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LMA News Headlines
March 11, 2010 — Daily News Headlines
Tighter supplies boost USDA forecasts for cattle, hog prices
Harsh winter weather has hampered weight gains for cattle and hogs, tightening meat supplies, and those are major factors in USDA’s Wednesday predictions of higher cattle and hog prices this year than previously forecast. Prices for choice steers are expected to average $87-$92 cwt., up from USDA’s previous forecast of $85-$91 cwt. Hogs will average $47-$50 cwt., up from $46-$49. The figures came from USDA’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Report.
The agency noted that “Winter weather has stressed cattle in many parts of the country, which is reflected in lighter carcass weights.” Similarly, slaughter-ready hog weights were lighter than expected, USDA said.
Innovative new Wyoming law advances horse processing issue
The Wyoming governor recently signed a landmark bill that provides the state with the option of horse processing to deal with abandoned horses. The bill gives the state Board of Livestock three options for dealing with abandoned, feral or abused animals, or those whose ownership cannot be determined. The first option is taking the animal to a public sale, the only option available prior to this bill. New options are sending the animal to slaughter, or destroying the animal.
According to the United Organizations of the Horse (UOH), while the bill applies to all classes of livestock, the need for it arose because of the lack of a market for “low-end horses,” tied to the closing of the last U.S. horse slaughter plant in 2007. This has resulted, UOH said, in “a huge increase” in abandoned and neglected horses in Wyoming and nationwide. Wyoming has seen “more than a tripling every year in these numbers, which has required emergency funding” since the Board has been unable to recoup care and feeding costs by selling the horses.
If the Board chooses the slaughter option, the meat must be provided to state institutions at the Board’s cost. The Board can also sell the meat to for-profit businesses at market price, and the meat intended for human use will be state-inspected and used in Wyoming.
UOH is putting together a “working group” that includes state agencies, private meat processing businesses, nonprofit relief organizations, Dr. Temple Grandin and others to design a horse processing system, “and the efficient and practical use of valuable meat and byproducts.” The result will be a pilot “Equine Assurance Program,” a model for other states to use, UOH said, to address animal welfare concerns, and ensure the humane handling, transportation and processing of horses.
Canada’s 17th case of BSE confirmed in 6-year-old beef cow
Canada’s 17th case of “mad cow” disease (BSE) was discovered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Feb. 25, but was only publicly announced this week, as part of the government’s new communication strategy. As of August, 2009, the CFIA no longer notifies the public or news media of each new case of BSE as it’s discovered. Rather, the information is now provided on a monthly basis on the Agency’s website. Reporting on farm animal diseases this way provides “a more comprehensive view of Canada’s animal health status,” said a CFIA spokesperson.
The public was informed of the new reporting strategy, according to news reports, on the website.
CFIA said the latest BSE case was confirmed in a 72-month old beef cow from Alberta, discovered through the country’s national BSE surveillance program, which tests high-risk cows for the disease. This latest case is Alberta’s 12th, compared to four from British Columbia and one from Manitoba.
Vilsack announces appointments to Cattlemen’s Beef Board
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack this week announced 36 appointments to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. All appointees serve three-year terms, beginning immediately. Newly-appointed members representing producers, and their home states, are:
Barbara S. Jackson, Arizona; William Bylsma and Darrel C. Sweet, California; Robert W. Buck, Colorado; Jeffrey L. Clausen and Dean A. Black, Iowa; Daniel P. Hermann and Larry M. Olten, Kansas; Genevieve D. Lyons, Louisiana; Andrew B. Salinas, Michigan; John C. Schafer, Minnesota; David M. McCormick, Mississippi; Kevin H. Frankenbach, Missouri; Kristy L. Lage and Judith A. Reece, Nebraska; Annalyn Settelmeyer, Nevada;
Tamara A. Ogilvie, New Mexico; Ernest B. Harris, North Carolina; Thomas A. Woods, Oklahoma; James C. Kesler, South Carolina; Danni K. Beer and Linda J. Gilbert, South Dakota; Robert J. Reviere, Jr., Tennessee; Larry B. Pratt, Andrea W. Reed, D.Rudolph Tate and Bruce D. Dopslauf, Texas; Laurie L. Munns, Utah; Jane E. Clifford, Vermont; Larry D. Echols, West Virginia; Martin A. Anderson and Randall A. Geiger, Wisconsin.; and Spencer A. Ellis, Wyoming
Newly-appointed members representing importers are Alberto J. Senosian, Florida.; Andrew Banchi, Pennsylvania; and Scott A. Hansen, Virginia.
March 10, 2010 — Daily News Headlines
Judge rules for Amish man in Wisconsin premises ID case
A Wisconsin county circuit court judge has ruled that an Amish man does have a “religious right” to be exempt from the state’s Livestock Premise Registration law. Tuesday, the judge ruled in favor of Emanuel Miller, Jr., who had been sued by the state for not following the law, which requires anyone who keeps, houses or co-mingles livestock to register their premises with the state.
The Amish believe the law infringes on their religious beliefs because it could eventually result in the tagging of all animals, or the “Mark of the Beast,” mentioned in the Bible as related to Satan. Prosecutors argued that with mandatory premises ID, it would be much easier, during a livestock disease outbreak, to track down potentially at-risk farms. But it was noted during the court proceedings that the Amish do provide their names and addresses when they buy and sell livestock, and the judge ruled that doing so should be enough for the state to track down animals in case of a disease outbreak.
An assistant state veterinarian said he expected the state to appeal the decision.
Livestock producers will lead recovery in agriculture, Congress told
University of Missouri researchers told Congress Tuesday that livestock producers will lead the recovery in U.S. agriculture over the next two years, as the overall economy improves, and there’s increased demand for beef, pork and dairy products. Net farm income this year should be up 18 percent from 2009, primarily because of the outlook for higher livestock prices, the University’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, known as MU FAPRI, said in a report to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.
Pat Brown, co-director of the Institute, said “If jobs – and consumers return,” agriculture will benefit. “Higher incomes increase the demand for food, feed, fiber and fuel, supporting farm commodity prices.” But even with economic recovery, America’s farmers, ranchers and dairy producers will still have a deep hole to dig out of after last year’s downturn prompted widespread herd reductions.
Scott Brown, FAPRI’s livestock economist said that for beef, strengthening demand and tighter supplies could return profits to cow-calf producers and others this year. Even with improved profits and an outlook for expanding the calf crop in 2013, beef supplies are not expected to increase until 2014, he said.
After a “disastrous” 2009, hog producers may approach breakeven profits this year, Brown said. “Speed of the pork recovery hinges on the speed of economic recovery both at home and abroad,” he added.
Video-taped consumers cooking ground beef ignore rules, study finds
When it comes to how consumers really prepare ground beef – not how they say they prepare it – they’re often not cooking it to the recommended temperature (160 degrees F) and their risk of cross-contamination is high. That’s according to research presented this week at the Annual Meat Conference, hosted by the American Meat Institute and the Food Marketing Institute.
The research was done by the Center for Consumer Research at the University of California-Davis. Director Christine Bruhn videotaped 200 volunteers in their homes as they prepared hamburgers. Even though participants knew they were being videotaped, many did not follow recommended guidelines in preparing their burgers. For example:
While most of the finished burgers were at or near the recommended 160 degrees F, a few of the burgers were recorded to be much lower – as low as 112 degrees F. Even after the taping was completed, only 23 percent of the participants said they’d use a meat thermometer on burgers in the future.
Potential cross-contamination – defined as “an event in which pathogens could be transferred from one surface to another as a result of contact with a potential source of contamination” – occurred in 74 percent of the households.
Although 90 percent of those taped washed their hands prior to food preparation, the average washing time was just seven seconds, and only 31 percent dried their hands with a clean towel, one that had not been used previously.
Based on her research, Bruhn advised the meat industry attendees that additional steps to destroy harmful pathogens in ground beef should become common practice in the industry. “Consumer education is not sufficient,” she said. “Take the extra step. It protects the public, and it protects you.”
Man charged with swindling actor Sutherland, others, turns down plea deal
A Linden, Calif., man charged with swindling actor Kiefer Sutherland and several others in a phony cattle scheme has decided to go to trial rather than accept a deal that would put him in prison for seven years and eight months. The attorney for Michael W. Carr, Randy Thomas, said his client is guilty of nothing more than making bad business choices. “He got in over his head,” Thomas said Tuesday. Carr’s trial has been set for May 7.
In the alleged scheme, Carr told investors, including Sutherland, he could buy cattle cheaply in Mexico and sell them for a huge profit in the U.S. Prosecutors said the cattle were never purchased, and the profits never materialized. They said Carr’s victims lost $1.5 million, including Sutherland’s loss of $869,000. Described in local media reports as a “steer-roping promoter and cattle manager,” Carr is accused of a dozen felony counts, including grand theft, forgery and embezzlement.
March 9, 2010 — Daily News Headlines
***Milano, Texas market holds 1st sale today on LMAAuctions.com***
Congratulations to Milano Livestock Exchange, Milano, Texas, which today will hold its first broadcast sale at www.lmauctions.com. The sale is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. (CT). There are now more than 60 LMA member markets using LMA’s real-time, Internet auction service.
To view the Milano sale, or any other member market broadcasting online, go to www.lmaauctions.com. First-time visitors must create a viewer account, then click on View Live Auctions. Members interested in using this LMA service can contact Kristen Parman, 800-821-2048; kparman@lmaweb.com.
Ag economist cites important considerations for beef industry
While the economic downturn has led to a drop in beef demand and a downsizing of the U.S. cattle industry, there are other factors affecting demand of which the industry should be aware, according to Michigan State University agricultural economist Glynn Tonsor. He spoke last Friday at Kansas State University’s 2010 Cattlemen’s Day.
Product quality remains “vitally important” and food safety recalls do have a negative effect on consumer demand for beef, Tonsor said. He cited a study showing there were 41 beef recalls for safety concerns in 2009, compared with 26 recalls in 2008. This increase, just in recalls, brought an estimated 1.34 percent drop in beef demand.
Tonsor said product convenience impacts demand. “A lack of new products holds beef demand back, particularly relative to poultry, where approximately twice as many new convenience products have been introduced” in recent years.
Other factors affecting beef demand, he said are consumers’ animal welfare concerns and the perceived safety of beef, beyond the issue of recalls. “Our lack of a good system when it comes to traceability and identification sends a certain signal to the public.” He added that calls for a ban on antibiotic use in livestock haven’t gone unnoticed by consumers, either.
Kentucky considering bill establishing livestock care standards
The Kentucky House Committee on Agriculture and Small Business this week is expected to consider legislation to create the state Livestock Care Standards Commission, a 14-member group which would dictate how cattle, hogs, poultry, horses, goats and sheep are treated. The measure has already passed the state Senate. It mandates that the Commission, in setting care standards, consider “animal well-being and agricultural best management practices, herd health, and safe, affordable, healthy food supplies for consumers.”
The Commission would be chaired by the state agriculture commissioner, and have heavy livestock industry representation. Current Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said the standards “should be based not on emotion, but on scientific research and widely-accepted practices.” Other supporters are clear about why they support the measure: it will be a means “to combat the continuing attacks against animal agriculture by some radical animal rights groups,” according to a story in a Kentucky Farm Bureau publication.
Sen. Johanns calls on Japan to ‘immediately’ lift ban on U.S. beef
Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) is continuing his campaign to seek full access to the Japanese market for U.S. beef. Last week he said Japan should learn a lesson from how the U.S. treated Japan fairly over the Toyota vehicle issue, and should lift its partial ban on “safe U.S. beef and beef products” in response.
He also met recently with the Japanese Ambassador to the U.S., telling him the partial ban has “devastated our beef industry and many producers throughout Nebraska for almost seven years.” Japan’s position, “for which there is absolutely no scientific justification, has cost producers billions of dollars and created a double standards that defies rationalization,” he said. “I am not suggesting any sort of ban on Japanese products; I am asserting that the (ban) is entirely unfair, without merit and should be lifted immediately.” Japan initially closed its borders to all U.S. beef products in 2003 over concerns about mad cow disease. Currently it limits its imports of U.S. beef to only boneless beef from cattle 20 months old and younger.
March 8, 2010 — Daily News Headlines
Welcome, new members!
Upstate Livestock Exchange, LLC, Williamston, S.C.; Christian County Livestock Market, Inc., Hopkinsville, Ky.; Swainsboro Livestock & Auction, LLC, d/b/a Swainsboro Stockyard, Swainsboro, Ga.; Glacial Lakes Livestock, Inc., Watertown, S.D.; Wilkes Livestock Exchange, North Wilkesboro, N.C.; Gary Capurro, Fallon, Nev.
Nebraska’s Wiechman Pig Co. inducted into checkoff Hall of Fame
Wiechman Pig Co., long-time members based in Fremont, Neb., was recently inducted into the state’s Voluntary Checkoff Hall of Fame by the Nebraska Pork Producers Association (NPPA). An official with the NPPA said the Hall of Fame recognizes people who advocate for Nebraska’s pork producers on key issues.
The company has 13 locations in the Midwest and is the largest exporter of live hogs to Mexico. Wiechman buys and markets more than 1.5 million hogs a year in the U.S. and exports 60-70 million pounds of meat products to Mexico annually, according to General Manager Leo Hansen.
The voluntary checkoff is money donated by producers that can be used for spending outside the spending guidelines for mandatory checkoff funds, such as sending members of the National Pork Board on educational trips, Hansen said. Promotion of the pork industry in the state “is quite important because that’s our livelihood, and we believe in promoting our own industry through support and collecting funds, and doing all the things we can do,” he said.
Calif. lawmakers introduce HSUS-backed animal confinement legislation
U.S. Reps. Diane Watson (D-Calif). and Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) recently introduced the Prevention of Farm Cruelty Act, to impose California-style confinement rules on animals used to produce food purchased by the federal government. “This bill requires meat producers who sell to the federal government to follow the same guidelines that California producers have in place,” Gallegly said.
That would be California legislation passed last November that essentially bans confinement housing for veal calves, farrowing sows and egg-laying hens. The Humane Society of the U.S. led the drive for that measure, and not surprisingly praised the federal proposal and asked Congress to pass the bill. Seven states – Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan and Oregon – have passed laws to phase out some sort of animal confinement, but this is the first such law on the federal level.
Uncle Sam spends more than $1 billion annually buying animal products for a variety of programs and agencies, including the National School Lunch Program, the armed services and the federal Bureau of Prisons.
Premium Standard to appeal $11 million + award in hog farm odors suit
A jury has awarded more than $11 million to 15 plaintiffs in a lawsuit over the odors from a Premium Standard Farms (PSF) hog operation in northern Missouri. PSF, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, produces about 200,000 hogs a year at the operation 80 miles north of Kansas City. The plaintiffs alleged they couldn’t enjoy their property because of the smells, while PSF argued the smells are a normal part of life in an agricultural area.
PSF said it would appeal last week’s decision. In a statement, it also said, “In light of this decision, and in view of the increasingly hostile environment toward live hog production, we have serious concerns whether we will ever make any future investments in the state of Missouri.” The Missouri farm economy is threatened, PSF continued, “when a farm that has been granted a permit to operate by the state and is in compliance with the permit and state and federal regulatioins, can be held liable for such damages.”
Idaho animal feed company violating BSE rules, FDA says
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently alleged that a Buhl, Idaho feed company that sells animal feed in nine states is violating regulations prohibiting animal protein in ruminant animal feed. The regulations were put in place to control the spread of BSE, or mad cow disease. The company, Rangen, Inc., provides animal feed for dairy and beef cattle, sheep, swine, poultry, pets and horses. The products are distributed in Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Washington, California and Oregon.
FDA last week released a “warning letter” it sent to Rangen, alleging that Rangen failed to use cleaning procedures to prevent the carry-over of products “that contain or may contain proteins from mammalian tissues into animal feeds that may be used (by) ruminants…our investigation determined that (feed) adulteration resulted from the failure of your firm to (take) measures to avoid commingling or cross-contamination.” FDA also said Rangen promised in a letter last July to “no longer purchase meat and bone meal for use in any of its animal feeds and existing mammalian protein ingredients would be exhausted by Dec. 31, 2009.”
March 5, 2010 — Daily News Headlines
Update: states considering legislation on horse slaughter
While there are currently no horse processing plants operating in the U.S., several states are considering bills addressing the slaughter of horses for human consumption. Here’s an update:
In South Dakota, SB 151, which would have funded a feasibility study for a processing plant, died in committee. However, legislators did approve a resolution instructing the state’s Congressional delegation to oppose proposed federal legislation banning transporting horses to slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico. Similar resolutions are pending in Idaho and Oklahoma.
Resolutions instructing their Congressional delegations to oppose that federal horse transport legislation also passed last year in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Utah and Wyoming. Montana last year passed legislation that would facilitate privately-owned horse processing plant development in the state.
In Illinois, legislation has been introduced that would repeal a provision of the Illinois Horse Meat Act that prohibits slaughtering horses for human consumption. The bill also expands the state’s Animals Intended for Food Act, and requires processors to collect a fee of $25 horse to fund equine rescue grants to qualified equine rescue groups.
In Florida, two bills have been introduced, and are under committee review, that would prohibit the killing or mutilation of any horse. The bills also forbid the transport, distribution, sale and purchase of horsemeat for human consumption The sponsor of one of the bills said they are in direct response to incidents in South Florida during the past year, where the butchered remains of at least 21 horses have been found in Miami-Dade and Broward counties since last January.
Going to OKC? Now’s the time to book hotel rooms
Members going to Oklahoma City for LMA’s Annual Convention and the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship, June 17-19, are urged to book their hotel rooms now. The LMA room block at the headquarters hotel, the Renaissance Convention Center hotel, is already full.
Rooms are available at two hotels very near the Convention Center. They are
…The Sheraton Hotel, 1 North Broadway, at the LMA rate of $145/night. Call 405-235-2780.
…The Courtyard by Marriott, 2 West Reno Ave., at the LMA rate of $139/night. Call 405-232-2290. Be sure and mention LMA when calling either hotel, to get the special rate.
Beef checkoff participating in National Nutrition Month
March is National Nutrition Month, and the beef checkoff is funding several projects by the Beef Board’s food and nutrition communications team. A major theme is “29 Ways Toward Better Health,” to reinforce the availability and affordability of 29 lean beef steaks, roasts and ground beef, at a time when consumers, media and health professionals are talking about nutrition. Other recent and ongoing nutrition communications efforts by the beef checkoff include:
…Prevention magazine named beef one of “25 Ridiculously Healthy Foods” in last October’s issue.
…An article in the January issue of Runner’s World magazine highlighted beef as a healthy food choice.
…Over 8,000 registered dietitians were provided information about beef nutrition at the 2009 Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo of the American Dietetic Association.
…The March edition of Parenting magazine featured a sirloin steak as a dinner option in the article, “Meals Your Belly Will Love.” For more information on checkoff-funded efforts in nutrition, go to www.mybeefcheckoff.com, and click on Newsroom.
Feeding citrus byproducts shown to reduce harmful bacteria
Researchers will be looking at citrus byproducts as a potential feed ingredient for cattle, based on USDA research presented this week at the 2010 Beef Industry Safety Summit. Todd Callaway, lead researcher with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, found that dietary orange peel and pulp – created by making juice -- reduced salmonella in the intestinal tract of sheep. He expects the next phase of the study to yield similar results for reducing E. coli bacteria.
The citrus research is one of 13 beef safety studies funded in 2009 by the beef checkoff. This week’s Safety Summit featured developing on-farm safety solutions, from farm to fork. The annual event is hosted by the Beef Industry Food Safety Council.
March 4, 2010 — Daily News Headlines
Survey: nearly 70 percent of consumers will pay more for ‘ethical’ food
Sixty-nine percent of consumers in a survey by a marketing communications firm said they will pay more for “ethically produced” foods. Context Marketing’s Bob Kenney said when asked to define what they meant by “ethical food,” more than 90 percent of respondents cited three main qualities: treats farm animal humanely, protects the environment and meets high quality and safety standards.
Of the 69 percent who said they’d pay more, 57 percent are willing to pay up to a 10 percent premium for ethically-produced food, and 12 percent said they’d pay even more. Many consumers, the survey found, also said they are more loyal to food brands they see as ethically produced and are more likely to recommend them to others.
Beef Board Chairman advocates more foreign market work
Dan Dierschke, the Texas cattleman who’s the new chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, wants producers “to make sure their voice is heard in support of promoting beef exports.” That corresponds to his view, expressed recently, that “Our domestic market is basically stagnant and the international market is a place where we can add considerable dollars to our (beef’s) value without changing our production practices very much at all.”
The CBB has provided funding over the years to the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), assisting its overseas beef promotion and market development. But today, Dierschke said, the CBB is facing lower revenues, and the competition for the available dollars “to promote our product is intense. And it’s going to be the producers who recognize the value of the export market who need to have their voices known. They need to be heard and advocating for that dimension of the market that’s most likely to increase their profits.”
Dierschke said he’s been “fascinated” by international markets since his college days, and it has continued through his leadership positions with the Texas Farm Bureau, the Texas Beef Council, NCBA and the USMEF. On his overseas travels, “I saw potential for an incredible market for our product.” Travels into several European countries and into Russia let him see the demand “that exists for our products there,” he said.
Idaho Senate passes bill setting up Livestock Care Standards Board
The Idaho Senate recently passed legislation to set up a Livestock Care Standards Board. It’s a move similar to one taken by agricultural interests in Ohio, to try and preclude potential efforts by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to impose its policies on animal welfare on state producers.
The Idaho legislation would create a 13-member Board including representatives from the state department of agriculture, state organizations for dairy, livestock and cattle producers and legislators. The Board would then make animal care recommendations. According to news reports, the bill, which must also pass the Idaho House, was approved in anticipation of a growing poultry industry in the state.
“If we don’t think this is the time, then wait six months until there’s 10 million chickens in Idaho,” said Idaho Sen. Tim Corder, who added, “Guess what follows the chickens? HSUS.”
U.S. official ties Toyota’s problems to U.S. – Japan beef dispute
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Tuesday said he will make the case during an upcoming trip to Japan that U.S. regulators are treating Toyota more fairly than their Japanese counterparts are treating U.S. beef. “It’s a point well made and one that we should be making when it comes to automobiles,” LaHood told Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) who had accused Tokyo of double standards. “I’m going to raise it when I go to Japan.”
His pledge came during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Toyota’s handling of safety defects in its autos. During the hearing, Johanns accused Tokyo of having one safety standard for U.S. beef and another for Toyota’s cars, adding he was “extremely tired” of the imbalance. He also said he wondered what Japan’s response would be if he called for a U.S. import ban on all Japanese vehicles, until the Japanese government “can assure us that all of the defects are out of these vehicles…that’s what they did” to the U.S. beef industry.
Japan banned U.S. beef in 2003 after mad cow disease was found in a U.S. herd. Japan has gradually resumed some exports, while the U.S. continues to call for complete market access.
March 3, 2010 — Daily News Headlines
Cherokee, Okla., market hosting Ty Thompson March 10
Reigning World Livestock Auctioneer Champion Ty Thompson will be at the Cherokee Sales Co., Cherokee, Okla., for a special feeder cattle sale March 10. Market Manager Tim Starks is expecting 6,500 head of feeder cattle, featuring feeders that came off wheat pasture. The sale, which gets underway at 11:30 a.m., will be broadcast live at www.lmaauctions.com.
For information on Thompson’s availability to visit your business, contact Kristen Parman, 800-821-2048, or kparman@lmaweb.com.
Survey shows Americans misinformed about HSUS
Seventy-one percent of Americans questioned in a recent survey mistakenly think the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is an “umbrella group” for America’s local humane societies. The survey was commissioned by the non-profit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), which recently launched the HSUS watchdog website, www.HumaneWatch.org. The survey also turned up other misconceptions about HSUS:
Sixty-three percent falsely think their local humane society is affiliated with HSUS, and fifty-nine percent mistakenly believe HSUS “contributes most of its money” to local groups that care for cats and dogs. According to the federal tax return filed by HSUS for 2008, less than one-half of one percent of the organization’s multi-million dollar budget went to grants to actual pet shelters. HSUS does not run any shelters for cats and dogs, and is not affiliated with any local “humane society” organizations.
The livestock industry has been one of HSUS’s principal targets in recent years, as the group seeks to abolish animal agriculture. Meanwhile, “These (survey) numbers indicate that most Americans don’t really know what the (HSUS) is all about,” said CCF Director of Research David Martosko. Very few Americans, he said, “understand what HSUS really is – a super-rich lobbying group that puts more money into its executive pensions than in the hands of local humane societies.”
Founder of Cactus Feeders donates $20 million to support agriculture at UNL
Cattleman and University of Nebraska alumnus Paul F. Engler announced Monday he’s donated $20 million to support programs in agribusiness at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The gift will establish a permanently endowed fund to support the Paul F. Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University. Engler, 80, said he feels strongly about finding and mentoring students who have the entrepreneur’s “fire in the belly.”
He said even at his age, he still has that fire, adding, “We need to identify these boys and girls who have that fire….when they’re young, and then when they come to the University, expose them to a curriculum that teaches risk – how to evaluate it and how to manage it – because if you do not take risk as an entrepreneur, you’re not going to make it.” In 1975, Engler formed his own company, Cactus Feeders, which is now the world’s largest privately-owned cattle feeding operation, with locations in Texas and Kansas.
Hog prices seen barely profitable this year
The hog industry should turn a profit of about $10/head this year, but the “outlook for a little black ink in 2010” should not be a signal “to race back toward (herd) expansion,” veteran Purdue University livestock economist Chris Hurt said this week. He predicts live hog prices to average about $51, with profits most likely to come this spring and summer, compared to losses in 2008 and 2009.
However, he said, $40 of losses ($17 and $23 per head in 2008 and 2009, respectively) “will not be recovered with $10 per head of profits in 2010,” he said. As he warned against herd expansion, he pointed out, as an example, that a drought this year “would quickly send feed costs back above breakeven levels.” He credited the expected slim profitability to, among other factors, reduced supplies, better demand and lower feed costs.
LMIA: here yesterday, today and tomorrow
For almost five decades, Livestock Marketing Insurance Agency has been serving the specialized needs of the livestock marketing sector. They’ve been there yesterday and today for members’ needs, and they’ll be here tomorrow.
When it’s time to make an insurance decision, look at the stability of the company with whom you’re dealing, and its record of service. And don’t make that decision before talking with your LMA region executive officer, or calling LMIA directly, at 800-821-2048.
March 2, 2010 — Daily News Headlines
Tennessee market hosting proper livestock handling program March 10
Hardin County Stockyards, Savannah, Tenn., will host the “Stockmanship and Stewardship” program, on proper livestock handling methods on Wednesday, March 10. Market owner Harry Floyd said the free public program will begin about noon, and the market will be serving a free lunch to attendees.
In addition to the public program, presenter Curt Pate will meet with the market’s employees. They will discuss the best handling practices to use, from the time cattle are unloaded at the market until they’re loaded to leave. The livestock market setting, Floyd noted, will allow Pate to conduct hands-on demonstrations, for the employees and attendees, of humane and effective handling methods.
For more information on the “Stockmanship and Stewardship” program, contact Kristen Parman, at 800-821-2048, or kparman@lmaweb.com.
First animal rights state caucus formed in California
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) recently reported that several California state legislators have teamed up to create the first state-based “Animal Protection Caucus.” The group, USSA said, is meant to bring animal rights-minded policymakers together, in order to push legislation from groups like the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The Caucus will be co-chaired by two Democrats and two Republicans, including the Democratic majority leader in the Senate, Dean Florez.
HSUS marked the occasion with a reception at the state capitol with its president and CEO, Wayne Pacelle, attending. Evan Heusinkveld, USSA director of state services, commented that “It is essential that legislators understand that sportsmen expect their legislators to represent the overwhelming number of citizens who do not believe in animal rights.”
January beef production, cattle slaughter, slaughter weights down
U.S. beef production in January, totaling 2.08 billion pounds, dropped two percent below January 2009, according to the latest monthly figures from USDA. Cattle slaughter, at 2.71 million head, was down slightly from a year earlier, while the average live weight at slaughter was 1,290 lbs., down 16 pounds from January, 2009.
January commercial red meat production in January totaled 3.92 billion lbs., and that was off six percent, USDA said, from the 4.17 billion pounds produced in January of last year.
Australia’s lifting of nine-year ban on ‘mad cow’ countries sparks protests
Although Australia Monday lifted a nine-year ban on beef imports from countries where cases of mad cow disease occurred, new import rules will prevent new beef imports from arriving for several months, according to the Australian media. In addition, none of the countries affected by the ban have applied for permits, which will take 20 weeks to process, the report said. Under the new rules, Australian regulators can send inspectors for in-country audits, which would prolong the waiting period.
Only imports of muscle meat, or products of muscle meat, that is thought not to carry the disease, will be allowed into the country. Fresh beef imports must also receive clearance from Biosecurity Australia, and exporters will be required to meet or exceed Australia’s traceability standards. The U.S. exported about 34 metric tons of beef annually to Australia before being hit by the ban. Australia exports about 280,000 metric tons of beef annually to the U.S.
The Australian media is also reporting that some producers and politicians there are protesting the lifting of the ban and some retail supermarket chains are threatening to boycott foreign beef.
However, the president of the Australian Cattle Council accused politicians of “irresponsibly” treating the U.S. with “disrespect” by campaigning to keep the import ban in place.
Council President Greg Brown said, “America is far and away our best market, and we are treating them with such disrespect…there is no chance of BSE-infected beef coming into Australia, because (the disease) is only in the spinal column, and only the muscle cuts will come in.”
New livestock commissioner named in Kansas
The Kansas Animal Health Board (KAHD) has named veterinarian and retired U.S. Army Reserve Colonel Bill Brown as the state’s new livestock commissioner. He will replace George Teagarden, who will retire in May after 16 years in the position. Brown, a native Kansan, most recently served as health services veterinarian for Newsham Choice Genetics, West Des Moines, Iowa. He previously held similar positions with Monsanto and DeKalb, along with owning and operating veterinary hospitals in western Kansas from 1974-1992.
The Board noted that during Teagarden’s time in office, Kansas earned “free” status from USDA for three infectious livestock diseases: cattle tuberculosis in 1995, and cattle brucellosis and swine pseudorabies in 1999.
March 1, 2010 — Daily News Headlines
Headquarters hotel in OKC full; 2 other nearby hotels available
The hotel rooms in Oklahoma City for LMA’s Annual Convention and World Livestock Auctioneer Championship, June 17-19, are going fast. The LMA room block at the headquarters hotel, the Renaissance Convention Center, is already full, but two additional hotels have rooms available. They are:
…The Sheraton Hotel, 1 North Broadway, across the street from the convention center, at the LMA rate of $145/night, 405-235-2780.
…The Courtyard by Marriott, 2 West Reno Ave., within walking distance of the convention center, at the LMA rate of $139/night, 405-232-2290. Mention LMA at both hotels to get the special rate
Reminder about the GIPSA annual report: file it on time
Members are reminded about the importance of filing their annual report, with the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, on time. Failure to do so, LMA officials noted, will result in the expiration of the business’s registration -- and will require completing a new registration application.
Missouri producers’ web site monitors ‘activist attacks’
The Missouri Beef Industry Council has launched a web site to keep the state’s 60,000 beef producers informed of “activist attacks” on agriculture, the council said recently. Called “Farmer Freedom,” the website is at www.farmerfreedom.com, and aims to protect the farmer’s ability to provide low-cost, nutritious food, said Council Executive Director John Kleiboker.
Missouri farmers are seeing “an increased number of groups that threaten to take over on-farm decisions, increase food costs and even decide what people should eat,” he said. The web site includes regular postings about activist activities and an e-newsletter to provide frequent updates.
“We have a positive story to tell…that will balance out the misinformation some groups are spreading to raise funds and trick consumers into attacking farm families,” Kleiboker said. “Activism is big business and we want to make sure producers know what they’re up against so we can respond and be proactive with balanced information about on-farm decisions and America’s food choices.”
‘Midwest Madoff’ sentenced to nine years
Investigators say she committed the largest agricultural fraud in Missouri history, and Cathy M. Gieseker has been sentenced to nine years in prison for bilking at least 179 Missouri farmers out of more than $27 million. She pleaded guilty in November.
At her sentencing last Thursday in St. Louis, Federal District Court Judge Charles Shaw and others in court referred to her as the “Midwest Madoff,” a derisive reference to Wall Street swindler Bernard Madoff, who stole billions in a pyramid investment scheme. Gieseker, 45, lived in Martinsburg, Mo.
She claimed to have a special deal with agricultural giant Archer Daniels Midland that let her broker grain for premium prices. Farmers then turned over their crops to her, who promised to later pay them a special, higher price. Officials called it a classic pyramid scheme, saying she had no special arrangement, and used money collected for the crops of later customers to pay those she’d earlier lured into her scheme.
FB members raise record funds to feed America’s hungry
The American Farm Bureau’s farm and ranch families last year raised more than $213,000, and donated more than 4.8 million pounds of food to hungry Americans, as part of Farm Bureau’s “Harvest for All” program. The monetary and food donations combined provided the equivalent of nearly 5.3 million meals through “Feeding America”-related food banks.
The money raised last year was a record, breaking the prior record of $160,000 in 2008. The “Harvest for All” program began in 2004. Along with the food and funds, Farm Bureau said farmers and ranchers donated 5,449 volunteer hours assisting groups fighting hunger.
