News Update
July 19, 2017
Time for Prime
It was just a bus tour through ranch country for South Dakota cattleman Jerry Kusser and his seedstock supplier … until the email came in that made them both recall where they were at the time.
“I was scrolling through my phone, thinking, ‘Is this a mistake?’” says Lee Leachman, Fort Collins, Colo. “It was just Prime, Prime, Prime.”
Sure, there were other lessons that day, but these two were absorbed in a spreadsheet with its final tally. No mistake, the 2016-born calves were 68% Prime, and 88% qualified for the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand or CAB Prime.
A proud smirk spread across Kusser’s face: “I knew it!”
The remark was part good-natured banter he shares freely with those who know him best, but deep down, the rancher knew that was the kind of quality he’d been working toward his whole life.
Continue reading this Angus Journal article online.
Beef WISE Study
New research published in Obesity Science & Practice shows that lean beef, as part of a healthy and higher-protein diet, can help people lose weight while maintaining muscle and a healthy heart.1 “The Beef WISE Study: Beef’s Role in Weight Improvement, Satisfaction and Energy,” conducted at the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center with a research grant from the beef checkoff, adds to the growing body of evidence demonstrating lean beef can contribute to a healthy weight loss diet.
While the popularity of higher-protein diets has grown considerably, there is often guidance telling people to limit red meat as a protein source. However, few studies have compared different high-quality protein sources to understand their effectiveness in a weight loss or maintenance diet.
Learn more in the Checkoff news release online.
Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook
Positive changes in 2018 per capita beef, pork and poultry disappearance are expected to be driven largely by production increases but also by changes in trade. Lamb and mutton per capita disappearance is expected to decline 1.7%, however, due to a small decline in production and a small increase in exports.
For beef, the 1.3% increase in per capita disappearance to 57.9 pounds (lb.) is the result of a 2.2% increase in the 2018 production forecast, together with stronger beef imports (2.9% larger than the 2017 forecast) and a 1.9% increase in beef exports. The 1.7% change in the pork per capita in 2018 — to 50.9 lb., the largest per capita disappearance since 2004 — is expected even though exports are forecast to increase 3.8% next year.
The current pork industry expansion, with production next year expected to increase 3.5%, drives the expected increase in per capita pork disappearance. The broiler per capita disappearance increase — 1.3% to 91.3 lb. — is due to anticipated production growth of 1.9% plus a small increase in exports (+0.8%, year over year).
Read the full USDA Economic Research Service report online.
Farm Bureau Responds to USTR’s NAFTA Objectives
The following statement may be attributed to Zippy Duvall, president, American Farm Bureau Federation:
“The North American Free Trade agreement (NAFTA) has helped America’s farmers and ranchers make significant gains in U.S. ag exports to Canada and Mexico, and the administration’s negotiating objectives for the agreement will maintain and improve agricultural trade with our nearest trading partners. We look forward to expanding our market opportunities with our North American neighbors even further by bringing this agreement into the 21st century.
“Free trade agreements have a proven track record of boosting revenue for U.S. agriculture. They create a level playing field for our farmers and ranchers to compete in the global marketplace, and NAFTA is no exception with ag exports to Canada and Mexico increasing from $8.9 billion in 1993 to $38 billion in 2016. It is vital that we lock in that progress as the first point of talks to improve NAFTA.
“While we have seen tremendous success with NAFTA, there is still room for improvement. We need to address challenges that remain for our fruit and vegetable, dairy, and row crop and wheat farmers, and ensure all our farmers are free to get their products to market under modern and science-based standards.
For more information, view the Farm Bureau news release online.
NAFTA Objectives a Missed Opportunity for Family Farmers
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) this week released its Summary of Objectives for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Renegotiation, a document that will guide talks with Canada and Mexico expected to begin in mid-August.
In response to the objectives, National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement:
“For too long, our nation’s trade negotiators have prioritized a free trade over fair trade agenda, leading to a massive trade deficit, lost jobs and lowered wages in rural communities across America. We are cautiously optimistic that several of the USTR’s recommendations for the NAFTA renegotiation will address the fundamental flaws of free trade agreements.
“Free trade agreements have not resulted in a stable positive balance of trade for U.S. agriculture. In 2015, the U.S. had an agricultural trade deficit of $839 million with Canada and $3.3 billion with Mexico. NFU is encouraged by USTR’s emphasis on establishing balanced trade and reducing the national trade deficit and hopes they will follow through on those objectives during renegotiations.”
Read this NFU news release online.
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