News Update
February 12, 2016
Register for Women Connected Conference
The American Angus Auxiliary invites women from across the Angus industry and agriculture business to participate in its third Women Connected Conference April 2-4 at the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Education and Culinary Center in Wooster, Ohio. Applications to attend Women Connected are due Feb. 15.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Branding,” and attendees will participate in a variety of activities, workshops and tours that will connect them with the CAB brand, while exploring ways to build a personal brand for themselves and their businesses.
The conference, hosted every other year, is open to 20 participants, and the Angus Foundation sponsors all accommodations and meals for the three-day event. Attendees need only provide their own means of transportation to and from the event.
To download an application or to find more information, visit www.angusauxiliary.com, or contact conference chairman Anne Lampe at alampe@wbsnet.org or 620-874-4273.
NCBA Expresses Concerns with Market Volatility
After hearing concerns from membership nationwide, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has instituted a working group with the CME Group to address volatility in the cattle markets. Working together as an industry is the best way to resolve these issues, said Colin Woodall, NCBA senior vice president of government affairs.
“Recently the cattle markets have been susceptible to volatile limit price moves without corresponding market news,” said Woodall. “The result has been decreased confidence for cattlemen using the futures markets as a risk protection tool. This is not an issue for the government to address, but an issue the industry can resolve by working with CME.”
NCBA has asked CME to address specific areas of concern including implementing a delay between trading actions, greater enforcement against market spoofing, monitoring and reporting of market misuse, and the release of audit trail data.
For more information, please view the full NCBA news release online.
NPPC Calls For Improved FMD Vaccine Bank
Citing the seriousness of the disease and the devastation it could cause the U.S. livestock industry, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) urged congressional lawmakers and the Obama administration Feb. 11 to make dealing with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) a priority.
FMD, a foreign animal disease endemic in Africa, Asia, South America and the Middle East, can affect all cloven-hoofed animals, including pigs, cattle and sheep. While it rarely infects humans and isn’t a food safety issue, an outbreak in North America, which currently is free of it, could negatively affect meat exports and domestic meat sales.
To deal with any foreign animal disease outbreak, the U.S. pork industry has been working with the USDA on a “Secure Pork Supply” plan, which would enhance coordination and communication among producers and federal, state and local government officials, support continuity of operations for producers and accelerate disease response.
For more information, please view the full NPPC news release online.
Animal Agriculture Alliance Relaunches Blog
The Animal Agriculture Alliance announced the re-release of their blog with a new name and refreshed design. Formerly known as Real Farmers Real Food, the new blog is named Animal Ag Engage and features content about hot topics in animal agriculture.
Since the blog was first published in 2014, it has earned almost 50,000 views of more than 65 posts. The posts feature topics ranging from the truth behind undercover videos, animal rights group history and strategies, busting common myths to animal care, youth in agriculture, and food trends. By number of views, the top posts to date are: Don’t believe everything you see: the truth about undercover videos; PETA may be crazy, but other groups aren’t that different; and ALL chicken is free of added hormones!
For more information, please view the full news release online.
Farm Bureau Backs Miss America 2016’s Platform
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture are pleased to support Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell and her platform of “Healthy Children, Strong America,” which encourages children to make healthy choices and stay physically active.
Cantrell, who grew up on a 700-acre farm in Warner Robins, Ga., will join Foundation Executive Director Julie Tesch in introducing the First Peas to the Table Contest. This new national competition for schools will encourage children in kindergarten through fifth grade to plant, raise and harvest peas this spring.
The contest, including official guidelines and rules, will be announced on Monday, Feb. 15, at AFBF’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference in Kansas City, Mo.
“We’re honored to have Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell join us as we launch the First Peas to the Table Contest,” Tesch said. “Getting your hands dirty is the best way to learn! Through this contest, we aim to provide fun, hands-on learning opportunities for students across the country,” she said.
For more information, please view the full AFBF news release online.
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