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Angus Journal


The Angus Journal Daily, formerly the Angus e-List, is a compilation of Angus industry news; information about hot topics in the beef industry; and updates about upcoming shows, sales and events. Click here to subscribe.

News Update

August 22, 2013

AngusSource® Genetic Offers
Free Sale-Book Inserts

Whether an operation is focused on seedstock or commercial cattle, the American Angus Association understands that to keep customers satisfied with registered Angus bulls, they need to realize top value for their investment. A way to help ensure that is to introduce them to the AngusSource Genetic program during the upcoming sale season.

“Commercial producers have to think about their marketing program prior to purchasing their bulls for breeding season,” says Ginette Kurtz, AngusSource Genetic quality manager. “Adding information about the Association’s verification program, AngusSource Genetic, in your sale book will tell your customers you want them to realize the highest value possible from using quality Angus genetics from your breeding program.”

By visiting the Association website and downloading a sale-book insert, which are available in four sizes (full page, half-page vertical, half-page horizontal and quarter page), the documents can quickly be dropped into a sale book. The inserts allow cattlemen to showcase their commitment to adding value for Angus-sired calves, and they also spread the word about the importance of verification programs.

“The American Angus Association provides commercial producers with essential data and information to purchase genetically superior Angus cattle,” says Clay Hartley, Spur Ranch, Vinita, Okla. “When you couple that with AngusSource Genetic, it provides an exceptional marketing structure to help our customers capture the value they deserve for the genetic quality they produce in their calf crop.”

AngusSource Genetic is an age-, source- and genetic-verification program that pinpoints calves that are sired by Angus bulls. Calves are identified in two ways: bright, neon-green AngusSource Genetic ear tags, and the official marketing document.

For more information, please view the full release here.

U.S. Corn Supply Yield Estimates Lowered; Still on Target for Record Crop

Mark Welch, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service grain marketing economist, advised producers in his latest newsletter that recent estimates could alter short-term corn futures.

“December corn futures traded below $4.50 before reversing higher after the supply-and-demand numbers were released,” Welch said. “My marketing plan calls for pricing an additional 20% of expected 2013 production before harvest. While (recent) supply-and-demand numbers may not spark a major price rally, this key reversal may signal a short-term change in trend that will provide the next pricing opportunity.”

The average trade-guess going into the report was a U.S. crop of 14 billion bushels (bu.), up slightly from July, Welch said.

“Instead, the USDA lowered the yield from 157.7 bushels per acre to 154.3 bushels, leaving acreage unchanged and new crop estimates of 13.8 billion bushels,” he said. “This is still a record corn crop, but on the low end of trader expectations.”

Welch noted to watch crop-condition reports over the next few weeks to see if yield potential changes in the key producing states. For example, the yield estimate for Texas corn is 138 bu. per acre, up from 130 last year. Texas sorghum is estimated at 50 bu., down from 59 in 2012.

Compared to July, the combination of lower production and fewer beginning stocks lowered corn supplies in the 2013-2014 marketing year by 197 million bu.

“On the use side of the supply-and-demand balance sheet, feed use was reduced 50 million bushels and exports cut 25 million bushels,” Welch said. “The net effect of these revisions was a decrease in ending stocks of 122 million bushels. The corn stocks-to-use ratio is now estimated at 14.5% compared to 15.4% last month and 6.4% last year.”

For more information, please view the full release here.

MU Extension Offers Farm Leasing Program, Aug. 28

University of Missouri (MU) Extension is offering a three-hour program on farm leasing from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 28, at four locations across the state.

MU Extension agriculture business specialists will talk about how leases can be terminated, how to determine charges, recreation leases, livestock leases and other topics. Speakers are Joe Koenen, Mary Sobba, Darla Campbell and Karisha Devlin. One speaker will be present at each site while addressing the other locations by video.

Locations include the Boone County MU Extension Center, 1012 N. Highway UU in Columbia; Green City School, 301 N. East St. in Green City; Macon County MU Extension Center, 514 E. Briggs Drive, Suite D in Macon; and Northwest Technical School, 1515 S. Munn in Maryville.

There is a fee of $25 per person or $35 per couple from the same operation. This covers materials and refreshments. Registration is requested by Aug. 26.

Pricing Freezer Beef

As feed prices fluctuate, cattle producers should know what the breakeven price is for finishing beef and use it to determine what to charge for freezer beef. The price of beef at a retail level is near record high. The average retail price of Choice beef as of June 2013 was $5.29 per lb. Consumers can save around 20% of that cost by purchasing beef in larger quantities of quarters, halves or whole beef carcasses.

The Grain Fed Freezer Beef Pricing Worksheet is available from Michigan State University Extension to assist producers in pricing their beef on a carcass weight. Ultimately, the carcass price is determined by the buyer and the seller, but the worksheet goes through an example using current average prices. A hanging weight of $2.42 per lb. compares to $1.52 per lb. live weight for a beef-type steer. Producers selling freezer beef need to remember to charge above current sale barn prices to cover marketing efforts such as phone calls, money collection, etc., associated with selling an animal directly to the consumer compared to the sale barn. The $2.42 per lb. carcass weight equates to an average of $4.21 per lb. final packaged price when cutting loss (bone, fat, etc.) and processing/packaging costs are included.

For more information, please view the full release here.

Now’s the Time to Start Thinking of Fall Pasture Management

Although it’s still the dog days of summer, producers wanting to promote a healthier pasture next spring may want to take steps now to prevent overgrazing their pastures in fall, said a forage expert from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

To promote a healthier pasture next spring, producers need to start planning for the end of the season now and help their plants prepare for fall, which is an important time for pasture management, said Rory Lewandowski, agriculture and natural resources educator for the college’s outreach arm, Ohio State University Extension.

“Producers need to start thinking about what these plants are doing to get ready for the end of the season and should match their grazing practice with what the plant is trying to accomplish, which is to build up root reserves,” Lewandowski said. “Producers need to be looking and planning ahead.

“Although pasture growth this year has been good and has left most producers in a better position than last year, hopefully the 2012 drought and its impacts are still in their memory so they will realize how important the fall period is, and will work to protect that pasture from overgrazing.”

During autumn, particularly in September and October, pastures must be managed so that grass and legume plants are able to build up and store carbohydrate reserves for the winter period, which keeps a root system living over the winter months, he said.

For more information, please view the full release here.

 
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