Focus on Quality
Cost-free quality drives beef demand.
“Is marbling a free trait?”
The question was put to Mark McCully, vice president of production for the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand at the Beef Improvement Federation meeting in Loveland, Colo., June 20-23. His answer? Basically.
“The data that’s out there from a cow standpoint says we’re really in a pretty good spot,” McCully said, adding he’d like to see even more research.
There are a few correlations between marbling and some other traits such as milk production, but cattlemen can select accordingly, he said. “It’s a pretty positive story for us as an industry: There’s not going to be a sacrifice of cow function in our pursuit of improving the quality of our end product.” Read more.
Radale TinerAssociation Perspective
Transferring ownership.
As a regional manager, I have had a few experiences related to cattle that others might have never gone through. In this month’s Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, I am going to discuss the importance of properly transferring Angus animals so that ownership reflects who rightfully owns said animal.
One of those experiences that I have worked through is trying to identify a bull that a commercial breeder, or in some cases a registered breeder, purchased a number of years back and the seller never properly transferred the animal to the buyer. Read more.
Feeding Quality Forum 2018
— Now for Cow-calf, Too
Annual meeting consolidates to one location but expands its focus.
In its 13th year, the 2018 Feeding Quality Forum (FQF) will be reinvented. Until this summer, it has focused on cattle feeders with one-day sessions repeated two days apart in Nebraska and the southern High Plains.
This year, a single forum will address topics for all segments of the cattle industry in Sioux City, Iowa, Aug. 28-29. A diverse range of speakers has signed on to create an opportunity like no other.
“We’re going to have some topics stretch beyond where the ranch is today, and then there’ll be very practical topics that the cow-calf producer, the stocker and feedyard operator can take home and use tomorrow,” says Justin Sexten, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) supply development director. Seven allied industry partners are sponsoring the event with CAB. Read more.
KLA Partnering on Kansas Cattle Traceability Project
Pilot program hopes to encompass every beef segment in its mission to trace cattle disease through the production chain.
The Kansas Livestock Association (KLA) is one of the key partners in a new cattle traceability pilot project. Cattle Trace will involve an end-to-end disease traceability system beginning with cow-calf producers and ending at the beef processing plant. A number of ranches, feedyards, auction markets and beef processing facilities have volunteered to cooperate on the project. The goal is to utilize ultra-high-frequency tags and readers to collect the minimal amount of data necessary for disease traceability at the speed of commerce.
In addition to KLA and private-sector partners, the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) and Kansas State University are participating in the Cattle Trace project. It will be funded with both public and private resources. Read more.
What’s Inside …
In this July 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:
- Strategies to Reduce Numbers During Drought
- Clostridial Diseases
- Meet Your Beef
- Prevent Hoof Cracks
- Understanding Pulmonary Hypertension
- Risk Management for Cow-Calf Operators
- Yaupon Presents Problems for Range Pasture Management
- Zinc’s Role in Fertility
- Latin American Product Showcase a Hit
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.
SNAP Changes
SNAP participation dips to lowest level in eight years.
According to the latest data released by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), March 2018 national enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) dipped to the lowest level in eight years, at 40,083,954 participants. The last time enrollment was below this number was February 2010, at 39,588,993 participants. SNAP participation has been declining since its peak of 47,792,056 participants nationally in December 2012.
Background: SNAP benefits are federally funded and tied to an individual’s level of need, and all individuals who meet eligibility requirements are entitled to participate in the program. In the three years leading up to the 2007-2009 recession, SNAP enrollment had held somewhat steady at approximately 26 million participants. Fiscal year 2013 saw an annual average of 47.6 million participants in SNAP. There is a high level of consensus that a declining economy was the significant driver behind this increase, with other factors, including changes in SNAP policies, affecting participation rates. Read more.
New Project Helps Farmers Share Safety Messages
The family of Mike Biadasz is telling his story after manure gas took the life of the 29-year-old Wisconsin farmer.
Tell a story, save a life. That’s the idea behind a new project inserting injury prevention messages into firsthand accounts of farmers and others affected by agricultural trauma incidents. Telling the Story Project is a collaboration of three regional agricultural safety centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Read more.