MARKETING...
In the Cattle Markets
Both U.S. and Canadian cattle numbers decline.
On Aug. 22 the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) released the semi-annual United States and Canadian Cattle report, which reported July 1 cattle numbers by class for each country along with a combined number. It was not a surprise that cattle inventories in both countries continue to decline, because cow numbers in both countries have been declining for several years. Read more.Baseline Updated
MU FAPRI updates agricultural baseline ahead of congressional
Farm Bill debates.
Tight crop supplies and record farm prices dominate a midyear baseline update from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri (MU).
"Drought, floods and changing economics raise the outlook for many agricultural commodities," said Pat Westhoff, director, MU FAPRI. A new baseline update takes those changes into account, Westhoff said, but does not represent a full baseline report. The updated baseline will be used for independent economic analysis of farm, budget and biofuel policies. Read more.
CAB Mythbusters
What they thought they knew that just ain't true.
Industry conventions tend to be an ideal place to pick up Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) myths. After all, there are folks gathered with plenty of viewpoints and varied experiences. So I kept my ears open at the Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show this year and heard a familiar one.
A feeder addressed a panel as if to set things straight, but he started out with the whopper that CAB is just about color, that 70% of his fed cattle are black and therefore go into CAB … "You and I both know that," he said, with conviction and a half-smirk, like we were pulling the wool over consumers' eyes. Read more.
Dan Basse
Beef Picture: Record Prices In, Out
If there was ever a good news/bad news story in the cattle feeding industry, this year is a classic example.
Market analyst Dan Basse, AgResource Co., warned cattle feeders of continued upward pressure on input prices while also pointing out the "bright spots" of increasing exports and high cattle prices. Basse spoke at the Feeding Quality Forum in Omaha, Neb., and Garden City, Kan., in August.
"It's another year of struggle between an economic landscape that's less than favorable — we don't see domestic beef demand rising this year — and this new worry about the price of feed and forage," he said. Read more.
Your National Beef Checkoff Program:
25 Years And Counting
PART 1: Turning your $1-per-head assessments into opportunities.
It was 1986: A gallon of gas cost 89¢; a pound of ground beef cost about $1.29 at retail; a movie ticket was $3.71; the average price of the average monthly rent was $385; the average price of a home was $89,430; and the national Beef Checkoff Program went into effect at $1 per head.
Fast forward to 2011: Today, a gallon of gas will set you back an average of $3.26; the average price for a pound of ground beef is $3.87; a movie ticket costs about $8.50; the average monthly rent is $812; the average price of a home is $303,713; and, still $1 per head, the national beef checkoff is wrapping up its first 25 years of serving as a catalyst to spur beef sales worldwide.
With this article the Beef Board embarks on a six-part series featuring 25 years of beef checkoff successes. Read more.
Feeding Quality Forum Highlights:
Roll With the Punches
Change creates opportunities. It generates challenges. But above all, it is inevitable.
Cattle feeders know all that, but if they attended the Feeding Quality Forum, they learned a good bit more to help deal with everything from evolving regulations to soaring input costs.
Purina Land O'Lakes, Pfizer Animal Health, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) and Feedlot magazine teamed up to host the meetings Aug. 23 in Omaha, Neb., and Aug. 25 in Garden City, Kan. Read more.
Premier Burgers
Burger Maker offers signature Certified Angus Beef® burger.
With its newest offering, Burger Maker of Carlstadt, N.J., attempts to solve the age-old dilemma of whether the patty or the toppings make the best burger. The company's Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand Signature Blend combines the best of three different beef cuts: brisket, chuck, and steak tails from the rib and loin. Each cut provides unique flavor and smooth texture that complements the others when combined.
"We developed this proprietary blend by sampling all different types of raw materials ultimately looking for the most flavorful yet tender pieces of beef to create a burger like no other," says Jamie Schweid, the company's executive vice president of sales. "Using Certified Angus Beef brand brisket, for example, produces bold, beefy flavor. The burger addresses the needs of high-end operators who appreciate flavor and texture and insist on serving the best-quality beef each day."
With his sights set on white-tablecloth restaurants, country clubs and resorts, Schweid says the burger's rich, beefy flavor allows chefs the fullest potential for creating distinctive menu solutions, whether for a slider, full-size burger or specialty dish using ground beef. The burgers are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and thicknesses, as well as a pillow pack vacuum bag, which maintains the product's loose texture as originally ground.
The company uses a unique forming structure that makes the burgers looser than the industry standard. The loose form maximizes flavor and tenderness while also ensuring hand-made texture.
Angus Calendar
To view the Angus Calendar, a complete list of
Angus sales, click here.