Traceability Assessment

Study assesses producer views on implementing a national individual-animal traceability system.

Cattlemen and women ranked consumer confidence No. 1 in importance to the beef industry in designing a national individual-animal traceability system. In fact, 47.1% of those surveyed recently rated increasing consumer confidence as “very important,” while 40.0% rated it “important.” The relative rankings of the other items considered are a little open to interpretation. Suffice it to say respondents considered all — monitoring/managing disease, enhancing marketability, maintaining and accessing foreign markets, improving on-farm management, managing the supply chain and enhancing food supply — important.

What Are Your Benchmarks for Success?

Angus Beef Bulletin seeks your input on how you gauge your success in the cattle business.

How do you gauge your success in the beef cattle industry? Conception rate? Calving rate? Pounds produced per acre? The number of your daughter’s ballgames you can attend? All are legitimate, depending on your aspirations for being in the cattle business. As we approach the January Angus Beef Bulletin, we’d like to get insight into what you consider the most important benchmarks for your herd.

Rancher’s Risk Management Insurance Offered

Haying, grazing protection available; sign-up deadline Nov. 15.

Pasture, Rangeland and Forage insurance is a risk policy designed to provide annual protection for farmers and ranchers who rely on forage products to support their cattle operations, says a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.

More Than a Pretty Face

K-State team eyes facial recognition technology for cattle. Smartphone app could boost biosecurity for the beef industry.

Technology being developed at Kansas State University will help identify cows by their unique facial features, possibly aiding in efforts to establish a national animal disease traceability system.

Another Billion in the Books

Pandemic affects CAB fiscal year, but sales momentum is strong.

Blindfolded on a roller coaster, this year in the beef business was filled with unexpected upside-downs and lurches. Whether a restaurateur in New York City or a rancher in Nebraska, the effects of COVID-19 make 2020 a ride no one in the beef industry will soon forget.

For the first time in 16 years, the Certified Angus Beef^® brand (CAB^®) reported lower annual pounds sold for its fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30. Still, 2020 was one of strong performance and the fifth consecutive year with sales of more than 1 billion pounds (lb.) across 51 countries. Those global sales of 1.175 billion lb. were down 6%, or 75 million lb.

Bills Seek Market Transparency

Rep. Hartzler introduces companion bill to Sen. Fischer’s seeking transparency in cattle markets. Industry groups respond.

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) introduced the Cattle Market Transparency Act of 2020. The bill, serving as the companion bill to S.4647 introduced by Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), enables mechanisms for greater price discovery and transparency within the cattle market, while equipping producers with more tools and useful information to succeed.

Harvest Time on the Highways

Follow marking guidelines, rules of the road to ensure safety.

Harvest is a high-risk time for crashes on public roads. The sun sets earlier each night and slow-moving farm equipment may not be well-marked or visible, sometimes lacking lights and reflective tape. Speed adds to the danger for motorists and farmers. Additionally, as ownership of agricultural land continues to consolidate, farmers are on the road more hours and driving equipment longer distances, towing implements and products between field and farmstead.