News Update
March 27, 2018
Angus Foundation Announces
Talon Youth Education
Learning Program Intern, Host Ranch
Real-world opportunities are a great addition to any student’s learning. The Angus Foundation is pleased to introduce Morgan Scilacci, Baker City, Ore., as the Talon Youth Education Learning Program Intern, which will give him the opportunity to have that real-world experience this summer. Scilacci will intern with Sitz Angus Ranch, Dillon, Mont.
The Talon Youth Education Learning Program internship is the legacy of Camron “Cam” Cooper of Talon Ranch. Cooper set up the Angus/Talon Youth Education Learning Program Endowment Fund in 2009 to be a holistic educational experience for students.
The internship program pairs motivated Angus youth with working registered Angus breeders/ranches to provide youth valuable education and work experience for a summer. The internship program is open to college sophomores, juniors, seniors, graduate students and recent college graduates under age 25 who are majoring in an agricultural field of study.
Scilacci is a sophomore at Kansas State University, where he is pursuing an animal science degree. Scilacci’s future goals are to obtain his master’s degree in ruminant nutrition and from there, possibly pursue a degree in law and become a constitutional lawyer.
Continue reading this Angus news release online.
USDA Cattle on Feed
All key numbers in the latest Cattle on Feed report were higher than analysts were expecting and the results may be construed as moderately bearish for futures when they open on Monday. Futures were down sharply last week and it is possible that the bearish implications of the inventory survey may already be in the market.
Total on-feed supplies as of March 1 were estimated at 11.715 million head, 8.8% higher than the previous year. Prior to the report, analysts were expecting total on-feed supplies to be 8.1% higher than last year. This is the largest on-feed March inventory since March 2006. USDA reported that feedlots placed 1.817 million head of cattle on feed in February, 7.3% more than a year ago and 12.9% higher than the five-year average. Analysts on average expected placements to be up 4.5% although there were some that expected placements to be quite large given reports of still very high placement rates in Texas.
Cattle placements in the Southern Plains have been higher than expected, as drought conditions pushed light calves into feedlots last fall and also limited wheat pasture feeding in January and February.
Read the full report online at www.dailylivestockreport.com.
R-CALF USA Applauds President Trump’s Trade Policy Shift
In response to the White House announcement that President Trump will impose additional trade-related sanctions against China’s trade practices, including new tariffs on agricultural equipment and other imports, Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) CEO Bill Bullard said the United States is finally beginning to defend itself against unfair and imbalanced trade.
R-CALF USA previously supported President Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum and is the only agricultural trade group calling for tariffs on cattle, beef, sheep and lamb from countries that maintain persistent trade surpluses with the United States.
For nearly two decades R-CALF USA provided comments and testimony to presidential administrations urging decisive action to rebalance the United States’ lopsided trade with countries from around the world. However, Bullard said those previous administrations couldn’t pull themselves away from the entrenched lobbying firms representing multinational corporations that have no particular loyalty to the United Sates.
Bullard’s group points to the imbalanced trade with countries like Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Uruguay, all of which export large volumes of beef to the United States but accept only token imports of beef products produced by U.S. farmers and ranchers.
For more information, read the full R-CALF news release online.
Wyoming Legislature Approves Funding
For Agricultural Land Conservation Projects
The Wyoming Legislature has approved an allocation of $1.95 million from the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Fund (WWNRT) to the Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust (WSGLT) to help conserve more than 6,300 acres of agricultural land in the state. The funding was originally granted in 2017 by WWNRT’s board of directors.
Founded in 2005 by the Wyoming Legislature, the WWNRT is funded by interest earned on a permanent account and donations. The purpose of the program is to enhance and conserve wildlife habitat and natural resource values throughout the state. Since 2006, the WWNRT has funded nearly 550 projects in all 23 counties of the state. Every dollar spent by the WWNRT is matched on average with $6.00 from other sources, and WWNRT projects maintain agricultural operations, conservation businesses and other job-producing enterprises, including the tourism industry.
“We are fortunate that the State of Wyoming recognizes the importance of, and invests in, the future of agriculture and conservation,” said WSGLT Executive Director Bo Alley. “State-level funding means that we can access and bring federal dollars into Wyoming, through the Farm Bill, at a rate of 2 to 1.”
Learn more in the full news release online.
South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association
Annual Meeting Reminder
The clock is ticking for the 22nd South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association (SCCA) Annual Meeting scheduled for April 5-6, 2018, in Clemson. Plan to attend this educational meeting and invite a fellow cattle producer or two to come along with you.
The Best Western Hotel has been established as the headquarters. Temple Grandin begins her first session on Thursday, April 5, 2018, at 1:00 p.m. followed by a cattle-handling demonstration at 3:00 p.m. and a community-wide presentation at 6:00 p.m. All sessions are at the Garrison Arena. Friday morning, April 6, Don Ball and Garry Lacefield will be the keynote speakers discussing forage opportunities.
Exhibit spaces are available at $350.00 (per standard 10 x 10 booth), as well as various opportunities to sponsor meals, coffee breaks, etc. There will be an “early bird” registration for both SCCA members and non-members. A silent auction will take place during the Annual Meeting.
In the meantime, the S.C. Cattlemen’s Foundation is sponsoring a raffle for a Benelli 12-gauge semi-auto shotgun. Raffle tickets are $5 each or five tickets for $20.
Find out more about the Annual meeting online.
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