WTO Ruling on COOL
Sparks Varied Reactions
WTO ruled U.S. COOL does not comply with trade obligations;
retaliation possible.
The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Appellate Body ruled against the United States’ country-of-origin labeling (COOL) requirements for meat May 18, upholding the compliance panel’s report in finding against the United States. The decision sparked varied reactions from different beef industry organizations. Read more.
Jeff Mafi
Association Perspective
Taking care of your bulls.
We have experienced record-setting Angus bull sales throughout the country starting back in the fall and continuing strong through late this spring. In fact, registered-Angus bulls have averaged $6,747, up 36% from a year ago. I think it would be safe to say commercial cow-calf owners and operators have never invested as much money before in bulls until this year.
With that said, I think it is a nice reminder for all to take good care of your bulls. Operations that don’t manage bulls properly are often those with more open cows. It pays to fine-tune bull management as much as possible to give them optimum conditions for health and fertility. Bulls should be neither underfed nor overfed; they need optimum body condition, between a BCS 5 and 6, before the next breeding season. Read more.
Looking Ahead: 2015 National Angus Convention
The 2015 Angus Means Business National Convention & Trade Show offers expanded opportunities Nov. 3-5 in Overland Park, Kan.
Angus cattle are the focal point of life on the farm or ranch, but the heart of the business centers on its people. Generations of breeders have painstakingly selected for the best genetics, marketed their operations near and far, and invested in the future of the ranching way of life.
When these minds congregate, good things happen.
As plans take shape for the 2015 convention, there’s even more in store for Angus producers and their partners.
“Following our first year in 2014, the National Angus Convention & Trade Show has quickly become one of the industry’s must-attend events,” says Becky Weishaar, Creative Media director for Angus Media and lead contact for the convention. “The event serves as a meeting place for anyone in beef, from seedstock breeders to commercial cattlemen and feeders.” Read more.
Saint Louis Fed First-Quarter Ag Survey
Land values continue to slide in Midwest, Mid-South.
Amid an ongoing worldwide slump in grain prices, Eighth District agricultural bankers reported a continued decline in farm income during the first quarter of 2015 compared with the previous year, according to the latest Agricultural Finance Monitor published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis, Mo. Meanwhile, the average value of quality farmland also declined, with this trend expected to continue during the second quarter.
The survey for the report was conducted from March 16 to March 31, 2015. The results were based on the responses of 45 agricultural banks located within the boundaries of the Eighth Federal Reserve District. The Eighth District comprises all or parts of the following seven Midwest and Mid-South states: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. Read more.
Along the Trail
There’s hope in federal appeals court.
"Along America’s Angus Trails" is trying to be grateful for the worm turning ever so slightly in animal agriculture’s favor in the regulatory wars with the do-gooders who seem to build whole careers out of making our lives more difficult.
The latest glimmer of hope came from an intrepid federal appeals court judge in California who ruled that the state has no right to ban the sale of foie gras, the appetizer delicacy made by force-feeding birds, which gourmets consider heaven and animal rightists consider hell. Read more.
What’s Inside …
In this May 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:
- Handling the Heat
- Controlling Fire Ants
- Sell-Buy Marketing Strategy Ensures Profit
- Trich Testing Regulation Changes
- Irrigated Pasture Management
- In the Cattle Markets
- Controlling Horn Flies
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.
Food Waste Challenges
Trash talk challenges Texas A&M agriculture faculty to find ways to stop global food waste.
Agriculture faculty at Texas A&M University are talking trash — as in too much food ends up there.
Now they are vowing to team up and figure out how to reduce global food waste by 5% during the next decade, according to Steve Searcy, the group’s facilitator and head of the Texas A&M biological and agricultural engineering department.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has estimated that 30% of the food produced in the world is never consumed due to various factors that cause waste, Searcy said. Read more.
Safety When Handling Cattle
Keep workflow in mind to ensure safety.
Agriculture is a hazardous occupation, and part of the risk is handling cattle. Shannon Williams, Lemhi County Extension educator with the University of Idaho, says it’s important to make sure corrals and facilities are in good repair and working properly before you bring in cattle.
“Take time to replace broken boards/poles, rehang a gate, remove boards or poles that might be lying along the fence, grease the equipment, clean the walkways. Make a plan for the day, and go over it with the crew. If you frequently work cattle with the same people, you know how they think and what they are going to do, and everything usually goes smoothly. If you bring in new people, they may not know which gate the cattle are coming in or will be going out, and [they] might not know where to be to not be in the way,” she says.
Read more.
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