News Update
January 08, 2018
American Angus Association
Hires Corporate Sales Manager
The American Angus Association announces the addition of Kathy LaScala as Angus Productions Inc. (API) corporate sales manager. LaScala began her role Jan. 3 and will be overseeing industry sales operations to ensure profit maximization and realization of sales targets.
In her role, LaScala will be working with corporate accounts to position advertising, sponsorship and marketing opportunities across all API platforms. She also will attend major shows, events, meetings and publication meetings.
“Kathy brings a wealth of experience to our team, and we are excited to be able to put her deep knowledge of developing corporate clients to use growing our corporate relationships,” said Rick Cozzitorto, API president. “She already has hit the ground running as we continue to enhance our offerings.”
LaScala grew up on a dairy farm in western New York and earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Cornell University. For more than 11 years, she was on the Vance Publishing sales team with her main focus being Drovers and Bovine Veterinarian. While at Vance, LaScala was responsible for developing, maintaining and growing a portfolio of national accounts and represented the brands at industry trade shows, conferences and industry events each year.
Read the full Angus news release online.
Farm Bureau’s Duvall Praises ‘Fresh Air’ in D.C.,
Calls for Better Immigration, Trade, Farm Bill
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall called on farmers and ranchers to redouble their efforts to advocate for agriculture, even as the current administration has begun moving to undo some of the regulations that have burdened them for years.
“We have had a seat at the table with the Trump administration,” Duvall told nearly 7,000 farmers and ranchers gathered for the organization’s annual convention in Nashville, Tenn. “Folks, I can tell you that it has been a breath of fresh air to be able to advocate for getting things done … instead of having to constantly defend agriculture against a steady stream of challenges from our own government.”
In his address Duvall covered the gamut of major issues that began to move in recent months.
“Probably the biggest challenge we faced in recent years was the Waters of the U.S. rule,” he said. “That over-reaching regulation would have allowed the federal government to dictate not just how you farm — but whether you could farm at all. Thanks to your engagement, and thanks to EPA administrator Scott Pruitt, the old rule is being reconsidered.”
For more information, read the Farm Bureau news release online.
Market Update
The first full week of December’s fed-cattle market average of $117 per hundredweight (cwt.) was destined to be down from the week prior’s unexpectedly higher $121 per cwt. Weaker live-cattle futures led negative news, as each day saw a lower close on December and February contracts. The consensus has it that these contracts were oversold, and so far this week the slight uptick is marking a point of stability and a momentary end to the downward slide.
The federally inspected harvest last week was much reduced at 633,000 head, while packers remain profitable and are expected to continue a slight slowing of the pace in weekly head counts. That’s in an effort to maintain margin in a market that expects cheaper cattle input costs, but also cheaper beef cutout prices.
In the boxed beef market, we see weakening cutouts across the quality divisions as the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand cutout was down $2.50 per cwt., Choice was down $2.30 per cwt., and Select fell by $3.60 per cwt.
Continue reading this Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.
Canadian Minister of Agriculture: Trade
and NAFTA are Essential to Prosperity
Trade relationships are the foundation for creating economic prosperity between nations, the Hon. Lawrence MacAulay, Canada’s minister of agriculture and agri-food, said at the opening session of the AFBF’s Convention.
MacAulay, who is the first Canadian agriculture minister to speak to Farm Bureau members at an annual convention, said that trade, the North American Free Trade Agreement and building on common interests are the three areas the United States and Canada should focus on.
“The closer the U.S. and Canada work together to address common challenges, the more we can grow our economies,” he said. “No two nations depend on each other for economic prosperity more than the U.S. and Canada.”
Since 1994, trade among NAFTA partners has tripled, and agriculture and food exports from the United States to Canada and Mexico have quadrupled.
“The American Farm Bureau knows how vital NAFTA is to our industry,” said MacAulay. “We must continue to ensure that North America remains a major building block in our shared economic prosperity.”
View the full Farm Bureau news release online.
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