Terry Cotton
Association Perspective
State of the West, beef options to China.
Greetings from Region 11, the states of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah.
First, I’d like to share what things have been like since last year with my report in the August 2016 Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA.
The best news is that we have finally climbed out of severe drought that lasted for about seven years. The welcome rain and snow last winter was so plentiful, the groundwater table has risen greatly — some breeders say as much as 40 feet. Farmers and ranchers have to rely on irrigation, so that is a welcome relief. Snow in the mountains was also at near-record levels, as much as 150% of normal.
As a result of ample amounts of moisture, pastures have been lush, with above-normal growth levels. Calving is mainly in the fall, especially in California, and weaning weights of calves have increased proportionally to pasture quality. The high desert of Nevada and southwest in Arizona even received above-average moisture. Utah also has followed suit, with abundant snowpack in the mountains and useable moisture in the lower elevations.
The feeder-calf market last summer and fall provided a positive bull sale season. Because of the moisture, there has been increased heifer retention and calving-ease bulls were the bulls of choice.
- Here are some of the other factors that affect ag production in the West.
- 1. Water regulations. Water is monitored by the state for things like levels and irrigation rates per acre feet.
- 2. Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) testing for cattle that are turned out in elevations above 5,000 feet. PAP is a major selection criteria for bulls, especially in Utah, for commercial cattlemen.
- 3. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service lands are very tightly regulated, with fewer animal units available to be allowed to graze these areas. Some of the tightly enforced regulations are currently under review by the new administration in Washington, D.C., and we hope that help is on the way.
Late June and July have been very busy months in the West, as breeders prepare for the fall bull sale season that begins Sept. 1. Bulls are coming off tests, undergoing breeding soundness evaluations, having photos taken for advertising, and having genomic testing performed. More than 90% of all bulls selling in Region 11 will be genomic tested.
Before this article goes to press, the West will have had one of the largest feeder-calf sales in the country. Western Video Market will host its annual July sale at the Nugget Casino & Resort in Reno, Nev., July 10-12. More than 120,000 head were to sell. Demand has been very good all spring and into the summer months. The outlook for this sale is trending upward. Several feeders in the central parts of the Midwest will be in attendance.
Big questions
One question recently that has increased phone calls is the opening of foreign countries to American beef. How can producers get their calves to comply with the export requirements?
First, all cattle will have to be source-verified. The American Angus Association provides that through the AngusSource® program. Source verification has to be bookend, which means calves must be sourced to the ranch of origin if born in the United States. They need to be enrolled in a third-party source-verification program. That means AngusSource will qualify calves.
I suggest that producers look into the program. It is very affordable with its enrollment fee of $50 and tags at $1.50 per head. Additionally, the tag cannot be cut out through USDA requirements. For further information you can go to www.angus.org, click on to Marketing and the AngusSource information.
In closing, there is additional information pertaining to programs and services on the American Angus Association website for your review. If you have any questions, you are encouraged to call the regional manager in your region or the staff in Saint Joseph. We are available to answer your questions or send you additional material.
Editor’s Note: Vice President of Sales Terry Cotton covers Region 11, including the states of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. Click here to find the regional manager for your state.