Animal scientist shares 10 opportunities for beef industry in the next decade.
Per capita consumption of red meat and poultry has been down the last few years, but Gary Smith, visiting professor at Texas A&M University, assured this is a better indicator of supply than demand. He spoke to attendees of the 30th International Livestock Congress (ILC–USA) in Houston, Texas, March 4-5.
The animal scientist surveyed 12 beef industry experts from universities, beef organizations and ranchers and compiled the following top 10 opportunities for the beef industry in the next decade. Read more.
Chris Jeffcoat
Association Perspective
Tips to improve your pastures.
I hope you are having a great start to spring. We were all certainly ready for warmer temperatures and green grass here in the mid-Atlantic and northeast, although some in the northeast still have snow on the ground.
As you’re retaining heifers, expanding your cow herd and making an investment in Angus bulls, it’s also time to consider the quality of your pastures and how it can impact your herd’s performance. Soil sampling is an important tool in maintaining the proper fertilization levels in your pasture and overall forage quality. Read more.
Bull-buying Tips
Ohio State Extension offers tips for purchasing herd bulls to livestock producers.
Beef cattle producers who want to boost their profit potential need to consider several factors when purchasing a herd sire, says a beef cattle expert in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the Ohio State University (OSU).
While beef cattle producers have a wide range of criteria when purchasing a herd sire based on their production goals and the size of their herd, price and calving ease usually become high priorities, said John Grimes, beef coordinator for Ohio State University Extension and a member of the OSU Extension Beef Team. Read more.
Analyzing Summer Grazing Strategies
Understanding and implementing grazing strategies can help maximize producers’ economic return.
The Kansas Flint Hills have served as a home and food source for stocker cattle since the mid-1800s, when cowboys drove longhorns up the Chisholm Trail from the southwestern United States to Kansas railways. Flash-forward to today: Research from Kansas State University on this staple resource could help ensure profitable years ahead for stocker producers.
Traditionally, stocker cattle are placed on Flint Hills pastures in the spring and removed in early fall to finish in the feedlot. Prior research has shown that stockers tend to have greater gains — to the tune of 30 pounds (lb.) or more — on pasture burned in the spring compared to pasture that had not been burned. Read more.
New Livestock Global Alliance
New alliance has formed to provide safer, fairer and sustainable livestock sector.
Addressing the largest International Livestock Congress in 30 years, Bernard Vallat said he is a firm believer in the global importance of the relationship between animals and humans. The director general of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) spoke to attendees in Houston, Texas, March 4-5.
Established in 1924, 20 years before the United Nations formed, the Office of International des Epizooties (OIE) changed its name to the World Organization for Animal Health in 2003. It has 180 member countries and is recognized by the World Trade Organization as a reference for developing intergovernmental standards to animal health and welfare, including diseases transmissible to humans.
Science is a common denominator to adopt standards in animal welfare, Vallat explained. “It’s our job, it’s our passion, and it has become an ever-growing shared responsibility of a global public good,” he said. Read more.
What’s Inside …
In this April edition of the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, you'll find valuable articles devoted to the management, marketing, and health and nutrition of your beef enterprise. Select from the tabs at the top of the page to access this month's entire offering by category. A few select features include:
- Ag’s $76 Billion Investment
- Public Lands Monitoring: Your Story the Way It Happened
- Three Global Animal Health Risks
- Brisket Disease Research
- Preconditioning Pays
- Future of Ag in a Global Market
- Back From the Brink
News Briefs …
The American Angus Association and its subsidiaries generate a wealth of information to keep members and affiliates informed of what's happening within the industry, as well as with the programs and services they offer. Click here for easy access to the newsrooms of the American Angus Association and Certified Angus Beef LLC and the Angus Journal Daily archive available in the API Virtual Library.
Act in April to Honor the Best
Nominate outstanding Certified Angus Beef® producer-partners now.
The pull-through demand from our foodservice and retail partners relies on a consistent and abundant supply of high-quality beef. Creating that supply — those cattle — is a team effort, but the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) team finds it a great honor to recognize some standout influencers in that supply chain each year.
Ranchers and feedyard managers have a way of doing things really well, even when no one else is watching — which is usually the case. Genetic selections aren’t made on what the neighbors might think, and their drive for a higher CAB® acceptance rate is based on a sound business decision rather than an award. Read more.
Should Salmonella Be Treated Like E. coli?
Agency has petitioned FSIS to declare salmonella an adulterant.
Salmonella is the most common enteric infection in the United States, and steps are being taken to crack down on the prevalence of the bacteria, said Mohammad Koohmaraie, meat scientist with IEH Consulting. He told attendees of the 30th International Livestock Congress (ILC–USA) in Houston, Texas, March 5, that salmonella is the second-most-common bacterial foodborne illness after campylobacter infection. There are an estimated 1.2 million cases of salmonellosis each year, and 95% of those are foodborne.
Salmonella is not a declared adulterant in raw meat and poultry, he said. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) petitioned the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to declare salmonella an adulterant. E. coli O157:H7 is an adulterant, which means that no presence at all is allowed. If any is found in food, then that food item is recalled. However, he granted that an adulterant classification is not the same as zero tolerance. Read more.
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