News Update
August 14, 2013
NCBA Statement on the
Merck Animal Health Five-Step Plan
to Ensure Responsible Beef
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) commends Merck Animal Health for taking meaningful action to address questions about the impact of Zilmax on animal welfare. America’s farmers and ranchers take animal care very seriously and support Merck’s efforts to ensure that Zilmax can be used responsibly to raise beef without compromising the health and well-being of cattle.
Beta-agonists, like Zilmax, are FDA-approved feed additives that, when added to feed in small amounts at a specific time in their lives, help cattle make the most of the food they eat resulting in more lean muscle instead of fat. Extensive research shows that beta-agonists are metabolized quickly by cattle so they are not stored in the body and therefore are not present in the meat. Beta-agonists are approved for use in the United States, Canada, Australia and two dozen other countries across the developed world.
Cattlemen and women believe in making decisions about the use of animal health products like beta-agonists based on science, not speculation. At this time, there is no scientific basis for saying the use of beta-agonists caused the animal-welfare concerns cited by Tyson in their decision to stop buying cattle fed Zilmax.
However, when concerns about the use of beta-agonists and cattle well-being surfaced in sporadic anecdotal reports, NCBA convened the world’s top animal-welfare experts, including Temple Grandin, to review the science and compare it to real-life observations. Over the past several months we have reviewed numerous scientific studies, gathered input from cattle feeders using the products, and sought to understand any possible correlation between the use of beta-agonists and reported animal-welfare issues.
For more information, please view the full release here.
A Stronger Feeder-cattle Market Looming This Fall
After being on the defensive for much of the first half of 2013, feeder-cattle markets are poised to hold stronger in the second half of the year.
Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension livestock marketing specialist, explains good prospects for a big corn crop and corn-price relief combined with significantly improved forage conditions are being reflected in stronger feeder-cattle prices and opening up more marketing options for cow-calf and stocker producers.
“Oklahoma feeder-cattle prices have increased about $20 per hundredweight for all weights since the lows in late May,” he said. “Calf prices are currently about $25 per hundredweight higher than this time last year.”
In 2012, calf prices increased $20 to $22 per hundredweight (cwt.) between August and November. The basis for lightweight feeder cattle continues to be relatively strong compared to feeder-cattle futures.
“An average basis and the current feeder-cattle futures price would indicate that 500-pound steers in Oklahoma City would be at least $172 per hundredweight in November,” Peel said. “However, the current strong basis suggests the price could be $180 per hundredweight or higher this fall. Both the current cash market and the feeder-cattle futures suggest cow-calf producers should expect calf prices to be $10 to $15 per hundredweight higher than last November.”
The recent increase in feeder-cattle prices has significantly increased the value of additional weight gain for feeder cattle. The most recent combined Oklahoma auction prices reflect a stocker value of gain between $1.05 and $1.15 per pound (lb.) for all combinations of beginning weight and gains of 50 to 350 lb.
For more information, please view the full release here.
M-44 Predator Management Training
Set for Sept. 17 in Austin
A predator-management training program will be presented from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Travis County East Service Center, 6011 Blue Bluff Road, Austin.
Registration and breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the program to begin at 9 a.m.
“Predators such as coyotes, foxes and feral dogs cause property and crop damage, and can injure or kill livestock, resulting in economic loss for Texas farmers and ranchers,” said Julie Ansley, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for agriculture and natural resources, Travis County. “Predators also can serve as vectors for many diseases.”
To help address predator concerns, the Texas Department of Agriculture works with AgriLife Extension to help Texans in the livestock industry find the most appropriate control method, said program coordinators. The training helps ensure the methods used to manage livestock predation are not hazardous to humans, non-target animals or the environment.
“This program covers training on available management and monitoring techniques and certifies applications for use of M-44 sodium cyanide — for which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires special training for certification,” Ansley said. “Before using these pesticides, applicators must have the appropriate TDA license and attend a predator management training.”
The cost for the workshop is $35 and includes breakfast. Participants must RSVP by Sept. 13.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Farm Business Plans Improve Efficiency and Profitability
Like any other business, a farm is more likely to succeed with a written business plan.
“A business plan can serve as a road map for your business,” says Karisha Devlin, a University of Missouri (MU) Extension agriculture business specialist in Knox County.
“You are defining what your goals and objectives are,” Devlin says. “You are saying who, what, when and where as far as what you produce, how you are going to market it, and the financing behind your business.”
A written business plan is often a requirement when seeking financing to start a new business or expand an existing one, but a plan is a good idea even if you’re not looking to borrow money.
Devlin says experienced producers can use business plans to make better-informed decisions, whether it be exploring market options, mapping out a transition on the farm, adding more family members, or preparing to sell or transfer the business.
Developing a business plan might sound daunting if you’ve never done one, but don’t get overwhelmed. A business plan, Devlin says, is just telling your story: What you want to do, what you currently do, and who’s involved in it.
Local MU Extension business specialists can help with information and resources for putting together a business plan. Devlin also suggests a free online program called Ag Plan, at www.agplan.umn.edu, that provides a template that helps develop a plan.
Finally, once you develop your plan, you should use it.
“Don’t just stick it on a shelf and forget about it,” Devlin says. “Also, remember to go through and revise it. Any time there are circumstances that change in your farming operation, it’s good to go back and review it and make sure it accurately reflects where you are.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
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