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Topics of Interest

API Virtual Library

A comprehensive list of API and industry resources..

Dealing with Drought

Resource for producers across the country who are affected by drought.


Country-of-Origin Labeling

Information about country-of-origin labeling, and what it means for cattlemen.


Angus International

A platform for global information sharing spanning the worldwide Angus industry.


Beef Cow Efficiency

Perhaps the greatest single factor affecting your profitability as a beef producer.


Body Condition Scoring

Use body condition scores (BCS) to improve herd nutrition and efficiency.

 

Feeding & Feedstuffs

Maximize pasture utilization and optimize feeding of harvested forages and supplements to
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December 20, 2010

From all of us at Angus Productions Inc. (API), Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


Delegates Conduct Business

Delegates to the American Angus Association's 127th Annual Convention of Delegates elect board members, vote on proposed amendments.

Delegates from throughout the United States and Canada traveled to Louisville, Ky., mid-November to attend the American Angus Association's 127th Annual Convention of Delegates, the main feature of Angus activities at the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE). Delegates met Monday, Nov. 15, at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center (KFEC) to conduct Association business and to elect five directors to the Association Board. Read more.


The Year Ahead

A Q&A with newly elected American Angus Association President Joe Hampton.

North Carolina cattleman Joe Hampton is often the first to joke about his unmistakable Southern accent. The Mount Ulla cattle farmer accepted the president's gavel in his distinctive drawl during the American Angus Association Annual Meeting Nov. 15 in Louisville, Ky., and told the more than 500 cattlemen gathered at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center (KFEC) that they may need an interpreter during the next year. But joking aside, Hampton was clear with his intentions to spend the next year gathering member input in order to forge a strategic plan for the American Angus Association in the years ahead.

Joe says the Association plans to tap that membership resource this winter in a series of long-range planning sessions geared toward gathering member input and developing further solutions for the needs of Association members, their customers and industry stakeholders. A nine-question survey has been created as an effort to obtain grassroots input from members, whether seedstock producers here or abroad, junior members, or affiliates (commercial customers). That survey is being printed — as a detachable insert that can be completed and mailed back to the Association — in the January and February editions of the Angus Journal and the January Angus Beef Bulletin. An online version will soon be available at the Association's website. Read Q&A.


David Gazda

David Gazda

Association Perspective

Committed to your success.

Technology available in today’s cattle industry offers cattlemen a host of genetic selection tools. Artificial insemination (AI), ultrasound, embryo transfer (ET), DNA technology, and the use of expected progeny differences (EPDs) and performance records are but a few of the tools cattlemen may incorporate into their breeding programs to make better, more informed and accurate breeding decisions that will enhance the profitability of their operations.

However, one of the most underutilized resources available to cattlemen is that of the American Angus Association regional manager. Read more.


Whew! Tax Cuts Extended

NCBA calls estate tax vote a victory for U.S. cattlemen.

At midnight Thursday night, Dec. 16, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of extending all expiring tax cuts with a vote of 277 to 148. This passage came after the Senate's 81-19 vote in the same direction Dec. 15. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law Dec. 17.

The law will reduce the top rate of the estate tax, commonly known as the death tax, to 35%; increase the exemption level to $5 million; index exemptions to inflation; and include a stepped-up basis. Read more.


Evaluating Welfare

10th annual animal welfare contest helps prepare students for careers working with animals.

Seventy-eight students representing nine universities and veterinary colleges from across North America converged on Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing Nov. 20-21 to participate in the 10th annual Animal Welfare Judging and Assessment Contest (AWJAC).

The annual event, which is divided into undergraduate, graduate and veterinary college divisions, reminds participants of the growing relevance of animal welfare issues. The students compete in events focused on increasing their understanding of welfare and care issues affecting animals used for human purposes, including food production, research and companionship.

"This contest encourages students to think critically about welfare issues and provides them with an opportunity to share their thoughts with colleagues and receive constructive feedback," says Cia Johnson of the Animal Welfare Division at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), one of the groups that sponsors the event. "The skills the students practice at this contest will be part of a repertoire that they will use every day when making decisions in their careers." Read more.


International Beef Expert Launches Blog

Gary Smith launches blog for IMI Global's 'Where Food Comes From®' Program.

Integrated Management Information Inc. (IMI Global) announced Dec. 1 that Gary Smith, an internationally recognized expert on the beef industry, is launching a blog on IMI Global's 'Where Food Comes From®' platform at www.WhereFoodComesFrom.com. The blog will also be featured on www.CattleNetwork.com. Smith will publish his thoughts and observations on a regular basis, sharing the insights he has gained through more than 40 years of experience, leadership and scholarship in the beef industry. Read more.


What’s Inside …

In this December 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:

Farmers, Lenders Using Debt Mediation

Smoke Modeling Tool Could Benefit Grassland Managers

Scientists Discover How FMD Virus Begins Infection in Cattle

Needle-Free Injection in Beef Cattle Examined

Is Europe the Next Big Growth Market for U.S. Beef?

China, Corn and Cattle


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 e-List archive.


Your Health

Rapid Test for Prion Diseases?

NIH study suggests that early detection is possible for prion diseases.

A fast test to diagnose fatal brain conditions such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans could be on the horizon, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists. Researchers at NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have developed a highly sensitive and rapid new method to detect and measure infectious agents called prions that cause these diseases.

"Although relatively rare in humans and other animals, prion diseases are devastating to those infected and can have huge economic impacts," says Anthony Fauci, director of NIAID. "Scientists have promising concepts for developing therapies for people infected with prion diseases, but treatments are helpful only if it is known who needs them. This detection model could eventually bridge that gap." Read more.

 


 

 

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