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Newest Member Benefit Announced
Wilson Dodge in Jackson is offering Mississippi Cattlemen's Association members a special deal on Dodge trucks and cars.
MCA members can buy a Dodge vehicle for $100 over dealer cost during this special promotion.
Show your Cattle Business in Mississippi magazine, with your name and address label as proof of membership and take advantage of this great deal!
Call the MCA office or Angie at Wilson Dodge, 601-914-4277, for details. |
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Beef Hits Homerun
The Mississippi Beef Council partnered with the Mississippi Braves Booster Club to treat the team to a steak dinner following yesterday's game at Trustmark Park.
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Speak out on Earth Day, April 22
At www.BeefFromPastureToPlate.org, consumers and reporters will hear from producers themselves about the importance of the environment via videos; an Earth Day recipe; an invitation to "Ask a Producer" about what Earth Day means to them; and fun facts about the how the natural resources managed by cattle producers are in better shape than ever.
If you would like proactive template letters to the editor to submit to local news publications, contact the MCA office. These combined efforts - surrounding Earth Day, and joint state-national sustainability campaign activities planned throughout the rest of the year - will help gradually build awareness for beef producers as part of the solution to environmental sustainability.
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Do you have Cogangrass?
 
Watch for cogangrass blooms along roadways and in your pasture in the coming weeks. The fluffy, silvery white seed heads are already appearing in South Mississippi and will bloom farther north into early May. |
Watch for Hay Scam
A local producer reports receiving an e-mail offering to buy hay he had advertised in the Market Bulletin. After responding to the offer, he received details of the transaction requesting that trucking costs be deducted from the check and sent by Western Union to the hauler.
This scam has also been used for farm equipment and other items. |
And the winner is...........
Mark Chaney of Vicksburg won the Dixie National Grand Champion Steer.
Our thanks go out to Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Mississippi, Haley & Marsha Barbour, and Ergon for donating their steer and to everyone who returned their tickets to support the association's activities. | |
| U.S. Beef Returns to Korea
After four harrowing years of negotiations and re-negotiations, openings and closings, South Korea is now open for U.S. beef. With the exception of the 5 months of access during the summer of 2007, the market has been effectively closed since December 2003.
The current negotiations have been ongoing since the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) discussions began and were completed last Friday in Korea.
The current announcement (reportedly) provides for:
· Phase I: Access for beef and beef products from cattle under 30 months of age NOW. Estimated shipping date of May 15th.
· Phase II: OIE access will be allowed once the U.S. implements an enhanced feed ban on meat and bone meal.
Obviously S. Korea has some concerns over meat and bone meal which is not allowed in cattle feed, but is still used in pork and poultry rations. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to issue the new regulations soon. This means that the time period between Phase I and Phase II should be short. from CattleFax
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Survey Outlines Vegetarian Trends
Vegetarian Times magazine this week released its "Vegetarianism in America" study, indicating that 3.2 percent of U.S. adults, or 7.3 million people, follow a vegetarian-based diet. Approximately 0.5 percent, or 1 million, of those are vegans, who consume no animal products at all. In addition, 10 percent of U.S. adults, or 22.8 million people, say they largely follow a vegetarian-inclined diet, according to the study. |
U.S., & Korea Reach Agreement on Beef Trade Terms
U.S. and Korean officials have agreed to a trade protocol that will allow the United States to resume exports of beef to South Korea.
"America's cattle producers applaud the long-awaited reopening of the South Korean market to U.S. beef," said Andy Groseta, Arizona cattleman and president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA). "When I visited Korea in February, I saw first-hand how much Korean consumers want access to high-quality U.S. beef in their supermarkets and restaurants."
Prior to December 2003, South Korea represented the third-largest market for U.S. beef and beef variety meat exports, valued annually at $815 million. In September 2006, Korea finally agreed to accept U.S. boneless beef from cattle less than 30 months of age. But this market reopening was never viable for U.S. beef producers because it excluded bone-in beef products, which are popular with Korean consumers.
Initially, the protocol will allow for the shipment of all U.S. beef products (boneless and bone-in beef, as well as variety meats) from animals under 30 months of age. Korea has agreed that this is a first step toward accepting all U.S. beef products from animals of all ages as directed by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines.
Gregg Doud, NCBA chief economist, says South Korea potentially represents a $1 billion market and could grow to be the United States' top beef customer.
"The U.S. beef industry owes a huge debt of gratitude to President Bush and his administration, as well as our trade negotiators and members of Congress for this historic undertaking on the issue of Korean beef trade. It is thanks to their long-term cooperative efforts that we have such a fantastic agreement to announce today," says Doud. "And the reason we have that kind of strong support in Washington, is because cattlemen really pulled together through their national organization to demand fair treatment in this critical market."
Assuming trade resumes as planned, NCBA will ask Congress to consider, support and pass the long-awaited U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as soon as possible.
"For U.S. beef trade, the Korean FTA could be could be the biggest and most important bilateral trade agreement in history," says Doud. | |
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Cattle Market Notes
Friday, April 18, 2008
Dr. John Anderson, Mississippi State University
This week's cash fed cattle market continued to improve. Bids from packers came in early at $86. Not surprisingly, this didn't find too many takers. By Friday, bids were up to $90 and cattle were changing hands in moderate numbers, though according to Dow Jones Newswire, a good number of feeders were standing pat on asking prices of $92. Cattle slaughter picked up quite a bit this week compared to recent levels. Cattle slaughter this week is estimated at 676,000 head this week compared to 645,000 head last week and 652,000 head a year ago.
Feeder prices around the country were mostly improved this week following last week's much-needed improvement in the fed cattle market. At Oklahoma City this week, prices on feeder steers and heifers were steady to $2 higher. Stocker calf prices were $1 to $3 lower in a light test. At Lexington, Kentucky, feeder steer and heifer prices were $3 to $4 higher. Stocker steer and heifer prices were steady. At Georgia auctions this week, feeder steer and heifer prices were unevenly steady; stocker steer and heifer prices were mostly steady to $1 higher.
At Mississippi auctions this week, prices on steers were steady; prices on heifers were $1 to $5 higher. For the week, feeder steer prices in Mississippi were as follows: 200-300 pounds, $115-$130; 300-400 pounds, $109-$115; 400-500 pounds, $100-$110; 500-600 pounds, $90-$100; 600-700 pounds, $80-$90; 700-800 pounds, not reported. Prices on slaughter cows were $1 to $5 higher this week. For the week: breakers, not reported; boners (850-1,200#), $45-$55; lean (850-1,200#), $45-$50.
Live cattle futures were higher for most of the week. Live Cattle futures closing prices on Friday (with change from last Friday's close in parentheses) were as follows: April $89.55 (+0.85); June $92.32 (+2.55); August $98.05 (+1.88); October $103.20 (+1.38); December $104.25 (+1.33)
Feeder Cattle futures were able to add some to last week's gains this week. Improving Live Cattle futures and corn futures that were at least somewhat stable this week underpinned this week's higher feeder futures. Most contracts moved to their highest level in about a month. Feeder Cattle futures closing prices on Friday (with change from last Friday in parentheses): April $101.50 (+2.00); May $105.72 (+2.67); August $108.52 (+1.90); September $109.05 (+1.48); October $110.00 (+1.75).
May Corn closed on Friday at $5.99 ½, up 15 ¼ from last week's close. |
Don't Miss NCBA's Cattlemen to Cattlemen- On this week's episode, airing Tuesday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m., we'll talk with AllFlex USA CEO Brian Bolton about animal identification. We'll also learn more about marker-assisted selection from a University of California geneticist. We'll take a spin in a Caterpillar Skid Steer Loader. And just in time for summer, we'll cook up an easy, fresh recipe that's perfect for outdoor grilling! The show will rebroadcast Wednesday at 3:30 a.m. and Saturday at 9:00 a.m.
Have you ever watched NCBA's Cattlemen to Cattlemen and thought, "I'd love to ask the experts my questions!"? Well now you have the chance! In May, we'll be bringing you a few special editions of the show, and we'll be focusing on topics that are important to you and your operation. One of the shows will be sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, and their experts will be on hand to answer your questions about weed and brush control as well as pasture management. A second show will feature experts from Fort Dodge Animal Health, where experts will be taking questions on practical strategies for parasite control.If you have questions for the experts at Dow AgroSciences or Fort Dodge Animal Health, email us at C2C@beef.org. We'll do our best to answer your questions on the air.
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.org |
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Calendar of Events
April
24 Marshall CCA
24 Neshoba CCA
26 Tanner Farms Sale
29 Jasper CCA
May
1 Scott CCA
3 Gelbvieh Field Day,
Grenada
3 Angus Assoc.
Sale, Raymond
8, 9 NCBA Region II, Columbus, GA |
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