News Update
March 06, 2018
Shortage of Feed-grade Vitamins
What does a shortage of a substance used in perfumery have to do with the price of livestock feed supplements? Well, it’s because the lemony-scented citral used in aroma and fragrance products also is important to the manufacture of feed-grade vitamins A and E.
More cattle producers are learning how important citral is when they seek answers to why some feed supplement prices are climbing. It’s the kind of question asked of Purina Livestock Nutritionist Christina Hayes during the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show Jan. 31-Feb. 2 in Phoenix, Ariz.
According to Hayes, there just isn’t enough citral to go around, and there probably won’t be for the next few months. An October fire in a manufacturing plant in Germany and environmental regulation issues for a plant in China have curbed production and created a worldwide shortage of citral. The shortage affects the manufacture of vitamin A used in a variety of livestock feeds.
“It could be April before the German plant restarts and perhaps June or July before supplies to the U.S. are resumed,” said Hayes.
For more information, please view the full Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article here.
USDA Announces More Local Control
for School Meal Operations
USDA Deputy Secretary Steve Censky March 5 announced two new efforts to provide states and school districts with additional flexibility and support to operate more efficient school meal programs. Censky made the announcement during a speech at the School Nutrition Association Legislative Action Conference in Washington, D.C.
Child nutrition hiring flexibility rule
In 2015, USDA established education and training requirements for nutrition professionals as part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. While this strengthened many school meal programs, some small school districts faced challenges finding qualified applicants to direct their local food service operation. Today’s proposal would provide much-needed relief for school districts with less than 2,500 students, allowing them more flexibility in the hiring of new school nutrition program directors.
“Small and rural school districts will no longer have to overlook qualified food service professionals because of one-size-fits-all standards that don’t meet their needs,” said Censky. “We trust our local partners to hire talented school nutrition program directors who will manage the meal service in a way that protects the health and well-being of students.”
For more information, read the full USDA news release online.
Paraguay Market Now Open To U.S. Pork
Under an export certificate recently negotiated between the two countries, the United States now can ship pork to Paraguay. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) welcomed the news.
“Paraguay won’t be a huge market for U.S. pork, but given the current trade climate, the U.S. pork industry needs all the new markets it can get,” said NPPC President Jim Heimerl, a pork producer from Johnstown, Ohio. “This is welcome news for America’s pork producers.”
While the South American country is a modest consumer of pork, there is potential for U.S. pork export growth to its nearly 6.9 million people, who have a per capita income greater than, for example, the Philippines and Vietnam, two large pork-consuming nations.
The USDA last month concluded talks with its Paraguay counterparts on the export certificate, which will allow the shipment of U.S. fresh, frozen, processed and thermally processed/commercially sterile pork and pork products.
“The U.S. pork industry is very dependent on exports,” said Heimerl. “Last year, we exported nearly 27% of our total production, and those exports added more than $53 — representing almost 36% of the $149 average value of a hog in 2017 — to the price we received for each animal marketed.
Read the NPPC news release online.
K-State Cattlemen’s Day Helps Producers Look Forward
Nearly 800 cattle producers and beef industry supporters from Kansas and surrounding states were on hand for the 105th annual Cattlemen’s Day at Kansas State University (K-State) on March 2.
K-State agricultural economist Glynn Tonsor and newly confirmed U.S. Chief Agricultural Negotiator Gregg Doud highlighted the event’s general session, outlining many of the key factors that affect trade in agriculture and other industries around the world.
Doud, a native Kansan and K-State graduate whose appointment as chief agricultural negotiator was finalized just one day earlier, gave a talk based on years of experience in international trade, most recently as president of the Commodity Markets Council.
Tonsor is widely recognized for his work in tracking the economic outlook in the beef industry. During the session, he helped paint the picture of the importance of international trade as U.S. producers expand the beef herd.
“We got a good feel for the potential going forward for beef and all proteins, not only domestically, but in the export markets,” said Matt Teagarden, the chief executive officer for the Kansas Livestock Association, who attended the session.
Learn more in the K-State news release online.
Ranch Management University Spring Event
set April 2-6 in College Station
Ranchers wanting to brush up on or learn the fundamentals of soils and soil fertility, forage establishment, pasture management and utilization by livestock can attend the spring Ranch Management University April 2-6 in College Station, Texas.
The Ranch Management University is an intensive five-day event targeting new ranchers and landowners, said Larry Redmon, Texas A&M University soil and crop sciences associate department head and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program leader, College Station.
Ranch Management University is hosted each spring and fall at the G. Rollie White Visitors’ Center, 7707 Raymond Stotzer Parkway on the Texas A&M campus.
Registration is $500 and attendance is limited to 50 people, Redmon said. To register online and for more information, go to http://agriliferegister.tamu.edu and enter “ranch management” in the search window.
Online registration will end March 23.
For more information please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
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