The Angus Report online.
Illinois Young Beef Producers Win Scholarships
Five youth, including four National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members, from across Illinois were each awarded $1,000 scholarships at the 2016 Illinois Superior Young Beef Producers contest. The contest, sponsored by Archer Daniels Midland of Decatur and the Illinois State Fair, took place on Aug. 10th in conjunction with the Illinois State Fair. Twenty 4-H and FFA members from Illinois competed in this three-phase competition challenging their knowledge of beef production.
The scholarships, presented to the highest-scoring individuals overall, went to NJAA members Lindsey Decker of Philo, Eric Schafer of Owaneco, Lucas Wisnefski of Wyoming, and Easton Beard of Dahinda. The Land of Lincoln Purebred Livestock Breeders Association supplied the individual plaques presented to the scholarship and phase winners.
In the beef management test, Decker and Schafer sorted themselves to the top and received plaques for their achievements. In the skill-a-thon phase, Wisnefski and Schafer received honors. In the judging competition, Wisnefski, and Beard made the top three.
Travis Meteer, University of Illinois Beef Extension educator, said, “This contest allows young producers to showcase their knowledge of the beef industry and provides them with assistance through scholarships to pursue further educational opportunities.”
For more information, please view the full ACES news release online.
and Environmental Sciences.
Angus Personality Receives Keith Gilmore Foundation Prize
The Keith Gilmore Foundation (KGF) selected two winners for the $10,000 KGF Prize for Beef Cattle Innovation; Angus personality Rae-Leigh Pederzolli from Medicine Hat, Alta., Canada, and Nicky Lansink from Three Hills, Alta., Canada. The KGF Prize is awarded to students who are recognized for academic excellence, leadership and commitment to pursue a career to improve, support and promote the beef cattle industry.
The KGF Prize and Keith Gilmore Foundation are both Canadian Hereford Association initiatives; however, the award seeks to acknowledge beef industry research and leadership in the fields of agriculture, veterinary medicine and agricultural journalism rather than specific breed projects. Donations to the KGF Prize for Beef Cattle Innovation are for cross-industry benefit. The Canadian Angus Association (CAA) is proud to include Rae-Leigh Pederzolli as a member of Canada’s Angus fraternity, as well. She is a commercial cattle producer with an Angus-influenced herd and the granddaughter of Aldo Pederzolli, who received a 50-Year Heritage Award from CAA in 2015. Pederzolli is also a graduate of the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders program and was mentored by CAA Director of Breed Development Kajal Devani.
For more information, please view the full CAA news release online.
Breeding Soundness Exams Can Prevent a
Financial Wreck at the Ranch
The importance of a breeding soundness exam in herd bulls can prevent costly revenue losses, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist.
Stan Bevers, AgriLife Extension economist in Vernon, shared the data from a large New Mexico ranch recently during the 62nd Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course in College Station.
In his evaluation of the past 25 years of income and expenses on the ranch, veterinary services and breeding per herd accounted for 3.1% of total expenses, or $27.88 per breeding female.
In 2003, disaster set in. Bevers said pregnancy rates in 2003 dropped 50%.
“The ranch wasn’t doing any breeding exams and it hit them hard, very hard,” Bevers said. “The initial loss was $62,000 in calf sales. It also hurt their breakeven costs.”
Bevers said breakeven costs were calculated by taking the expenses divided by the total pounds of production. At the time pregnancy rates decreased, breakeven expenses increased from $1.19 per hundredweight (cwt.) to $1.75 per cwt.
The impact of the increase had significant repercussions later as the ranch looked to expand the herd.
For more information, please view the full AgriLife news release online.
SDSGA 125th Convention Registration Open
Titled “Old Hats and New Boots” the 125th South Dakota Stockgrower’s Association (SDSGA) Annual Convention and Tradeshow will be hosted Sept. 22-24, 2016 at Ramkota Hotel and Convention Center in Rapid City, S.D.
Members, please use this registration form to RSVP, so the planners have accurate meal counts.
For hotel reservations, call Ramkota Hotel at 605-343-8550 — and ask for the SDSGA rate.
Look for more details and registration information coming soon in the mail and in the S.D. Stockgrower Magazine.
For more information, visit the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
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