News Update
August 4, 2010

Beef Cattle Reproduction Symposium Scheduled for Aug. 5-6 in Nashville

Given the magnitude of increased expenses, producers are intently focused on the bottom line while seeking both economic and production efficiencies. In response, the University of Tennessee and the Beef Reproduction Task Force are sponsoring the 2010 Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle (ARSBC) Symposium Aug. 5-6 in Nashville, Tenn.

Angus Productions Inc. (API) will be providing coverage from the ARSBC. Visit the website at http://www.appliedreprostrategies.com/index.html. Check out the speaker bios and newsroom for the coverage of the event.

Also check out API’s coverage of the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Symposium earlier this summer. The website, http://www.bifconference.com/, has a photo tour, award winners and be sure to check the newsroom for summaries, PowerPoint presentations, the proceedings and audio presentations, along with speaker bios.

Approval Of Beef Checkoff Program Remains High

Seventy-two percent of beef and dairy producers continue to be “somewhat” or “very” well informed about the program and 72% approve of the checkoff, according to a recent survey of producers. The survey also found that more than 6 in 10 producers believe it is well-managed, helps contribute to the profitability of their operations and allows for the representation of their viewpoints. More than 7 in 10 believe the checkoff is there for them in a crisis and has value even in a down market.

The producer attitude research was conducted this June by Aspen Media & Market Research to determine awareness of, attitudes toward and concerns about the Beef Checkoff Program. Findings are based on 900 interviews of a representative random sample of beef and dairy producers nationwide and have a maximum statistical margin of error of ± 3.3 percentage points.

The study found knowledge about the checkoff continues to be a predictor of favorability toward it, which is consistent with findings in past surveys. Producers who are “very” or “somewhat” well informed are more likely to approve of the checkoff, particularly among those who say they are very well informed. Among this group, 79% approve of the program (47% of them strongly), while only 17% disapprove. There is a similar ratio of approval and disapproval ratings among those who are somewhat well informed (76% and 12%, respectively), but fewer of them say they strongly approve (31%).

There have been some discussions about making changes to checkoff policies or the way it is operated. All of these would need to be voted on by producers. Producers were asked how they might vote on six changes: increasing the assessment by $1; exempting the checkoff on any animal sold for $50 or less; having an opportunity to call for a referendum on the checkoff every seven years; allowing the Beef Board to directly manage checkoff programs, allowing qualified beef councils to be organized on a regional basis; and revising the criteria for determining which organizations are eligible to nominate producers to serve on the Beef Board.

Producers support all of these changes with the exception of increasing the checkoff assessment. Among those likely to vote in a referendum, between 59% and 78% said they would probably or definitely vote in favor of the other five issues. In contrast, producers have mixed opinions about raising the assessment: those opposed are more numerous (49%) than those who would vote in favor (40%).

For more information about your beef checkoff investment, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.

— Release by the Beef Checkoff Program.

Beef Board Approves Fiscal Year 2011 Budget

The Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) unanimously approved a $40.6 million budget for Fiscal 2011, down 7.4% from the Fiscal 2010 budget and representing a decline of about 24% in the last five years.

The approval came during the Beef Board’s meeting July 31, at the close of the 2010 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver. The 2011 budget still must be approved by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), but includes the following budget components:

• $17.4 million for promotion, including advertising, foodservice, retail and veal promotion, and new-product development.
  
• $7.2 million for research programs, including beef safety, product enhancement, nutrition research, and market research.
  
• $3.3 million for consumer information programs, which includes consumer public relations and information, and outreach to nutrition influencers.
  
• $2.8 million for industry information programs, including beef and veal quality assurance and issues management.
  
• $5.5 million for foreign marketing, including promotion and public-relations programs in export markets around the globe.
  
• $1.7 million for producer communications, including trade advertising, media relations, and direct communications to producers about the results of their checkoff investments.
  
• $240,000 for evaluation of checkoff programs.
  
• $160,000 for program development.
  
• $263,000 for USDA oversight.
  
• $2 million for administration, which includes costs for Board meetings, legal fees, travel costs, office rental, supplies, equipment, and administrative staff compensation.

“With the dwindling funds, we’re facing some real challenges as we try to fund the programs we need to promote our product and educate consumers about our industry,” said CBB Secretary Treasurer Robert Fountain Jr., a producer from Georgia.

“Costs for these programs continue to climb as our checkoff revenues continue to decline with the herd population,” Fountain continued. “We really have to be extremely creative to leverage every checkoff dollar to the greatest extent possible.”

Funds from the Beef Board for national checkoff programs in Fiscal Year 2011 will be augmented by about $9 million in voluntary contributions from state beef councils to their national Federation of State Beef Councils.

In other action at the summer conference, the Beef Board:

• Voted to reverse a recommendation from the CBB Executive Committee encouraging separation of the Federation of State Beef Councils from the policy division of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). The Board subsequently passed a motion to support Federation efforts to achieve a more independent, self-governed structure, but retain affiliation with the NCBA.
  
• Agreed to meet with NCBA in Orlando, Fla. in the summer of 2011 and in Denver in 2012.

— Release by The Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

Animal Sciences Expertise Featured at Ag Progress Days

Penn State is well known for its traditional excellence in dairy and animal science education, and some of that expertise will be exhibited at the Animal Sciences Facility at Ag Progress Days, Aug. 17-19.

Show attendees can hear brief presentations by faculty and staff on a wide range of timely topics, including food safety, antibiotics in food production, dietary fat in animal products, disease risks from your pet, animal welfare and fun facts about the dairy cow.

“Stop by for a quick visit, and leave with a better understanding of animal agriculture and your food supply,” said Ken Kephart, professor of animal science. “The presentations will be concise and thought-provoking.”

The following presentations will take place at the Animal Sciences Facility:

• “Fat Content of Beef Before and After Cooking” — Key aspects of diet and health, including saturated fat, conjugated linoleic acid and Omega-3 fatty acids, will be emphasized, along with a comparison of the dietary benefits of grass-fed beef and grain-fed beef.
  
• “Antibiotics and Animal Agriculture: Blessing or Curse?” — Veterinarians will discuss the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture, including the effects on both animal health and human health.
  
• “Food Safety in the Home” — Safe handling of meat and meat products will be covered by a food scientist, including proper preparation, cooking and storage. These are critical considerations for keeping your meat wholesome and your family healthy.
  
• “Healthy Pets, Healthy People” — A veterinarian will talk about ways to keep you and your pet healthy. Most pet owners do not realize that there are some illnesses that can be passed from pets to people, and from people to pets.
  
• “Animal Health and Welfare” — A livestock expert will review the health and welfare of farm animals raised in conventional vs. organic/natural systems, as well as how we assess the well-being of animals.
  
• “Fun Facts About Your Milk Supply” — A dairy expert will share some fascinating tidbits about the dairy cow, the dairy farmer and milk products.
  

For a full schedule, click here. 

— Release by Penn State University.

— Compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.