News Update
April 13, 2017
Offices Closed
The American Angus Association and API will be closed tomorrow, Friday, April 14, in observance of Good Friday. Offices will return to normal operation hours Monday, April 17.
Consider Your Micro Herd
As pastures begin to green-up this spring, producers are reminded to consider soil health and management plans to keep their forages in top-shape for grazing. Johnny Rogers with North Carolina State University shares considerations for improving soil and pasture management in the next growing season.
“One of the things I try to get across to producers is, I try to get them to think about not just the macro herd, the big herd of livestock they have above the ground, but also think about the micro herd, all the microorganisms that are below the soil surface that can help build better soil structure, which will help us grow better grass,” Rogers says.
Rogers concludes that by taking care of the microorganisms below ground, producers can grow better cattle. He asks that producers consider the effects that certain management decisions will have on the soil like use of pour-on dewormers or pasture-based herbicides: “It doesn’t mean we can’t use those tools, but we also need to look at the broader impact they have.”
Watch this week’s The Angus Report online or catch it on RFD-TV at 1:30 p.m. CDT Saturday and every Monday morning at 7:30 a.m. CDT.
USCA Comments on Farmer Fair Practices Interim Rule Delay
Following the USDA’s announcement that the effective date of the Farmer Fair Practices Interim Rule would be delayed until October, the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) issued the following statement from USCA Marketing Committee Chairman Allan Sents:
“Once again, efforts to advance competition and transparency in the cattle market have been stalled. Clarifications within the Packers and Stockyards Act that would define true price discovery and combat anti-competitive buying practices are being left on the table.
The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration must be equipped with the tools necessary to provide adequate oversight of our industry and the Farmer Fair Practices Rules are a starting point to work that is still needed. USCA will continue to work with the Administration and Congress to ensure these needed clarifications are moved forward.”
Pork Producers Applaud White House Action on ‘GIPSA’ Rule
The Trump administration April 11 gave notice that it will further delay the effective date of a regulation related to the buying and selling of livestock, a move applauded by the National Pork Producers Council, which opposes the Obama-era rule. It also will take public comments on what to do with the regulation.
The so-called Farmer Fair Practices Rules, written by the USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), includes two proposed regulations and an interim final rule, the latter of which now is set to become effective Oct. 19.
“We’re extremely pleased that the Trump administration has extended the time it has to review this regulation and the public comments on it, which will show the devastating effects this rule would have on America’s pork producers,” said National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Ken Maschhoff, a pork producer from Carlyle, Ill. “The regulation likely would restrict the buying and selling of livestock, lead to consolidation of the livestock industry — putting farmers out of business — and increase consumer prices for meat.”
Learn more by reading the Pork Producers news release online.
Conaway Statement on GAO Food Aid Report
Earlier this week, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) publicly released a report on the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) implementation and oversight of additional food aid flexibility authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.
Under the 2014 Farm Bill, USAID is authorized to use up to 20% of Food for Peace (Title II) funds for administrative purposes, now interpreted by USAID to include the delivery of cash-based food aid. The report offers the first comprehensive look into the extent USAID is using the new authority to provide cash transfers, food vouchers and locally or regionally procured (LRP) food — rather than U.S.-grown commodities — to those in need across the globe.
For more information, view the news release online.
Deadline Extended: Cattlemen’s Boot Camp in Lincoln
Cattle producers, mark your calendars! A Cattlemen’s Boot Camp will take place April 27-28 at the Animal Science Complex on the University of Nebraska’s East Campus in Lincoln, Neb.
The educational event will be jointly hosted by the American Angus Association and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), and will provide purebred and commercial cattle producers with timely information presented by academic and industry professionals. Be sure to register online at angusonline.com, or download and send your application by mail before April 15 to ensure you don’t miss all that this event has to offer.
Generously funded by the Angus Foundation, Cattlemen’s Boot Camp is open to all cattle producers and features two days of educational speakers and workshops, and hands-on activities to help cattlemen and cattlewomen improve their herd operations. Attendees will look forward to hearing from industry professionals on a market outlook, range and crop management tips, updates on carcass trends and information on bull selection, source verification, genetic improvement, and general herd management.
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