News Update

October 11, 2016

CAB Sales: 1 Billion and Counting

The Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) brand reached a major milestone in fiscal year 2016, as they carved a spot in history for the first time global sales surpassed 1 billion lb.

For the 18,000 partners joined by a common mission, CAB President John Stika said the accomplishment brings a reason to celebrate. More than that, it brings appreciation for thousands of individual successes that led to that historic mark. The Angus Media team was recently on-hand for CAB’s Annual Conference in Tucson, Ariz., where the brand and its partners celebrated that commitment to Angus cattle and high quality beef.

Watch the special episode of The Angus Report from the CAB Annual Conference online, or tune to RFD-TV this Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

— Adapted from The Angus Report.

Selecting Commercial-Angus Replacements

Replacement-heifer selection is one of the most challenging and costly decisions a commercial cow-calf producer makes each year. The significance of these decisions ultimately affects all phases of not only individual operations but the entire beef production supply chain.

It is predicted that a producer does not turn a profit on an individual until at least more than four calves are produced. Because of this, it is critical the right females are selected to be developed. In order to make the most informed decisions possible, GeneMax^® Advantage™ (first released in 2014) has been updated to accommodate producer needs.

Made available through the partnership between Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI), the American Angus Association, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) and Zoetis, this genomic test is specifically manufactured for prospective replacement females that are 75% or greater Angus. GeneMax Advantage complements other sources of information used in commercial-heifer selection, including phenotypic evaluation, age, pedigree information and dam productivity.

— Adapted from an article by Kelli Retallick, Angus Genetics Inc.

Sage Grouse Management Plans Based on Inaccurate Science?

One year after the announcement by the Department of Interior that a listing under the Endangered Species Act was not warranted for the greater sage grouse and the implementation of restrictive resource management plans for the species, the Public Lands Council (PLC) and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) submitted a report to the agencies citing concerns with the methodology used.

Ethan Lane, PLC executive director and NCBA executive director of federal lands, notes that recent studies have shown little or no correlation between sage grouse nest success and the requirements set out by the agencies.

“The threats to sage grouse habitat remain wildfire and land development, both of which are mitigated by proper livestock grazing,” said Lane. “One of the most restrictive and burdensome requirements set out by the agencies through the sage grouse Resource Management Plans is the arbitrary stubble height requirement. To say that grass height alone can predict whether or not a sage grouse nest will be successful is not accurate and based on flawed methodology.”

For more information, view the NCBA news release online.

— Adapted from a release by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Task Force to Develop Nutrition Strategic Plan

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Nutrition Research Task Force (NRTF) was established to coordinate and accelerate progress in nutrition research across the NIH and guide the development of the first NIH-wide strategic plan for nutrition research for the next 10 years. The NRTF will draw from experts across multiple fields, as nutrition affects both a wide range of diseases — including diabetes, cancer, obesity and heart disease — as well as overall health and normal development.

The Task Force is charged with the following:

Develop a strategic plan for the next decade to help guide NIH-supported nutrition research. The plan will identify promising scientific opportunities and key research gaps and promote interdisciplinary work to achieve common goals in nutrition.
Solicit feedback in the development of the plan and related efforts, including from the public, other federal agencies, scientific and professional associations and other organizations, and the scientific community.
Appoint a senior leadership group to guide implementation of the plan.

For more information, view the NIH news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Leslie Curtis, National Institutes of Health.

Histories Intertwine through National Western

As word came down that the American Angus Association and Angus Foundation would be hosting a special event to celebrate the 75th anniversary of “Angus in the West” at the 2017 National Western Stock Show in Denver this January, precious memories came flooding over me.

My heritage goes clear back to that first National Western in 1906. Among the founding group was one Fred Johnson, publisher of our family livestock newspaper, in modern times known as The Record Stockman. Johnson was a lifetime member and director of the National Western from Day 1. He even spent several years as the general manager — only a part-time, seasonal job in those days.

Continue reading this Angus Media article online.

— Adapted from an article by Dan Green for Angus Media.

— Compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor, Angus Media.

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