News Update
September 19, 2016
NCBA Stands Up to HSUS
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) recently filed a lawsuit against USDA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) on behalf of the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM). This lawsuit seeks to divide the beef industry against itself by opening old wounds and weakening the beef checkoff as HSUS drives toward its ultimate goal of ending animal agriculture, said a news release by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).
The lawsuit seeks the release of documents related to two OIG audits of the beef checkoff and its contractors, including NCBA. Both audits and multiple random audits show all parties to be in full compliance of the laws.
“Those findings haven’t satisfied the extremist animal rights activists at HSUS or its partners at OCM,” said NCBA CEO Kendal Frazier. “Instead of working to better our industry, these two organizations and a small handful of cattlemen have chosen a devil’s pact in an effort to weaken the checkoff, which will in turn, weaken beef demand and our entire industry.”
NCBA will seek intervener status in the lawsuit against OIG.
“We have nothing to hide. We have and will continue to fully cooperate with all reviews and audits of our contracting activities,” said Frazier. “However, we will not stand idly by and allow HSUS to kill the checkoff. This isn’t the first attempt to weaken our industry, and it won’t be the last, but this is where we must draw a line in the sand and protect the interests of American cattlemen and women.”
For more information contact Chase Adams at cadams@beef.org or Shawna Newsome at snewsome@beef.org.
Bayer and Monsanto Merger
As Bayer and Monsanto look to launch a $66 billion merger, the question remains: Will regulators allow it? The past week both companies gained nearly $1 (U.S.) on both the U.S. and European stock exchanges.
Bayer has pledged a $2 billion “break fee” to Monsanto if the deal doesn’t go through. Bayer Ag CEO Werner Baumann says it will help producers through advanced technology.
“[The merger] is also good for our growers,” Baumann says. “They have better choices to increase yields in a sustainable way. Shareholders from both companies benefit because this is about value creation and growth, and our employees will be part of a leading innovation engine that will serve the next generation of farming.”
If this merger is allowed, it will be the ninth-largest merger in the century of any business sector and the largest so far in 2016.
For more information, visit www.agweb.com.
Balance is Key
With sale season upon the industry, many producers will begin weaning and selling calves, with some also purchasing females. With an industry driven toward low birth weights, Dan Shike of the University of Illinois says balancing all traits is vital to the success of a herd.
“Heavy birth weight and problems at calving are costly,” Shike says. “You can lose the calf, you can lose the cow; if the cow has trouble calving she won’t rebreed as fast, so we know that costs the industry money. But we aren’t entirely sure what it is costing us if we get them too small.”
In many cases, birth weight and weaning weight are in direct correlation of each other. By selecting simply for low birth weights, producers might be leaving weaning weight potential untapped, as well as other important traits such as carcass and maternal qualities.
“Vigor could be an issue, and we know if calf vigor is an issue — and they don’t get up and go get that colostrum early on when they are supposed to — that can pose some issues from a health standpoint,” Shike says.
Watch more of Shike’s interview on The Angus Report.
Missouri Livestock Person of the Year, Gaylen Hill
A long-time veterinarian from Kirksville, Mo., Gaylen Hill, is set to be inducted into the Missouri Livestock Person of the Year Hall of Fame Dec. 2, 2016. Hill has been selected due to his significant contributions to the livestock industry in northeast Missouri.
As the 14th person selected for this honor, Hill’s involvement with livestock started when he was very young, as he helped neighbors work, feed and milk cattle. He also raised chicken and rabbits. In 1965, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Missouri and two years later received his doctorate in veterinary medicine. Since then he has managed his own private veterinary practice.
As an active member of his community, his family has been heavily involved in 4-H, he has in the past served on the Kirksville Board of Education, and has been active in the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Hill will be inducted into the Missouri Livestock Symposium’s Hall of Fame. The symposium is Dec. 2-3 featuring nationally known speakers on beef cattle, horses, forages, sheep, meat goats, stock dogs and much more. For more information on the symposium and Hill’s induction, visit www.missourilivestock.com.
Youth Ag Summit to Belgium
Bayer and two Belgian young farmers associations, Groene Kring and Fédération des Jeunes Agriculteurs, are inviting young thought leaders from around the world to apply to attend the third Global Youth Agriculture Summit Oct. 9-13, 2017, in Brussels, Belgium.
With an increasing disconnection of young people from farming and a world population that is forecast to soar to 10 billion by 2050, visionary thinking, a long-term approach and creativity are urgently needed to develop solutions to enable the next generation of food producers to face global farming challenges.
Nearly 100 delegates will be selected to have an open discussion working to answer the question of how to feed the world sustainably.
“We are delighted to co-host the next Youth Ag Summit in Brussels,” says host, Fédération des Jeunes Agriculteurs (FJA) secretary general, Guillaume Van Binst. “FJA aims to mobilize stakeholders, organize advocacy, and address both farmers and the general public, and where better to do so than at this prestigious global event?”
Damien Viollet, director and head of Country Group Benelux Bayer CropScience says that Belgium, being located in the heart of Europe, is a place where governments, civil society and the media work to shape the continent and beyond.
To apply, young people ages 18 to 25 are asked to submit an essay on the underlying causes of food insecurity and the effect it can have on a growing population.
For more information or to apply, visit www.youthagsummit.com.
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