News Update
December 06, 2017
New I Am Angus to Premiere
on RFD-TV Christmas
We all come from somewhere. That includes Angus cattle and breeders. Premiering Christmas Day, I Am Angus | Fabric of Our Forebears dives into the rich heritage of the Angus breed and the varied people who now raise Angus across the world. From the original Aberdeen-Angus herds in Scotland to the plains of South Dakota, down to the bayou and everywhere in between, the Angus story is told from eight breeders’ perspectives in the latest film produced by the American Angus Association.
Join us on RFD-TV on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day at 7 p.m. Central as we tell the stories of how the eight cattlemen and women from varied lineages are connected by a common thread, the heritage and legacy of the Angus breed. We learn about the origins of the Angus breed at Dunlouise Angus and Ballindalloch Castle in Scotland before moving to the United States to the Biltmore Estate, Subiaco Abbey, Diamond Peak Cattle Co. and 12 Star Angus, and then we hear from Salvador Galindo and Kelsey Ducheneaux about their Angus stories.
Continue reading this Angus news release online.
Canada Announces New Partnerships
with China to Grow Shared Prosperity
Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, Dec. 4 announced new joint partnerships with China with His Excellency Li Keqiang, premier of the state council of the People’s Republic of China, after successfully concluding the second Annual Leaders’ Dialogue.
Canada and China are working to build a stronger, more stable relationship to create good, middle-class jobs and more opportunities for people in both countries.
With that goal in mind, the two leaders announced new initiatives to grow shared prosperity.
The prime minister and the premier look forward to continuing exploratory discussions towards a comprehensive trade agreement between Canada and China.
The two leaders issued the joint statement on climate change and clean growth, which highlights the ongoing bilateral collaboration and the potential for enhanced engagement. The two countries will also expand cooperation and increase ministerial dialogue to promote clean growth and combat climate change by fully implementing the Paris Agreement.
Learn more in the full release online.
Senators Call for Delay of Implementation of the ELD Mandate
On Dec. 5 Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) led a bipartisan effort to delay the implementation of the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate for livestock and insect haulers. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, the senators expressed support for language included in the House-passed Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill that effectively delays the ELD mandate for one year to allow the industry to work with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to address the strict hours-of-service rules by which transporters must abide.
USCA Transportation Committee Chairman Steve Hilker issued the following statement:
“We applaud each and every senator who signed onto this letter for showing their support of small business owners in rural and agricultural America. A vast majority of livestock haulers are both the owner and operator of their business and this upcoming regulation will disproportionately affect our ability to do business efficiently and affordably.
“Given that we are hauling a living, breathing commodity, the comfort and welfare of our cargo is of the utmost concern to livestock haulers.”
Read the full USCA news release online.
USDA Announces Changes to the U.S. Beef Grade Standards
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced Dec. 5 it is updating the voluntary U.S. Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef. USDA quality grades are used by companies to provide information to purchasers about meat’s tenderness, juiciness and flavor, and are a major factor in determining the value of beef and live cattle.
This update to the standards will provide companies using the USDA grading program with additional options — dentition or age documentation — to establish the maturity of animals and ensure that cattle 30 months old or less are included in the youngest maturity group recognized as “beef” (A maturity). Skeletal and muscular evidence will still be used to determine maturity for those animals over 30 months of age.
This change for voluntary beef grading activities will be implemented Monday, Dec. 18, 2017. Companies using the USDA voluntary grading program must do the following prior to Monday, Dec. 18, 2017:
No. 1 Provide documentation to the AMS Supervisor and Graders describing how carcasses over 30 months of age (MOA) are identified and segregated within the plant. AMS will review these procedures either during routine quality systems assessments or during supervisory visits.
For more information, read the full USDA news release online.
AgriLife Extension Sets 4-H Livestock,
Showmanship Clinic Dec. 16 in Lubbock
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct the annual District 2 Showmanship Clinic from 10 a.m.-noon Dec. 16 at the Texas Tech Arena in Lubbock. Admission is free to 4-H and FFA exhibitors who are urged to bring their livestock projects — cattle, lambs, goats and hogs — for a morning of hands-on training, said Robert Scott, AgriLife Extension agent in Lubbock County.
“This clinic is a prime opportunity for youth and their families to gain valuable experience directly from older 4-H members who have been successful in the showring,” Scott said.
“The Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassadors who will be conducting much of the instruction are high school-aged 4-H members who receive in-depth instruction and are selected to represent the agricultural industry in Texas. They must commit to 40 hours of service annually and many comply by helping novice 4-H families with their livestock projects.
“We’ve selected almost a dozen of our district’s top ambassadors to conduct this training,” he said. For more information, view the full AgriLife news release online.
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