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Mississippi Cattlemen's Association
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Boot Camp
The first of two Beef Cattle Boot Camps will be held this Friday, April 13 at Mississippi State University.
On April 20, the program will be repeated at the White Sand Experiment Station in Pearl River County. Click here for details. |
Mississippi Beef Producer Survey
Please take a few moments to answer this short, 10 question survey to help MSU Extension and the MCA better reach you with important information regarding beef cattle production.
Click here to begin.
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Youth Beef Education Programs
 
Nearly 2,000 students attended events in Meadville, Crystal Springs and the Mississippi Agriculture Museum last week where Mississippi Beef Council staff participated in educational activities.
The environmental field day, health fair and Easter egg hunt provided venues for young people to learn about beef in a healthy diet. |
Combating Wild Hogs
Over 100 landowners met at Michel Farm in Clay County last week to discuss the growing problem of wild hogs in Mississippi. Speakers highlighted the losses to land, crops and wildlife caused by these nuisance animals.
Information is available from the Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks..
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Board Sale Results
Last week's fourth annual "Cattlemen's Exchange Producer Sale", held in Winona, saw 1,800 head sell in just under an hour for a record $1.9 million.
The 28 loads of farm-fresh and assembled stocker cattle were consigned by cattlemen from across the state.
Consignments for the August 6th Homeplace Producers Sale will be accepted until June 29th. |
April BCIA Newsletter
Click here for the April 2012 issue of the Mississippi Beef Cattle Improvement Association newsletter.
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Get the Facts
Misinformation persists about Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) in major media outlets and an even more blatant misrepresentation of the facts on social media sites.
Once again, sensationalism sells and perception trumps fact in many minds.
Get the facts here. |
Study Shows LFTB Improves Quality
Cattle Network reports that a study conducted last fall by a University of Arkansas student has shown Lean Finely Textured Beef, or lean beef trim, added at levels up to 20 percent in ground beef, improved fresh color, reduced spoilage and increased tenderness.
Courtney Moon, a senior in animal science, presented a paper on the study at the annual student research competition sponsored by the Arkansas chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the honor society of agriculture, and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.
University of Arkansas meat science professor Jason Apple, who supervised the research along with laboratory staff, said Moon did an excellent job on the study. Apple assumed lean beef trim would negatively impact the quality of hamburgers, but, to his surprise, it made them better.
The uncooked patties with 20 percent lean beef trim held up better than those without for five days in a simulated retail display in terms of meat color and oxidative stress, or spoilage. Apple also said tenderness, measured by the force required to cut a patty, was better in the burgers containing Lean Finely Textured Beef.
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| Congress Debates Farm Bill
Cattle Network reports that Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) plans to begin serious work on the new farm bill when Congress reconvenes on April 16. The hope is to get a bill to the Senate floor for debate before Congress breaks for Memorial Day. However, even if all of that goes smoothly, huge challenges will remain.
The Senate bill will probably be developed with the premise that spending will be reduced by about $23 billion over 10 years. Any bill developed in the House will have much bigger cuts, with the biggest cuts coming in the early years of the program. Assuming that the House gets its own bill passed before the end of September (which is far from a sure thing) the differences between the House and Senate bills will be hard to resolve. An extension of the current farm bill is increasingly likely. The 2008 farm bill will probably be extended for a year according to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.).
"We're kind of late in the game right now to have a new farm bill in place for the fall planting season" Lucas said in a recent radio interview.
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Market Notes
April 6, 2012
Dr. John Michael Riley
Cash Cattle:
Cash fed cattle prices fell hard this week as the 5-Area fed price shed $3.81/cwt compared to last week. Most cash trade took place early in the week as feeders likely pulled show list in the face of the the lower price level. Live sales in the Southern Plains were called at $122/cwt on Tuesday. On Wednesday in Nebraska, live sales were at $121-$123/cwt and dressed trade was at $193-$194/cwt. In Oklahoma City, feeder steers and heifers were $4-$8/cwt lower. Steer calves in OKC were steady to $2/cwt lower and heifer calves were $10-$15/cwt lower. Feeder steers sold steady and heifers were $1-$3/cwt lower in Mississippi markets, while slaughter cows were $1-$2/cwt lower and bulls were steady.
Futures:
Live and feeder cattle futures were lower again this holiday shortened week. Beef demand remains an big uncertainty as higher fuel prices, negative media coverage, and a strengthening U.S. dollar weighed on prices. Thursday's drop in unemployment claims helped but Friday's release of lower than expected jobs added will likely be offsetting when markets open Monday.
Follow through as a result of last week's Grain Stocks reports continued to give a spark to old crop corn contracts. Strong export data later in the week added to the positive news.
Beef:
Wholesale beef prices continue to move lower. Both Choice and Select dipped below $180/cwt mid-week. Choice managed to average just above this level for the week at $180.79/cwt, down $3.86. Select average $178.72/cwt, down $5.63.
The unfavorable media attention that has been given to Lean, Finely Textured Beef seems to really be having an impact on 50% lean ground beef (the majority of ground beef from steers and heifers, thus the majority of most ground beef).
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Calendar
April
20 Lauderdale CCA 21 Leake CCA 26 Marshall CCA
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Monday Memo
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