11th Annual Miss. Beef Agribition
At Saturday's Mississippi Beef Agribition in Verona, cattlemen will have the opportunity to select from Angus, Gelbvieh, and Charolais females in the Registered Female Sale beginning at noon. Following this, consigners will present 40 bulls representing Simmental, Balancer, Gelbvieh, Charolais, Brangus, and Angus genetics and a large group of commercial females.
Prospect Show Heifer Sale
Friday evening, junior exhibitors can select a show heifer prospect from a group of fancy heifers in the 7:00 p.m. sale.
Junior cattlemen can also participate in the Skillathon Saturday morning. |
NCBA Rep
Nate Jaeger, new Southeastern Field Representative for NCBA will be visiting cattlemen in the state later this week while attending the Mississippi Beef Agribition at the Lee County Agri-Center in Verona. Stop by to meet Nate and get the latest on national cattlemen's issues. |
Prompt Payment for Livestock
MCA President David Houston wrote members of the Mississippi House of Representatives today expressing our support for a Senate Bill 2930, an amendment to the livestock theft law.
Confusion arose in the House last week over provisions of the bill that would help producers and market operators collect for livestock purchased by fraudulent buyers. |
MSU Blood Drive
Members of the Mississippi State Beef Team helped collect 65 units of blood during a drive on the university campus last week. Donors received a t-shirt and beef meal provided by the team and the Mississippi Beef Council.
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$22,000 steer for $5
Contributors to the association's steer project have the opportunity to win the grand champion Dixie National steer, processed and freezer ready, if their name is drawn. The steer was purchased for $17 per pound by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi, Haley and Marsha Barbour, and Ergon and donated to MCA for this fundraiser. | |
Bush Poses One-year Farm Bill Extension
President Bush on Thursday said he would sign the one-month extension of the 2002 farm bill Congress passed this week, but will ask Congress to extend it for a year if legislators cannot agree on a new farm bill by April 18.
"I will sign this legislation to avoid serious disruptions that might result if the current law is allowed to expire without a responsible farm bill enacted in its place," Bush said in a statement. He suggested a one-year extension if the April 18 deadline passes because, "I believe the government has a responsibility to provide America's farmers and ranchers with a timely and predictable farm program - not multiple short-term extensions of current law."
Bush also reaffirmed his veto threat, saying, "I have also made it clear that any final farm bill that includes a tax increase or does not include reform will be met with a veto." from meatingplace.com |
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U.S. Beef Exports to Japan Expected to Rise in '08
A meat industry official said U.S. beef exports to Japan should rise more than 60 percent to 75,000 metric tons in 2008 if Tokyo eases its import restrictions.
"I can't predict what is going to happen between the U.S. and Japan, but we are predicting that something will happen, so this (forecast) is predicated on a change from the current situation to a much more open situation," Phil Seng, president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, told Reuters while visiting Japan.
Japanese beef industry officials sense Tokyo is ready to roll back the age limit to allow beef from cattle aged up to 30 months. An Agriculture Ministry officials told Reuters, however, "No decision has been made, and this includes whether to relax the rules or not."
Meanwhile, Washington has been lobbying Toyko to eliminate the age limit on U.S. cattle completely, following the World Organization for Animal Health's blessing as a "controlled-risk" region for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. |
Chinese Inflation hits 12-Year High
China announced February 2008 inflation - measured as a monthly increase in prices from year-ago levels - hit 8.7 percent, the highest in 12 years. The National Bureau of Statistics stated that 80 percent of the February rise was due to year-on-year price increases of pork and vegetables, which rose 63.4 percent and 46 percent respectively. |
Livestock Industry Leader Paul Hitch Dies
Longtime cattleman and livestock industry leader Paul Hitch has died after a difficult bout with cancer. Hitch was 64.
Best known for his success in cattle feeding, Paul was president and chairman of Hitch Enterprises Inc. and Hitch AgriBusiness Inc., both diversified agricultural operations based in the Oklahoma panhandle region.
Hitch was a former chairman of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) Policy Division and the NCBA Live Cattle Marketing Committee. He had served the past two years as vice-president and president-elect of NCBA, but was unable to accept a term as NCBA president, due to his serious illness.
At last month's cattle industry annual convention in Reno, the industry paid tribute to Hitch for his many years of dedicated service and leadership. |
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Farm Bill Update
Congress has passed another extension to the 2002 Farm Bill this week and now has until April 18, 2008 to complete their work on the 2007 Farm Bill.
In remarks last week, President Bush said the extension will provide more time for Congress to reach an agreement. "If a final agreement is not reached by April 18, I call on Congress to extend current law for at least one year," said the President. "I have made clear the framework of an agreement that will garner my signature and urge Congress to pass a bill that meets these criteria."
Both houses of Congress have adjourned for a two week Spring recess. This doesn't leave much time for resolving differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill and producing a final package that would be acceptable to the Administration. Congress is expected to reconvene on Monday, March 31.
Opposition Grows to UDSA Rule Expanding Argentinean Imports
NCBA continues to watch for any action from USDA on a rule that could expand trade access with Argentina and jeopardize the health of the U.S. cattle herd. Animal diseases, especially Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), continue to be a problem in Argentina and its neighboring countries. For this reason, NCBA has opposed USDA releasing the rule before conducting an updated and thorough risk assessment.
Additionally, Senate leaders have expressed their strong objections to the proposal in a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer. "Questions remain about the effectiveness of animal disease controls and tracking in Argentina," the senators said. "Weaknesses in this system could have serious effects on the American livestock industry." The senators also asked the USDA to "carefully analyze the full economic cost of this proposal, including the risk of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in America and the impact on prices paid to domestic producers from increased Argentinean imports" before issuing judgment on the proposal.
Of equal concern to cattlemen is why the USDA would focus their efforts on increasing beef imports from another country when U.S. beef and breeding stock exports to other countries continue to be banned. | |
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Market Highlights
March 14
Fed cattle trade developed in the South at mostly $90 on a live basis, with instances of $90.50. Values were steady to $0.50 lower than last week on even to larger volume. Trade in the North had not developed. Feeder cattle values were mostly $1 to $2 lower and stocker values were unenvenly steady. Market cow values were steady to $2 lower. Through Thursday, boxed beef values were sharply lower with Choice declining $5.64 to $143.32 and Select down $3.64 at $143.15.
With large Cattle on Feed totals, fed cattle supplies and beef production will remain above year-ago levels through the first half of the year. Peak placed against numbers would be in May-July. But, high costs of gain will result in increasing supplies being noted earlier. Total meat supplies are record large and the domestic economy has softened, both are felt to be price limiting factors. On the positive side, beef exports are expected to increase moving through the year.
Next Week: Offerings are expected to be near even. The beef complex will trade higher. Fed prices are expected to trade near $90.
Late March- Early April: Look for beef demand to improve seasonally. Placed against fed supplies are flat, but due to high costs of gain look for larger show lists as cattle feeders attempt to pull cattle forward to stop feed bills. Beef production will remain above year-ago levels. Fed prices are expected to trade in the upper-$80's to low-$90's.
Late April-July: Increasing supplies due to large fourth quarter and early 2008 placements, as well as high projected costs of gain that will move cattle forward is expected. The fed market is projected to move lower and be disappointing with lows in the mid-to-upper $80's likely. |
Don't Miss NCBA's Cattlemen to Cattlemen - On this week's episode, airing Tuesday, March 18. at 7:30 p.m., we'll hear from cattlemen about their advice for the next President of the United States. Plus, we learn more about how to manage activist messages. We take a look at the importance of de-worming your cattle herd and we have tips on how to implement a program successfully. And we'll spend a day in the life of Minnesota cattlemen Dale Lueck. The show will rebroadcast Wednesday at 3:30 a.m. and Saturday at 9:00 a.m. Make sure you tune in to NCBA's Cattlemen to Cattlemen on RFD-TV. For more information or to check out past episodes, visit www.cattlementocattlemen.og |
Calendar of Events
March
20 Webster CCA
20 Lee CCA
25 Oktibbeha CCA
22 Miss. Beef Agribition
April
10 Magnolia Beef
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Young Cattlemen's Conference
Plans are under way for MCA's Young Cattlemen's Conference on April 10, 11, & 12 in Jackson. Nominations are being taken now for producers, ages 25 to 45, who want to learn more about the beef industry and the issues facing it.
Funded by the Mississippi Cattlemen's Foundation, the conference provides attendees a view of the issues facing the beef industry from legislative matters to the challenges facing our channel marketing partners who deliver beef to the consumer.
Arriving on Thursday evening, April 10th and finish by noon Saturday, YCC will be a worthwhile event for anyone interested in the cattle business.
County associations are encouraged to nominate one of their young cattlemen to help develop leaders for the coming years. | |
