News Update
January 12, 2018
Market Update
Last week’s federally inspected cattle harvest was another holiday-shortened one at 541,000 just smaller than a year ago. The negotiated cash price of $121 per hundredweight (cwt.), live basis, was a disappointment to cattle feeders who could point to no bad news pulling prices lower than the prior week’s $123 per cwt. The cash trade was driven by CME Live Cattle Futures, which began a negative break Thursday afternoon and carried through on Friday. With the fed-cattle price and cutout values so clearly moving in opposite directions, it is evident that cattle feeders were heavily influenced by the futures market.
Carcass weights are becoming a bit of a discussion as the dry feedlot pens and influence of that factor on cattle performance is still coming through in heavier weights through Dec. 23.
This makes sense as the cold and snowy conditions set in just after that period. The primary concern with carcass weights — just a few pounds heavier than a year ago at this time — is how the trend will shape up for the first quarter.
Read the full CAB Insider article online.
MDA Awarded USDA Quality Samples Program
Grant for Beef Genetics
The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) has been awarded $52,158 from USDA’s Quality Samples Program (QSP) to further develop the market for U.S. beef genetics in Nicaragua. Through January 2020, MDA will use the funds to send semen and embryos from Montana ranches to Nicaragua.
“This is great news for Montana seedstock producers,” said MDA Director Ben Thomas. “Our beef genetics are known worldwide for their high quality, and with Nicaragua being the largest cattle-producing country in Central America, we feel this will become an important and fruitful relationship for Montana.”
The award comes on the heels of a series of successful MDA trade missions with Nicaragua. In March 2017, MDA staff accompanied Montana ranchers on an outbound trade mission to Nicaragua. The trip included visits with feedlot owners, slaughterhouse operators and ranchers, who discussed the need for higher-quality meat and faster processing times. Then, in October 2017, MDA hosted Nicaraguan cattlemen for visits to several Montana ranches and a stop at the Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE), where they viewed the high-quality genetics first-hand.
Visit agr.mt.gov for more information.
Farm Bureau Re-elects President Zippy Duvall,
Sets Agenda for 2018
Delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF’s) 2018 Annual Convention Jan. 9 unanimously re-elected AFBF President Zippy Duvall. Delegates also approved measures to help assure a prosperous agricultural and rural economy in the coming year and beyond.
Resolutions approved by farmer and rancher delegates from across the nation ran the gamut of issues, from trade to regulatory reform, crop insurance, biotechnology and more.
“Today’s actions give us a clear roadmap at a time when farmers are on the verge of their fifth consecutive year of shrinking net farm income,” Duvall said. “Despite these difficulties, we remain optimistic: Official Washington feels more like a partner than it did just a short time ago. We have real opportunities to make progress in policy that we have not had in the past.”
Among other things, delegates approved measures supporting:
- An improved Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program to decrease risk-management disparities across counties,
- A flexible cotton support program that considers cotton seed, cotton lint or both to help beleaguered cotton growers,
- Strengthened and more flexible risk management and safety-net programs for dairy farmers.
For more information, read the Farm Bureau news release online.
Angus Advisor Western Region
Fall-calving herds
Main focus — getting cows bred
- 1. If you are artificially inseminating (AI) breeding on return heats, give a GnRH injection at the time of breeding as it has been proven to increase conception rates on repeat inseminations.
- 2. Personally, I like to switch bulls and not breed the cow back to the same AI sire that I used on the first service.
- 3. Bulls are probably already turned out or will be shortly. If females are in pastures where they are easily observed, record natural service dates and watch for return heats in cows that have been naturally covered by bulls. If a high percentage of the females that have been naturally covered by bulls are coming back into estrus, replace the bull if that is an option.
- 4. As discussed every month, mineral supplementation is important in achieving optimal reproductive performance. The breeding season is the most critical period to be certain that females are achieving adequate mineral consumption.
- 5. As discussed in previous columns, it is critical that both protein and energy requirements of females are being met during the breeding season.
Read this Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA column online.
Gene Editing Holds Potential to Revolutionize Agriculture
Gene editing holds the potential to revolutionize agriculture, according to expert speakers at the AFBF’s 2018 Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show.
Addressing farmer and rancher attendees in separate workshops, the University of Florida’s Kevin Folta and Alison Van Eenennaam with the University of California–Davis, coupled their enthusiasm for the practical benefits gene editing can bring with calls for supporters to share the science with consumers.
“Gene editing will revolutionize agriculture,” said Folta. “Farmers and scientists need to be at the forefront, driving the conversation on innovation and its benefits to consumers.” He cited non-browning fruits and vegetables and an end to citrus greening disease as production agriculture examples.
“We need to share the science and communicate the benefits of gene editing, starting with medical benefits that consumers can support and relate to,” he said. Cancer therapy for infants and elimination of food allergies developed through gene editing are just a couple of examples.
Van Eenennaam described gene editing as “the cherry on top of conventional animal breeding programs,” which has the potential to benefit farmers through applications such as disease resistance and hornless dairy cattle.
Learn more in the Farm Bureau news release online.
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