News Update

November 14, 2016

Angus Unveils Long-Range Plan

Anticipation was evident Monday, Nov. 7, as Angus breeders from across the country crowded into an Indianapolis, Ind., meeting hall for the American Angus Association 133rd Annual Convention of Delegates.

The meeting was the capping event of the three-day Angus Convention, where about 2,000 Angus seedstock and commercial producers, academia and allied industry met for educational sessions and thought-leading keynote lectures — all largely based on leadership, innovation and business culture.

The annual meeting represents the culmination of the fiscal work of the world’s largest beef breed organization as well as the election of officers and new board directors. This year, members also gathered to hear Association CEO Allen Moczygemba unveil the Association’s Long-Range Strategic Plan (LRSP).

“As an Association, we’ve been blessed with strong leadership that has had the resolve to plan for the future, to make the right decision at the right time,” Moczygemba told delegates and attendees. “Those landmark decisions ensured our breed was positioned for long-term growth. This new Long-Range Strategic Plan, led by the Board of Directors, represents that same commitment to innovative decision-making so evident in Angus history.”

Read more in the complete news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Crystal Albers, Angus Media.

How to Create Premium Calves

When a beef cattle specialist for the Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) brand talks to producers, they might expect to hear all about marbling. But Paul Dykstra told those at a recent Oklahoma Angus Association field day in McAlester, Okla., “It’s all about balance.”

“If we don’t have cattle that’ll stay healthy, then perform in the feedyard with regard to both feed conversion and average daily gain, it will be difficult to say that we will achieve or deserve a premium,” he said.

Start building premium calves with a focus on the carcass while surpassing industry averages on other traits and feedyard performance, never letting sickness take hold, he counseled.

“Health is absolutely essential,” Dykstra said. “Having in place a veterinarian-designed program is key for any set of cattle to sell, but value starts with genetics.”

Noting the American Angus Association’s selection tools based on EPDs (expected progeny differences) backed by genomic and field data, he said understanding those paves the way to effective use. Then it takes the right nutrition.

Continue reading in the Angus Media news article online.

— Adapted from an article by Katie Alexander, Certified Angus Beef LLC.

2016 National Beef Quality Audit
Producer Survey Closes Friday

Beef producers all across the country, from every segment of the industry, are being encouraged to participate in a survey that will help establish a benchmark and course for the beef industry for 2017 and beyond.

The Producer Survey of the checkoff-funded 2016 National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) will collect producer information and opinions, which will be added to the audit’s traditional production research to form an in-depth look at where the industry stands and what its successes and shortcomings are.

The survey will be completely anonymous and include both information about the industry’s cattle operations and the opinions of the people who run them about the strengths and weaknesses of the industry. Input from every segment of the industry — cow-calf, stocker, feeder, dairy and others — will be valued and become part of the detailed picture of the U.S. cattle industry.

The survey can be accessed at the Beef Quality Assurance website at www.bqa.org/nbqa-producer-survey. The deadline to complete the survey is Nov. 18.

Upon completing the survey, participants can choose to leave their contact information to be entered for a chance at winning a YETI® Tundra 75 Marine Cooler.

For more information, please view the full news release online.

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

BIVI Names Cortney Malter Marketing Manager for Cattle

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI), a global leader in the animal health industry, announced Nov. 9, the promotion of Cortney Malter to marketing manager on the cattle team.

For the past three-and-a-half years, Malter held the position of associate marketing manager, cattle, at BIVI. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in agriculture.

Malter and her husband, Kyle Malter, a veterinary technical manager on the BIVI pet team, live in Smithville, Mo., with their two sons, John and Judd. When not cheering on her sons at sporting events and livestock shows, Malter is actively involved in volunteer opportunities within the industry and her community.

For more information, view the BIVI news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Melissa Chesnut, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc.

Managing Your Farm Future

Low commodity prices and high input costs are weighing heavily on farmers’ bottom lines. A proactive new program, Managing Your Farm Future, is designed to help producers assess their current financial position, plus examine strengths and weaknesses in order to improve their balance sheets. The program is offered by the Kansas State University (K-State) Department of Agricultural Economics and K-State Research and Extension.

The initial Managing Your Farm Future meeting is Tuesday, Dec. 13, in Manhattan and will be followed by one-on-one confidential consultations in January with members of the K-State Farm Analyst Program.

The Dec. 13 meeting is free, but registration is required by Dec. 7. Register online at www.riley.ksu.edu or call the K-State Research and Extension Riley County office at 785-537-6350.

For more information, visit the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.

— Adapted from a release by Mary Lou Peter, K-State Research and Extension.

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