News Update
Aug. 26, 2008

North Carolina Angus Field Day Set For Sept. 13

North Carolina Angus enthusiasts are encouraged to attend the 2008 North Carolina Angus Association field day at Primus Genetics, Millers Creek, N.C. Event attendees will enjoy food and fellowship at this year’s event, which features a discussion panel on “Improving the Bottom Line for Angus Producers.” The event begins at 10 a.m.

Industry and marketing specialists, Leonard Fussell, Primus Genetics; Marcus Harward, Harward Bros. Livestock; Shelmer Blackburn Jr., Champion Cattle Co.; and David Gazda, American Angus Association® regional manager will share insight on how Angus producers can improve the bottom line. T.W. Wall, Highlands Farm, will serve as moderator for the discussion session.

RSVP by Sept. 7 to obtain an accurate count for the complementary lunch. Contact the North Carolina Angus Association at 336-787-6222 or ncangus@ptmc.net. 

Also, for attendees wishing to make accommodations, there are several area hotels, including a Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn. Additional information about the event and the North Carolina Angus Association is available at www.ncangus.org.

— Release provided by the American Angus Association.

Beef Checkoff Revamps, Revitalizes and Re-launches BSE Web site

Oftentimes information is outdated by the time it reaches the mailbox. In an effort to provide the latest facts about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the beef checkoff-funded Web site, www.bseinfo.org, recently was overhauled to include new and updated content and an easy-to-search web structure. Although the United States hasn’t had a case of BSE since 2006, this disease remains important to the beef industry and the scientific community and frequently receives media attention.

“The latest update to www.bseinfo.org reflects the industry’s commitment to providing the most current, scientifically valid information about these diseases. The beef checkoff is dedicated to investing in educational tools such as the site in order to eliminate confusion and misinformation among numerous audiences,” says cow-calf producer Austin Brown III, Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) member from Beeville, Texas, and vice chair of the Joint Information Committee. “The site also explains the measures we take to protect beef safety. We rely on our industry and media partners to share the facts about beef, and want to be sure to provide credible and complete information about how animal health and public health are protected from this disease.”

A highlight of the site is the Scientific Resource, which was reviewed by nine leading international experts in BSE and related diseases. These transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) experts served as scientific reviewers for sections about prions, BSE, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), variant-Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), scrapie and chronic wasting disease (CWD).

“The validation from these folks not only lends credibility to the site among external audiences, but also speaks to the standing of this resource within the scientific community,” Brown continues.

Media partners worldwide covering BSE can locate the best resources, determine who to contact to arrange an interview and find the foremost experts through this site. In addition, the revised web site now contains updated BSE basics; information about BSE in the news; beef industry statements; answers to frequently asked questions and beef industry facts. The site also serves as a portal to other government, international and industry Web sites, and interactive maps highlight the geographic distribution of BSE cases.

Visit the revised site at www.bseinfo.org. For more information about checkoff-funded programs, visit www.MyBeefCheckoff.com.

— Release provided by CBB.

Market Forces Affect Planting Decisions


Initial 2009 planting intentions suggests high costs and uncertain prices are affecting early decisions for next year’s crops.



The soaring cost of growing corn is causing farmers to rethink whether they’ll plant more in 2009, according to a new survey by Farm Futures magazine. While a big crop should again be needed to meet strong demand, Farm Futures’ first survey of 2009 acreage indicates producers may not increase corn acres next spring, instead boosting ground planted to soybeans, which are cheaper to grow. The Farm Futures survey puts 2009 corn acres at 87 million, unchanged from the latest USDA estimate of 2008 seedings.

“Anecdotal reports from farmers indicate they’re very concerned about the financial risk of growing corn next year, due to rising production costs, says Farm Futures Senior Editor Bryce Knorr, who directs the research. “Our survey would seem to suggest that 2009 crop corn prices must rise to attract the acres needed to meet demand.” Farmers cut corn acreage in 2008, after record plantings in 2007, due to strong soybean prices. Soybeans again appear to be emerging as an attractive alternative in 2009, but this early trend indicator could be due more to costs.

“The ratio of new crop soybean to corn prices is much lower than it was last winter, suggesting cost, rather than prices, is driving farmers’ decisions,” Farm Futures Market Analyst Arlan Suderman says. The survey shows another big shift toward soybeans, with initial intentions at 78.5 million acres, up from 74.8 million in 2008. Some of that ground could come from winter wheat, where seedings could be down this fall, especially in the eastern Midwest where soft red winter wheat is grown.

Cash prices for soft red winter wheat have been persistently weak, despite historically high futures prices in Chicago. The Farm Futures survey showed winter wheat seedings at 45 million acres, down from 46.6 million in 2008. Regional shifts also showed up in corn and soybeans. Growers in the heart of the Corn Belt — Iowa, Illinois and Indiana — planned to increase corn plantings, while those on the edges of the region, in more high-risk areas, were more likely to shift to soybeans.

Farm Futures surveyed 701 growers by e-mail from July 25 to Aug.5. The acreage estimates were released today at the Farm Progress Show located in Boone, Iowa, and hosted Aug. 26-28. More show information is available at www.FarmProgressShow.com.

— Information provided by Farm Futures.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.