News Update
October 17, 2016
NJAS Heads to Des Moines
The National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) is the highlight of the summer for many Angus families, and in 2017 the big event takes place July 9-15 in Des Moines, Iowa. While the cattle shows are the main attraction, the week also includes the showmanship competition, junior activities and a variety of life-skills contests.
“The National Junior Angus Show is an exciting event for Angus youth and their families across the country,” says Jaclyn Clark, events and education director for the American Angus Association. “It is more than just a traditional cattle show. It’s an event that challenges youth to build life skills and develop long-lasting relationships.”
Sponsored by the Iowa Junior Angus Association, the NJAS is themed “Winning with the Angus Team!”
Read more in the Angus news release online.
USDA Moves Forward with GIPSA Rules
In a letter to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), USDA acknowledged that the agency would continue the rulemaking process on the 2010 Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Act (GIPSA) proposed rules. The proposed rulemaking was initially undertaken in 2010 and quickly defunded by Congress, which recognized them as a flawed concept that limits producers’ marketing options while adding layers of bureaucracy and opening the door to litigation.
NCBA President Tracy Brunner said these provisions were troubling in 2010 and remain a major concern six years later.
“The GIPSA rules, as they pertain to cattle producers, are extremely troubling to our industry at a time when we are already grappling with volatile futures markets and a fragile cash market,” said Brunner. “Rather than working to help ensure producers have accurate price information in a productive way, like ensuring Mandatory Price Reporting is a critical government function, unaffected by future government shutdowns, USDA is expending time and resources to push forward outdated rules to regulate an industry that never requested their assistance. These rules were flatly rejected by cattle producers six years ago and a strong bi-partisan majority in Congress expressed their continual disapproval through a half-decade of defunding.”
For more information, view the NCBA news release online.
NPPC Concerned About Rules on Livestock Contracts
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) expressed concern about USDA regulations on the buying and selling of livestock and poultry. USDA sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review three rules — the“Farmer Fair Practices Rules” — that, according to the agency, would “help balance the relationships between livestock producers, swine production contract growers, and poultry growers and the packers, swine contractors, and live poultry dealers with whom they interact.”
Issued by USDA’s GIPSA as an interim final rule and two proposed rules, the regulations are supposedly revisions of rules first proposed by GIPSA in 2010 to implement provisions Congress included in the 2008 Farm Bill.
The 2010 rules, however, went well beyond the congressional mandates of the Farm Bill and would have had a significant negative effect on the livestock industry, according to an analysis conducted by Informa Economics, which found they would have cost the U.S. pork industry more than $330 million annually. (An update of the analysis found that today it would cost the pork industry $420 million a year to comply with the rules.)
For more information, view the NPPC news release online.
Corn Production Lowered
The Oct. 12, USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Crop Production report pegged corn production 36 million bushels (bu.) lower from last month’s forecast. At 15,057 million bu., the crop is projected to be the largest ever, surpassing the previous high of 14,216 million in 2014.
Exports are projected higher this month at 2,225 million bu., a gain of 50 million. Ending stocks are reduced by 63 million bu. due to reduced supply and greater use resulting in a midpoint price increase of 5¢ per bu. to $3.25. Ending stocks are still the highest since the mid-1980s.
Corn exports are projected higher for Brazil, Ukraine and Argentina. U.S. corn exports are projected 1.5 million tons higher based on the high pace of sales and commitments that are nearly twice as large as last year’s.
For more information, visit www.nass.usda.gov.
Prestage Inducted into Alberta Ag Hall of Fame
Three prominent Albertans, including Canadian Angus personality Bob Prestage, have been honored by the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame in recognition of their contributions to research, genetics and the livestock industry. John Kennelly, Robert Prestage and Cornelius Van Raay were honored at a ceremony in Leduc on Oct. 7.
Early in his career, Prestage distinguished himself by developing the progeny test program for beef cattle, significantly improving the genetic pool of the Canadian cattle industry. Founding Wicklow Angus in Camrose, he raised the profile of Angus beef in Canada and internationally.
Prestage selected, processed and exported thousands of cattle to more than 20 countries, including marketing the first cattle to Russia to support the Alberta cattle industry’s recovery from BSE. Prestage has supported Alberta breeders in selling cattle around the world, generously sharing his marketing expertise, hosting numerous international delegations and judging at international cattle shows.
For more information, view the CAA news release online.
Editor’s Note: The articles used within this site represent a mixture of copyrights. If you would like to reprint or repost an article, you must first request permission of Angus Productions Inc. (API) by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.