MARKETING...
U.S., Colombia FTA Took Effect May 15
Cattlemen welcome Colombia's elimination of 80% tariff.
The Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA) was implemented May 15, 2012, eliminating the 80% tariff on high-quality cuts of U.S. beef. Remaining tariffs on U.S. beef and beef products will be phased out during the next 15 years. National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) President J.D. Alexander said the official implementation provides cattlemen the opportunity to access a market that has essentially been closed as a result of the 80% tariff. Read more.
In The Cattle Markets
Cow prices remain at record levels.
Cull cow prices were record-high in 2011 and are on pace to set another record high in 2012. Prices for 85%-90% lean slaughter cows in the Southern Plains started 2012 at $70 per hundredweight (cwt.) and increased seasonally throughout January and February. Since late February, prices have traded in a fairly narrow trading range of $85 to $87 per cwt., and have averaged about $10 higher than last year. Read more.
Global Research Report Analyzes
Beef and Cattle Supply, Demand
Second quarter holds downside price risk for cattle and beef; recovery expected midyear.
Analysts with the Rabobank International Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory (FAR) group are expecting to see a downside price risk for cattle and beef, due in large part to larger global supplies led by Brazil in the second quarter (Q2) of 2012. Rabobank's Quarterly Beef Outlook assesses both the U.S. and global cattle and beef markets, giving long-term projections for both.
In the United States, fed-cattle prices traded at all-time record levels during the first quarter, with the average year-to-date price of $1.26 per pound (lb.) and a peak price of $1.30 per lb. in the first week of March. Read more.
The Source
Breaking AngusSource® enrollment fears.
Spring has arrived! With the sunny days and warmer temperatures, I bet many youngsters are making plans to start breaking calves for the county fair. Some may be eager to get started, while others might have trouble knowing exactly where to begin.
Enrolling in AngusSource for the first time isn't much different than going out to break that first calf. You may realize the value of age- and source-verification programs, but you just don't know where to begin.
Just like a parent, 4-H leader or FFA advisor who assists with the calf project, the AngusSource staff is ready to answer questions and guide you through the enrollment process. AngusSource has been around nearly seven years; its non-breed-specific counterpart, Gateway, has been around for three years. Give the AngusSource staff a call at 816-383-5100 or visit www.angussource.com to download the enrollment form and additional information. Read more.
CAB Mythbusters
What they thought they knew that just ain't true.
We believe everybody benefits when people know where their food comes from. And to use an old adage, we put our money where our mouths are. We participate in, host and fund numerous events that aim to forge a closer relationship between producer and consumer.
This on-location visit is just one example of how Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) connects foodservice professionals to the farm, teaching them about the entire supply chain. Since we're involved in every segment of the industry, that's kind of our niche. But, that unique industry position often leads to some myths in the country. We hear this one an awful lot:
Myth: I have registered Angus cattle and I sell meat at our local farmers' market. Since they're all Angus anyway, I can use the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand to market it. Read more.
Quality Sells Beef
Jim Rees, owner of the popular Las Vegas Hash-House-A-Go-Go, and Gale Rhoads, of the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand, talk about the role of quality in building beef demand in this video from CAB.
Dinner Plate-to-Farm Gate Education
ABC training center opens to join ranch, retail, culinary cultures.
The Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand celebrated a new ability to link ranchers to consumers in May, sharing the party with reporters, editors, broadcasters, chefs and "foodies" from across the United States.
Not surprisingly, the CAB Education & Culinary Center's Grand Opening was an educational event. It started with a culinary "dine-around" in Cleveland the night before shuttling from Cleveland's Ritz Carlton Hotel to Wooster, Ohio, May 5, to experience every aspect of the training hub that adds value to beef. Read more.
Restaurant Performance at Pre-recession Levels
Source: National Restaurant Association
The apparent meat and poultry demand doldrums of March had little to do with the restaurant sector as the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Restaurant Performance Index rose to its highest level since before the onset of the Great Recession.
The index rose 0.3 points in March to reach 102.2. That is the same figure as December 2011, before the index dipped sharply in January. The December and March levels are the highest since March 2007. The index bottomed in late 2008 at just over 96.
The index is constructed to make 100 the dividing line between expansion and contraction. March's results mark the seventh straight month of expansionary index levels. That's the longest string of expansionary months since before the recession. Read more.
Angus Calendar
To view the Angus Calendar, a complete list of Angus sales, click here.