News Update
July 22, 2011

Cattle Industry Explores Florida Cattle Production

National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) President Bill Donald said U.S. cattlemen who attend the 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference, Aug. 1-4 in Kissimmee, Fla., will not only be heavily involved with the organization's grassroots policy process but will also have the unique opportunity to experience the local agricultural landscape firsthand.

"As a part of the postconference tour, conference participants will have the opportunity to visit Deseret Ranches in St. Cloud, Fla., as well as Kempfer Cattle Company in Deer Park, Fla.," Donald said. "In order to work as a unified front for the good [of] our diverse industry, it is important for cattlemen to understand the production practices utilized by ranchers in different locations around the country, as well as the unique challenges they face. This tour will do just that."

Executive Vice President of the Florida Cattlemen's Association Jim Handley said managers of Deseret Ranches, who were regional winners of the 2010 Environmental Stewardship Award and manage more than 44,000 head of cattle, will emphasize the importance of developing and implementing innovative practices that not only preserve land and other natural resources but also improve them and make them more sustainable for generations to come.

"Ranchers have always been the greatest stewards of the land," Handley said. "It is the work of operations like Deseret Ranches that set the standard for all cattlemen to continue making a positive difference in the industry."

He said the second stop on the tour, Kempfer Cattle Co., consists of nearly 3,000 head of cattle as well as sod and timber. The Kempfer family also owns and operates a sawmill and the oldest established hunting club in Florida.

"This tour will be an excellent chance for cattlemen to network, broaden their knowledge of regional production practices and learn from fellow producers," Handley said. "I wholeheartedly recommend the experience and hope cattlemen from across the country will take advantage of this rare opportunity."

The tour is scheduled for Thurs., Aug. 4 ,from 11:30 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. Participants can still register for the tour onsite. For additional information about the 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference and Florida Post-Agriculture Tour not found at www.beefusa.org, call the NCBA Association Marketing Department at 303-694-0305 or email meetings@beef.org.

— Release by NCBA.

West Texas Beef Conference Headed for San Angelo Aug. 20

The West Texas Beef Conference and Trade Show tailored specifically for West Texas cattlemen is scheduled for 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 20 at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Fairgrounds Sale Pavilion, according to organizers.

The conference is being conducted by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

"It's been a while since we've had a regional beef event in San Angelo and this should be a good one," said Bruce Carpenter, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist at Fort Stockton. "We also plan to have an extensive trade show during the event which should generate much interest."

The morning will begin with a talk on the long-term market implications of the ongoing drought by Darrell Peel, Extension economist, Oklahoma State University.

"One of the morning's speakers of note will be Paul Colman, chief operating officer for Frontera Cattle Company at Muleshoe," Carpenter said. "He's been involved with the cattle feeding industry since 1970 and really knows his business."

Colman's talk will be "Lessons Learned" for both the industry and for individuals as they relate to the default of Eastern Livestock Co., once one of the largest cattle brokerage companies in the U.S.

Other topics and speakers will include "Feeder and Stocker Calf Health and Preconditioning," Ted McCollum, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist at Amarillo, and "Low Stress Cattle Handling," Ron Gill, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist at College Station.

"Dr. Gill will also spend time demonstrating design and function of various types of cattle working facilities and he'll also talk about the relevance of low-stress cattle handling techniques to the industry and, ultimately, the consumer," Carpenter said.

Individual preregistration is $60. The fee includes a noon meal.

Five beef quality credits will be available for those participating in the Texas Beef Quality Producer program.

To preregister go to: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu and type in keyword: Beef.

For more information, contact Carpenter at 432-336-8585, bb-carpenter@tamu.edu or Rick Machen, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist at Uvalde, at 830-278-9151, rmachen@ag.tamu.edu.

— Release by Steve Burns, Texas AgriLife.

USDA Announces Reimbursement for Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers, Ranchers

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today, July 22, announced that USDA has begun issuing approximately $2.6 million in fiscal year 2010 payments through a program that assists farmers and producers outside the contiguous continental United States who paid to transport either an agricultural commodity or an input used to produce an agricultural commodity. The Secretary also announced that the sign-up period for this year's program begins on July 25.

"This program will partially compensate U.S. farmers and ranchers outside the contiguous continental United States who are at a competitive disadvantage when they move their products to market," Vilsack said.

Authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill, the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program for Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (RTCP) provides payments intended to offset a portion of the costs of transporting agricultural inputs and products over long distances. The program assists farmers and ranchers in Alaska, Hawaii, and insular areas including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands of the United States, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Republic of Palau.

RTCP benefits are calculated based on the amount of costs incurred by the producer for transportation of the agricultural commodity or inputs during a fiscal year, subject to an $8,000 per producer cap per fiscal year. Fiscal year 2010 payments to geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers approved for RTCP benefits began on July 20, 2011.

Sign-up for fiscal year 2011 RTCP will begin on July 25, 2011, and end on Sept. 9, 2011. Applicants must file their RTCP application for benefits with their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) county office no later than Sept. 9, 2011. Applicants will have until Nov. 4, 2011, to provide supporting documentation of actual costs of transporting agricultural inputs and commodities in fiscal year 2011 to the FSA county office.

For more information on the new RTCP program, farmers and ranchers in the eligible areas can visit their local FSA county office or www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport.

— Release by USDA.

Drought Decision Aid for Ranchers Now Available

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Oklahoma State University have developed a decision aid to help cattle producers make culling decisions due to extreme drought.

The Cow Bid Price Estimate Calculator, a spreadsheet program, is available at http://agfacts.tamu.edu/~lfalcone/newweb/droughtmgmt.htm.

"This is the latest in a string of these types of problems due to drought, much like what we saw in the spring and summer of 1996, again in 1998 as well as 2006, 2008 and 2009," said David Anderson, AgriLife Extension livestock economist. "However, market conditions and expectations of future prices were much different than today." Anderson said in the spring of 1996 producers were faced with the lowest cattle prices since the mid-1970s, along with grain and forage prices "that were historically very high, and set to move higher."

"Today, cull cow and calf prices are much stronger even though we face higher grain and forage prices," Anderson said. "What is the same now as in 1996 are the economic and financial analysis tools and how they should be used to make a sound disinvestment or investment decision for breeding cattle."

Larry Falconer, AgriLife Extension economist in Corpus Christi, said beef cattle producers are facing the following decisions:

• Keeping or selling a cow.
• How much feed one can afford to buy to keep a cow or heifer in the herd.

"These decisions hinge on the expected value of each animal in a herd when compared to what the market is offering for that animal," Falconer said. "These decisions can be analyzed with this tool. Deciding on what a cow is worth in a herd is not always simple when comparing what you have to pay for the same age and quality cow over the scale at your local auction barn."

The decision aid uses data on calf crop percentage, weaning weight, steer, heifer and cull cow price, annual operating costs per per cow as well as financing information. By entering this data, a rancher can determine the expected net present value of the cow to use in making a culling decision.

"The use of these tools can provide benchmarks to calculate what might be best to do with the hand that you as a cattle producer have been dealt," Falconer said. "This analysis should be carried out for your particular situation, because the 'right' answer depends on the cost structure for your ranch and what you expect future prices to be."

— Release by Blair Fannin, Texas AgriLife.

USDA Designates Valley County in Montana as a Primary Natural Disaster Area

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Valley County in Montana as a primary natural disaster area due to losses caused by winter storms, blizzards, excessive moisture and flooding that began Jan. 1, 2011, and continues.

"Valley County has experienced severe storms and flooding that has caused major losses to alfalfa, barley, peas and wheat crops," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Through this designation, President Obama and I will give producers in that county some very much needed federal disaster assistance for its agricultural industry."

Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in Montana also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous:

• Daniels, Garfield, McCone, Phillips and Roosevelt

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas July 20, 2011, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low-interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.

USDA also has made other programs available to assist farmers and ranchers, including the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE), which was approved as part of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008; the Emergency Conservation Program; Federal Crop Insurance; and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

— Release by USDA-FSA.

USDA Designates San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona as a Primary Natural Disaster Area

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona as a primary natural disaster due to losses caused by drought, high winds, excessive heat and wildfires that began Jan. 1, 2011, and continues.

"Assistance is critically important for producers on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, especially in helping them keep their farmland healthy for the remainder of the year," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "President Obama and I realize that during this time of disaster, federal assistance will be needed until conditions improve as farmers strive to recover their losses."

Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in Arizona also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous:

• Apache, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Navajo and Pinal

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas July 20, 2011, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.

USDA also has made other programs available to assist farmers and ranchers, including the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE), which was approved as part of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008; the Emergency Conservation Program; Federal Crop Insurance; and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

— Release by USDA-FSA.

— Compiled by Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, Angus Productions Inc.