News Update
June 8, 2017
Sharing Your Story
Positive conversations between agriculture producers and consumers could mean all the difference for the industry’s future. Engaging with others and changing the way agriculture is perceived is one way to protect the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers for future generations.
Kay Johnson Smith with the Animal Agriculture Alliance explains.
“People want to know more, and we want to tell more. So our goal is to try to provide resources and give ideas about how we can share that information with the public. And I think one of the most important things, as we’ve learned, people don’t want to be educated; they want to engage. They want to have a conversation.
“Farmers and ranchers have a great story to tell, everybody likes to eat, but most people don’t know farmers and ranchers today. So take that opportunity to share that information about what you do on a daily basis,” Smith says.
Watch more of this week’s The Angus Report episode online. You can also catch the show at 1:30 p.m. CDT Saturday and 7:30 a.m. CDT each Monday morning on RFD-TV.
$4.8 Million to Agricultural Research and Extension Projects
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) June 7 awarded $4.8 million to support 17 research and extension grants that address critically important problems in U.S. agriculture. The funding is made possible through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.
“America’s agricultural systems are constantly exposed to biological and environmental threats,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “These NIFA investments in user-inspired projects bring together researchers, extension experts and practitioners to find solutions that can be rapidly adopted by the agricultural community.”
The AFRI is America’s flagship competitive grants program for foundational and translational research, education and extension projects in the food and agricultural sciences.
Read more of the USDA news release online.
Meat Trade Suplus up 6% in April
In our discussion June 5 we gave an overview of the export picture, showing robust growth in beef and pork sales. But often those export numbers are countered by arguments about imports still flowing in and somehow undermining U.S. producers. The attached charts (included in the link below) look to put that discussion in context.
Combined exports of beef, pork and chicken in April were 1.2 billion pounds (lb.) (carcass weight basis). Imports of those three proteins during the same month were 354 million lb., giving the U.S. a net 844 million lb. advantage in meat protein outflows. Pork and chicken exports dominate for a few good reasons. U.S. producers over the years have become increasingly efficient and have benefited from the lower cost structure that comes with economies of scale. This is especially true of pork and chicken but beef production is not far behind.
Consider that beef production in 2016 was steady despite a steady reduction in the beef cow herd. That reduction in the cow herd has allowed U.S. beef producers to get more fed beef from mother cow.
View the full Daily Livestock Report online.
Program for Beginning Farmers, Ranchers and Veterans
Registration is open for a free July 20 workshop to help beginning farmers, ranchers and veterans learn about resources offered by state and federal agencies.
University of Missouri (MU) Extension sponsors the workshop with funding from the USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach through a grant to help to help veterans, Latinos and socially disadvantaged beginning farmers and ranchers.
“Understanding the Alphabet Soup of USDA” starts 9 a.m. on July 20 at the MU Southwest Research Center, says MU Extension agriculture business specialist Jim Spencer. Representatives of USDA Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and USDA Rural Development will provide information on how to access their agencies’ services.
For more information, visit the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
Multi-state Cattle Conference set for Aug. 1
Dual-purpose wheat and cattle grazing go hand in hand in the Rolling Plains of Texas and southwestern Oklahoma, said Emi Kimura, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agronomist in Vernon.
“The wheat market remains low, while expenses keep increasing,” Kimura said. “It is more important than ever for farmers and ranchers to efficiently utilize resources for profitable wheat and stocker cattle operations.”
Producers will hear from experts on how to best manage these two commodities for maximum operational efficiency during the upcoming Cattle Trails Wheat and Stocker Cattle Conference, set for Aug. 1 at the Comanche County Fairgrounds Annex Building, 920 S.W. Sheridan Road, Lawton, Oklahoma.
Producers are encouraged to preregister by contacting their local AgriLife Extension county agent, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension county educator or the Southwest Oklahoma Area Extension office at 580-255-0546 or email Marty New at marty.new@okstate.edu.
For more information, visit the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
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