News Update
December 27, 2016
Apply for Angus Foundation Scholarships
Young people actively involved in the Angus breed who are pursuing degrees are encouraged to apply for a scholarship from the Angus Foundation.
“Giving scholarships to deserving Angus youth is one of the favorite parts of my job,” says Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president. “These outstanding young people will go on to make important contributions to the Angus industry, and the Angus Foundation is proud to support them.”
Undergraduate student scholarship applications are available online at www.angusfoundation.org, and are due May 1. Applicants must be previous or current National Junior Angus Association members or a regular or life member of the American Angus Association. Applicants must be a graduating high school senior or enrolled at a junior college, four-year college/university or other accredited institution and have a minimum 2.0 GPA.
For more information, access the Angus news release online.
Statement by AFBF Regarding USTR Victory in WTO Dispute
“The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) applauds U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman and the Obama administration on their victory at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in defending farmers and ranchers from unfair trade restrictions in Indonesia.
“America’s farmers and ranchers depend on our nation’s leaders to hold our trading partners accountable, and Farm Bureau is grateful for the administration’s work to defend U.S. agriculture’s interests abroad. Enforcement of trade agreements is crucial to maintaining market access. Thanks to this victory, American farmers and ranchers will have the freedom to reach customers in one of the world’s most populous countries.”
Cow Herd Expansion Will Keep Market Prices Lower
Cattle inventory across the United States will continue to expand, and that will likely keep prices in moderation through 2017, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist.
Jason Johnson, AgriLife Extension economist in Stephenville, discussed cattle market trends during the recent Blackland Income Growth Conference in Waco.
“There’s more cattle and cheaper prices,” Johnson said.
Cattle prices began a rapid downward spiral leading into the fall.
“It seems like we fell off a cliff fast,” he said. “We started building back the cow herd at about a 3% clip and then prices fell nearly 40% this year.”
Johnson said during 2015 when cattle prices hit historic highs, feedlot operators were bidding up on feeder cattle to keep pens full and operations going. Feedlots operate much like hotels, attempting to keep occupancy rates high.
Continue reading in the AgriLife news release online.
Disease Certification Meetings
More than 500 veterinarians across Texas took part in training and certification to fight the cattle disease trichomoniasis, with the help of the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI).
Trichomoniasis, commonly referred to as trich, is a devastating disease that affects animal health and well-being, and a rancher’s operation.
Trich is a sexually transmitted disease that spreads very efficiently during breeding when infected cattle pass along the protozoal organism. In most cases, pregnancies are lost, resulting in significant economic losses for the affected ranching operation. The challenge is, ranchers many times don’t realize they have a problem until it’s too late. It’s important to understand how to prevent the disease with management practices and proper vaccinations.
Starting in 2009, TAHC began addressing the disease head-on with regulations for cattle producers who purchase bulls to breed their female herd, for greater awareness of health history. This year, TAHC teamed up with BIVI to deliver 17 meetings across the state for veterinarians who are focused on being part of the trich-reduction effort.
For more information, view the BIVI news release online.
Kansas Calving Schools Planned
With the new year, beef producers are eager for the 2017 calf crop. In anticipation of calving season, the Kansas State University (K-State) Department of Animal Sciences and Industry and K-State Research and Extension are planning a series of calving schools in January.
The program will outline the normal processes of calving. A.J. Tarpoff, K-State extension beef veterinarian, said the goals of the event are to increase knowledge and practical skills and to increase calf survival if assistance is needed during calving.
Conference speakers will share tips on when and how to intervene to assist the cow and how those times may be different when dealing with young heifers. Presenters will also demonstrate the proper use of calving equipment on life-size scale.
“This is an excellent opportunity to ask questions and review the calving process,” Tarpoff added. “We will discuss timelines on when to assess calving cows and when to call for help if things are not going well.”
For a list of meeting times, locations and dates, view the complete news release online.
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