|
Mississippi Cattlemen's Association
|
Gold Buckle Membership Drive
Wednesday kicks off the annual membership drive with $4,500 in prizes to be awarded to the top recruiters and new members.
First prize is $2,000 toward the purchase of cattle at one of the Gold Buckle Farms. Click here for details.
|
| New Stocker Conference Location
|
Homeplace Producers Sale
Over 2,000 calves are slated to sell Monday, August 6, 7:00 p.m. at Southeast Mississippi Stockyard in Hattiesburg. All cattle will be farm fresh, selling in load lots for delivery as specified by the consigner.
Visit the MSUCares website for information on the feeder calf program and Homeplace sale order .
|
|
Southern Producers Heifer Sale
Over 300 locally-raised bred replacement heifers will be offered on August 25th in Hattiesburg. All heifers will be preg-checked by a veterinarian and scored for their pelvic measurements.
For details on the heifers, visit the T3 Brangus website or call Mike Keene at 601.606.7382.
|
Molly's Meaty Monday Menu
Try this flavor-filled treat tonight!
Asian Cranberry Ginger Sloppy Pockets
 | | Asian Cranberry Ginger Sloppy Pockets |
|
4-H Co-op Tour
 One hundred of Mississippi's top 4-H leaders stopped by the Cattlemen's Building for lunch and the latest information of the beef checkoff. For those not familiar with the checkoff, Molly Martin explained the program and pointed out the value of beef in a healthy diet.
|
Pearl River Junior Beef Show
Pearl River County Cattlemen's Association is hosting the Junior Beef Show on Saturday, August 11th.
Click here for details.
|
| Congrats!
Congratulations to former Miss. Junior Cattlemen's Assoc. President (and our son) Reid Blossom on being named Executive Vice President of the Illinois Beef Association.
|
Ethanol Mandate Waiver Request
As drought conditions become the worst in 50 years and corn yields are expected to drop significantly, a coalition of meat and poultry organizations today asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to waive the federal mandate for the production of corn ethanol."
In a petition delivered to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, the coalition asked for a waiver "in whole or in substantial part" of the amount of renewable fuel that must be produced under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) for the remainder of this year and for the portion of 2013 that is one year from the time the waiver becomes effective.
Some agricultural forecasters now are estimating that just 11.8 billion bushels of corn will be harvested this year - about 13 billion were harvested in 2011 - meaning corn-ethanol production will use about four of every 10 bushels.
The RFS has "directly affected the supply and cost of feed in major agricultural sectors of this country, causing the type of economic harm that justifies issuance of an RFS waiver," said the coalition in its petition.
In asking Jackson to take prompt action to provide a measure of relief for livestock and poultry producers, the coalition petition said, "It is abundantly clear that sufficient harm is occurring now and that economic conditions affecting grain supplies and feed prices will worsen in the months ahead. Both conditions provide an independent basis for a waiver of the RFS."
"I support American ethanol and what it has done for rural communities in Nebraska and in many other states throughout the country," said J.D. Alexander, Nebraska cattleman and National Cattlemen's Beef Association president. "What I do not support are federal mandates picking winners and losers and a federal government sitting patiently by, forking over taxpayer dollars to artificially inflate the price of corn for livestock producers and other end-users. I find it concerning to the viability of the livestock industry that these mandates are allowed to continue today in the worst drought I have seen in my lifetime. This isn't rocket science. Implement the law, waive the RFS, let the market work and embrace free market principles."
Members of the coalition that signed the petition include the American Feed Industry Association, American Meat Institute, American Sheep Industries Association, California Dairy Campaign, Dairy Producers of New Mexico, Dairy Producers of Utah, Idaho Dairymen's Association, Milk Producers Council, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Chicken Council, National Pork Producers Council, National Turkey Federation, Nevada State Dairy Commission, North American Meat Association, Northwest Dairy Association, Oregon Dairy Farmers Association, Southeast Milk Inc., United Dairymen of Arizona and the Washington State Dairy Federation.
|
House Pitches Shorter Farm Bill
Anxious to show progress before the August recess, House Republicans unveiled legislation late Friday that would extend most current farm programs for one year while providing immediate disaster aid to livestock producers impacted by this summer's severe drought.
Politico reports that direct cash payments would be trimmed modestly to help cover the costs, but their extension is controversial in itself since both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have recommended reforms that would end the multibillion-dollar subsidies.
The Senate approved its new five-year plan in June, but House floor action has been blocked by Republican leaders fearful of divisions in the GOP's ranks. The one-year extension now is seen by many as a calculated effort to kill any chance of enacting the larger bills in this Congress, and it sets up what could be a highly charged partisan vote on the House floor next week.
|
|
|
|
|
Hay Directories
CattleFax reports that, with the worst pasture conditions in the past 15 years, 70 percent of the U.S. cattle inventory is located in regions of drought.
|
|
Market Notes
July 27, 2012
Dr. John Michael Riley
Cash Cattle:
Cash fed cattle moved higher by about $1/cwt this week, though volume through the end of the week remained light. Live cattle in the Southern Plains traded at $114/cwt. Live trade in Nebraska was too light to call a trend, while dressed prices were $180-$181/cwt. In Oklahoma City, feeder steers were steady to $3/cwt lower and feeder heifers were steady. Un-weaned steer and heifer calves were $2-$3/cwt lower, while weaned calves were steady. Mississippi feeders were steady, slaughter cows and bulls were $2-$5/cwt lower.
Futures:
Cattle futures moved mostly steady throughout the week until Friday when prices jumped. Like live cattle price movements in June, prices moved lower early in July before recovering most, if not all, of their losses.
Last Friday's barrage of reports from USDA were viewed as mostly neutral. Given that the inventory survey was conducted at the early stages of the drought most think that the beef herd will contract more than what was reported and that was fuel on Friday. In the near term, prices will likely remain subdued due to the added volume on the supply chain, but after that clears prices should recover (if demand does not suffer). The worst case is in Missouri, the third largest beef cow-calf state, which reported 74% of it's pasture in "Very Poor" condition. On the other hand, the largest beef cow-calf state, Texas, is in better shape than a year ago with 14% of pastures rated very poor.
Corn finally cooled down this week, though still finished mostly steady with last week's close. Prices backed off of last week's record breaking values of over $8/bu. The percentage of the crop that is rated "Poor" and "Very Poor" moved higher to 45% versus 38% last week. Indiana and Illinois corn rated "Poor" and "Very Poor" stands at 71% and 66%, respectively.
Beef:
Boxed beef prices slipped further this week. Similar to the previous couple of weeks Choice dropped harder than Select. Choice wholesale beef took a hit again this week and finished much lower than last week with a weekly average of $178.06/cwt, down $4.01. Select ended the week at $170.97/cwt, down $1.08.
|
Calendar
July 30 Amite CCA August 6 Homeplace Board Sale, Hattiesburg 7 Leaders' Meeting, Starkville 10 Stocker Conference Meridian 11 Pearl River Junior Beef Show 25 Producers' Heifer Sale, Hattiesburg
|
|
The location of the Deep South Stocker Conference on August 10 has been moved to the Riley Center in Meridian instead of Kahlmus Auditorium. 
