News Update
April 12, 2017
Angus Convention in the Lone Star State
The Western ranching spirit is alive and well in Fort Worth, Texas.
Whether visiting the historic stockyards and catching the daily cattle drive or exploring the rich history and heritage preserved downtown — it’s a location that brings out an appreciation and respect for the nation’s cattlemen and women, past and present.
So it’s fitting that the American Angus Association would choose to host the year’s premier event in the Lone Star State. The Angus Convention is a gathering place for all quality-minded cattle producers and friends from every sector of the cattle business and offers industry-leading education, networking and entertainment.
The first weekend in November, Angus breeders, commercial cattlemen and allied industry partners will join together to learn and set a vision for the future, participate in the organization’s Annual Meeting, take in the trade show, and enjoy the cowboy culture Fort Worth, Texas, has to offer.
Continue reading this Angus news release online.
Cattlemen Applaud Delay of GIPSA Rule
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) applauded the April 11 announcement that the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is delaying the effective date of its interim final rule an additional six months to Oct. 19, 2017.
“This is another step toward common sense and away from counterproductive government intrusion in the free market,” said NCBA President Craig Uden. “That said, while a delay is welcome, ultimately this rule should be killed and American cattle producers should be free to market our beef without the threat of government-sanctioned frivolous lawsuits.”
Two proposed rules and one interim final rule came out on December 20, 2016, one month before the end of the Obama Administration. The interim final rule regarding the scope of the Packers and Stockyards Act and the proposed rule regarding undue preference and unjust treatment have a direct negative impact on the cattle industry.
For more information, view the NCBA news release online.
China Signals Opening Its Doors to U.S. Beef
It’s been nearly 14 years since China allowed sales of U.S. beef in that country, but that may be about to change. And that’s very good news for the U.S. beef and cattle industry, according to a Kansas State University (K-State) agricultural economist.
“As the most populated country in the world, with a large and growing middle-income class, gaining direct access to China is one of the most positive developments the U.S. beef industry could ask for,” said Glynn Tonsor, livestock marketing specialist with K-State Research and Extension, commenting on news that a deal was struck between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump in an April meeting.
China, however, agreed previously to end a ban on U.S. beef it had imposed in 2003, but conditions on opening that market have yet to be worked through. China, along with many other countries, imposed the ban in 2003 when a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also called mad cow disease, was confirmed in a cow in the United States.
View the full K-State news release online.
NFU Urges Trump Administration to Stay in Paris Agreement
As President Donald Trump weighs the merits of keeping the United States in the Paris Agreement, National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging the administration to maintain the United States’ commitments to global leadership on climate change.
The Paris Agreement is vital to enhancing the climate resiliency of family farm operations and rural communities, and it allows family farmers and ranchers to join carbon sequestration efforts that stimulate economic growth in rural America. The President is expected to make a decision on whether to stay in the Paris Agreement by late May. NFU has been an adamant proponent of the agreement since its adoption in 2015.
“Farmers are on the front lines of climate change, and they have been experiencing costly disruption from climate change for some time,” said NFU President Roger Johnson in a letter to President Trump April 12.
For more information, view the NFU news release online.
Angus Foundation Hosts Annual Golf Tournament
It’s time to once again break out your golfing shoes! The Angus Foundation’s 17th annual golf tournament will take place Tuesday, July 11, at The Legacy Golf Club in Norwalk, Iowa. This event hosted in conjunction with the 2017 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) helps fund education, youth and research initiatives.
The 2017 event sponsor is NuTech Biosciences and Kentucky Nutrition Services, Lawrenceburg, Ky. The sponsorship was purchased during the 2017 Angus Bull Sale at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colo., this past January.
Eight additional sponsorship levels for individuals, farms and ranches are available. Each sponsorship level contains various promotional opportunities, including recognition in the tournament program, postevent news release, the Angus Journal, and the Angus Foundation’s website and annual report.
Learn more by reading the Angus news release online.
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