News Update

June 1, 2017

Angus Media Hires General Manager

Angus Media, the communications arm of the American Angus Association in Saint Joseph, Mo., welcomes a new general manager to its team of professionals. Missouri native Sara Reardon brings more than a decade of experience in livestock marketing, strategy and project management to her role on the industry-leading media firm. Her start date was May 15.

The Angus Media general manager oversees production activity and work flow for the company’s vast suite of communications properties, including the Angus Journal^®, Angus Beef Bulletin, as well as Special Services and Web Services projects.

Reardon isn’t a new face to Angus Media.

Early in her career, she spent six years as a coordinator on the team, assisting Angus breeders with marketing solutions and creative communications. In her position, she managed hundreds of Angus clients in a fast-paced environment and her work was recognized by the Livestock Publications Council Awards program.

“We’re delighted to have Sara return to the American Angus Association,” says Allen Moczygemba, Association CEO. “Her organizational skills are outstanding, while she’s also an experienced marketer who will help elevate Angus Media to new levels of success.”

Continue reading this Angus news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Jena McRell, Angus Media.

Maryland’s Keep Antibiotics Effective Act goes into Law

The Keep Antibiotics Effective Act (SB422/HB602) has gone into law without a signature from Governor Larry Hogan, making Maryland the second state in the country after California to address antibiotics in livestock and poultry. The act takes effect on Oct. 1.

The laws in Maryland and California go much further than federal Food and Drug Administration guidelines, which seek to prohibit the use of antibiotics for growth promotion in animals but don’t stop the routine use of antibiotics for disease prevention purposes.

The Maryland Campaign to Keep Antibiotics Working, a coalition of advocacy organizations, public health professionals, farmers, and business owners, call it a major win for public health. Opponents included the Maryland Farm Bureau.

— Adapted from a release by U.S. PIRG.

Entry Requirements for 2018 NWSS Angus Bull Sale

The 2018 National Western Angus Bull Sale at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) is set for Wednesday, Jan. 10, in Denver, Colo. Changes in entry requirements this year include:

Any bull that is a potential carrier for any genetic condition recognized by the American Angus Association must be tested free of that condition(s) by the late-entry deadline of Oct. 1, 2017.
All bulls must rank in the top 50% of the breed for non-parent bulls by the late entry deadline of Oct. 1, 2017, for expected progeny differences (EPDs) and $Value indexes, including weaning weight (WW), yearling weight (YW), weaned calf value ($W) and beef value ($B).
A nonrefundable entry fee must accompany the application at time of entry.

Other entry requirements include:

All bulls must be calved after Jan. 1, 2015. All bulls born before Jan. 1, 2017, must have passed a complete breeding soundness exam (sometimes referred to as a BSE) within 30 days of the sale.
All bulls must be genomic-trait-tested and possess a complete set of EPDs and $Values when entered.
All bulls must be enrolled in Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR^®) with official weights processed prior to the sale book deadline, Oct. 25, 2017.

Check out the Association Highlights section in the latest issue of the Angus Journal for more information.

— Adapted from a release by Angus Media.

Agricultural Prices

The April Prices Received Index (Agricultural Production), at 96.7, increased 2.0% from March 2017. At 93.1, the Crop Production Index increased 6.5%. At 99.5, the Livestock Production Index decreased 1.1%.

Producers received higher prices for lettuce, cattle, broilers and broccoli but lower prices for market eggs, milk, hogs and strawberries. Compared with a year earlier, the Prices Received Index is up 4.4%.

The Crop Production Index increased 8.8% and the Livestock Production Index is up 2.2%. In addition to prices, the indexes are influenced by the monthly mix of commodities producers market. Increased monthly movement of oranges, lettuce, milk and strawberries offset the decreased marketing of corn, cattle, soybeans and hay. The Food Commodities Index, at 101.8, increased 1.4% from the previous month and is up 5.6% from April 2016.

View the complete USDA report online.

— Adapted from a release by USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

USDA Announces Commodity Credit Corporation Lending Rates for June 2017

The USDA Commodity Credit Corp. June 1 announced interest rates for June 2017. The Commodity Credit Corp. borrowing rate-based charge for June is 1.125%, up from 1.000% in May.

— Adapted from a release by USDA Farm Service Agency.

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

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