CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter 

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

NCBA 2020 Policy Priorities

This morning, the Executive Committee of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) approved the organization’s top 2020 Policy Priorities. Approval came at the annual Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

Like last year, NCBA’s top policy priorities include issues related to international trade, proper regulation of fake meat, and regulatory reform, although after a series of significant policy victories in 2019, this year’s priority list is focused on implementing and protecting those gains while further advancing progress into new territory.

For example, after helping secure bilateral trade deals with Japan, China, and the European Union, as well as the ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, NCBA’s focus this year will turn to...

Cargill Conducts Voluntary Recall of a Single Lot of NutreBeef Transition Pellet 

Cargill’s animal nutrition business is conducting a voluntary recall of a single lot (382 bags, 50 lb each) of NutreBeef Transition Pellet (MH) beef cattle feed because the product may contain mispackaged feed with elevated levels of monensin. The affected product was sold in Kansas and Texas. At elevated levels, monensin can be toxic to cattle and can cause colic-like symptoms, hypokalemia (low potassium), myoglobinuria (breakdown of muscle in the urine), chronic cardiovascular issues, and possible death.

The following affected product was manufactured at Cargill’s McPherson, KS, facility and is being recalled from...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter 

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

Western Ranchers Welcome BLM Action to Improve Grazing Regulations

Western ranchers welcomed a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Notice of Intent (NOI), which appeared in today’s Public Inspection and will publish in the Federal Register on January 21st, announcing that the agency is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on new grazing regulations. The NOI opened a public comment period and announced that in-person scoping meetings will be held across the West.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for BLM permittees to set the record straight,” said Dr. J.J. Goicoechea who chairs the NCBA Federal Lands Committee and PLC’s Grazing Regulations Working Group. “We have endured Bruce Babbitt’s ‘Range Reform’ for over 25 years—and the land, native grasses, and...

CHART: Industry Expectatons for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

Ranchers Approve of NEPA Changes

President Trump announced noteworthy changes to the National Environmental Policy Act that would make it easier for federal agencies to approve infrastructure projects. NEPA was first introduced in 1970 to create and maintain conditions under which humans and nature can coexist, and has not undergone changes since 1986. Ranchers must be reviewed under NEPA for many reasons, but most common examples include renewal of a term grazing permit, construction of range improvements, or for eligibility to participate in USDA programs. However, due to litigation, outside pressure, and an abundance of caution, these costly processes can be further delayed. These delays create...

REPORTER: For Some, Marketing Animals A Tougher Job Than Raising Them

For some livestock and poultry producers, marketing animals successfully in today’s business environment has proven to be a tough job—at times perhaps even more so than...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

USDA Proposes to Reapportion Cattlemen’s Beef Board Membership

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing to adjust membership on the Beef Promotion and Research Board to reflect shifts in cattle inventory levels since the last board reapportionment in 2017, as required by the rules governing the board.

Under the proposal, total board membership would increase by two members, from 99 to 101, and would include the following changes...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

Legislation to Preserve Family Farms Introduced in Congress

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today announced its strong support for the “Preserving Family Farms Act of 2019.” Introduced by U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D - 20th Dist. - Calif.) and Jackie Walorski (R - 2nd Dist. - Ind.), this important bipartisan legislation would expand IRS Code Section 2032A to allow more ranchers and farmers to take advantage of the special use valuation and protect family-owned businesses from the devastating impact of the death tax.

NCBA President Jennifer Houston said that ranchers and farmers are very appreciative of the death tax relief that was passed as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), but that many cattle producers are either still vulnerable to...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

NCBA Applauds Introduction of Hours of Service Legislation

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association today applauded the introduction of bipartisan legislation by U.S. Reps. Angie Craig (D – 2nd Dist., Minn.) and Lloyd Smucker (R - 11th Dist., Penn.) that would provide flexible and common-sense relief from Hours of Service (HOS) rules for agricultural haulers.

The Responsible & Efficient Agriculture Destination (TREAD) Act would ensure that the current Hours of Service exemption that applies to the 150-air-mile radius from the source of an agricultural commodity adds the same 150 air mile radius flexibility to the back end of a trip, or the destination. The bill also clarifies that...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

NCBA Applauds Introduction of Livestock Risk Management and Education Act

Todd Wilkinson, South Dakota cattle producer and NCBA Policy Division Vice Chair, today released the following statement in response to the introduction of the Livestock Risk Management and Education Act by U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.):

“NCBA applauds Representative Dusty Johnson's introduction of the Livestock Risk Management and Education Act yesterday on the House floor. This legislation will provide boots-on-the-ground cattle producers with critical resources and opportunities to increase their understanding and engagement with risk management tools. This bill speaks directly to our core values as an industry - arming producers with...

South Dakota Cattleman to U.S. Senate Committee: American Beef is Climate Change Solution

South Dakota cattle producer Todd Wilkinson today told a U.S. Senate subcommittee that contrary to the claims of some environmental and anti-animal-agriculture activists, "American beef production and consumption is a climate change solution."

"Climate policies that unfairly target cattle producers fail to recognize the positive role of cattle and beef in a healthy, sustainable food system," Wilkinson told members of the U.S. Senate's Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety. "Rather than adopting misguided policies that threaten the viability of farmers and ranchers, we want to shift the conversation."

The subcommittee held today's hearing on the issue of "Reducing Emissions While Driving Economic Growth: Industry-Led Initiatives." In his testimony, Wilkinson discussed...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Slaughter 

R-CALF Files Lawsuit to Stop USDA's RFID Ear Tag Mandate 

Harriet Hageman, Senior Litigation Counsel with the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Casper, Wyoming representing the Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) and four ranchers from Wyoming and South Dakota, to stop the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) effort to eliminate all animal identification options other than radio frequency identification (RFID) devices and premises registration for adult cattle and bison moving interstate.

The lawsuit seeks declaratory judgment and an injunction against Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and USDA Administrator for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Kevin Shae, who together issued...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

Ohio Man Sentenced for Intentionally Selling Sick, Adulterated Calves for Human Consumption

On September 26, 2019, Cory Gillette, a cattle hauler and dealer, of Albany, Ohio, was sentenced to 5 years of probation, a $1,000 fine and 150 hours of community service for introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce and for making false statements to federal investigators. Gillette pleaded guilty to those charges in January.

According to charges filed in the United States District Court in the Southern District of Ohio, Western Division, Mr. Gillette presented cattle to slaughterhouses that tested positive for Gentamicin, a new animal drug that is a medically important antimicrobial prohibited in food intended for human consumption and not approved for use in cattle.

Under federal law, food is deemed to be adulterated if it contains a new animal drug that is unsafe for its intended use, as determined by approved conditions for...

Agriculture Groups Urge USDA to Quickly Establish Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank

Representatives of the National Pork Producers Council, the National Milk Producers Federation, the National Corn Growers Association and Iowa State University today called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to move as quickly as possible to establish a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine bank.

At a press conference today, these groups recognized the steps USDA has taken to establish the bank, but called for expedient use of mandatory funding included in the 2018 Farm Bill to purchase the volume of vaccines required to effectively contain and eradicate an FMD outbreak. Currently, the USDA, which has prescribed vaccination for dealing with an FMD outbreak, does not have access to...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter 

CHART: Industry Expecations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter 

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Cattle Slaughter

Kansas Beef Plant Fire Could Weigh on Cattle Market Near-Term

A large fire occurred Friday at the Tyson Foods beef plant in Holcomb, Kansas, forcing the evacuation of all workers and closure of the facility for an undetermined period.

The loss of that plant means that, at least temporarily, the industry will likely process around 6,000 fewer cattle per day, which could weigh on the cash market and possibly near-term futures as well. The market could react bearishly to the news since fed cattle supplies will have to be absorbed by fewer plants operating for an as yet undetermined time. However, less beef output could also push up wholesale prices for beef. 

The industry has been processing an average of about...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations For Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

NCBA, State Affiliates Urge Congress to Ratify USMCA

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today sent a letter signed by 39 of its state affiliates to U.S. Senate and House leaders urging them to support the swift ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

The letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is NCBA’s latest salvo in the battle to build support for USMCA ratification, coming less than two weeks after the group launched a new media campaign to push the accord...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

Brazil Once Again Becomes the World’s Largest Beef Exporter

In 2018, Brazil was the world’s largest exporter of beef, providing close to 20 percent of total global beef exports, outpacing India, the second-largest exporter, by 527,000 metric tons carcass weight equivalent (CWE). Moreover, USDA projects that Brazil will continue its export growth trajectory for the next decade, reaching 2.9 million metric tons, or 23 percent of the world’s total beef exports, by 2028.

Brazil has the world’s second-largest cattle herd—232 million head—and its production is largely based on grass. Increased beef demand worldwide has stimulated increased production and productivity gains. In 2018, Brazil reached its highest level of beef production at 9.9 million metric tons. According to a September 2018 report by USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS), programs...

REPORTER: Big Cattle Numbers Seen in 2019 

 

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

Vaccine Investigators Use Bacterium's Own Protein Against It

A team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university scientists is investigating a new “ingredient” for use in vaccinating cattle against Johne’s disease, a chronic wasting affliction that costs the U.S. dairy industry more than $200 million per year.

The ingredient in question is a type of protein on the surface of the bacterium Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), which causes Johne’s disease.

The researchers found that the protein, dubbed 35 kDa membrane peptide, helps the bacterium invade epithelial cells lining the cow's small intestine, thickening it and blocking the uptake of nutrients from feed or forage. This can lead to diarrhea, weight loss, diminished milk production and sometimes death. Calves are especially vulnerable and if their mothers are infected, they can acquire the bacterium from...

More Footage and Now Lawsuits Stemming from FairLife and Fair Oaks Farms Situation

High-protein milk brand Fairlife has received two class action lawsuits alleging deceitful marketing practices following the release of videos by the Animal Recovery Mission portraying animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms in northwest Indiana, which has supplied some of its milk. In the wake of a video released by the Animal Recovery Mission proposing five individuals committed animal cruelty and abused calves, a second video was released by the Animal Recovery Mission showing alleged abuse of dairy cows.

The complaints accuse Fairlife's co-founders Mike and Sue McCloskey, also owners of Fair Oaks Farms, of engaging in fraud and violating consumer protection laws. The Newton County Sheriff's Office announced charges against three workers in the video that were identified by authorities. Edgar Gardozo-Vasquez has been arrested and is being held at the Newton County Jail. The other two men have not been located or arrested, and the investigation is ongoing. The recent video was shot by a member of the Animal Recovery Mission posing as an employee at Fair Oaks' rotary milking system. The sheriff’s office is currently reviewing the footage...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

Fair Oaks Farms Founder Mike McCloskey Releases Statement Following ARM Undercover Video

The Animal Recovery Mission released a video on June 4 displayed alleged animal abuse and drug use by Fair Oaks Farms employees. 

Mike McCloskey, the founder of Fair Oaks Farms released a statement following the release of the video.

This morning I was made aware of an animal abuse video that the group Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) produced and has released to the public and the press. Most of the footage for this video was captured on one of the dairies that belongs to Fair Oaks Farms...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

Beef Quarterly Q2 2019: Changing of the Guard in the Beef Trimmings Market

The world’s largest beef importer, China, is at the centre of growth in beef trade in general, and trimmings trade specifically. Many of the cuts imported by China have been to satisfy the local cuisine. But as diets and foodservice change, this now includes a growing trend in trimmings trade.

The growing demand for trimmings from Asian countries will create additional competition for the US but it is not expected to shift the market yet. Suppliers of trimmings into the global market should be conscious of possible changes in the trade. While steady growth is evident in the Chinese market to date, a short-term demand increase across all proteins as a result of African Swine Fever will likely cause a spike in demand for trimmings...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

USDA Releases Baseline Data on Antimicrobial Use by Beef and Swine Operations

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is releasing the results of two national studies that examine antimicrobial use and stewardship on beef feedlots and on large swine operations during 2016.

The data USDA collected and studied will help animal health officials – as well as the human health community and consumers – better understand how antimicrobial drugs are used on livestock farms. The studies include details on what antimicrobials were used, why they were used and how they were administered...

Kansas Cattlewoman to Senate Climate Change Hearing: "Beef Cattle Industry has Great Story to Tell" 

Testifying on behalf of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Kansas cattle producer Debbie Lyons-Blythe delivered a clear message at a U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on climate change this morning.

“The U.S. cattle industry is proud of its history as stewards of our nation’s natural resources,” Lyons-Blythe testified at the Committee’s hearing on Climate Change and the Agricultural Sector. “The industry takes very seriously its obligation to protect the environment while providing the nation with a safe and affordable beef supply. Cattle producers are America’s original conservationists, and we work hard every day to ensure that we can...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

NCBA Welcomes Legislation Aimed to Help Livestock Haulers

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association today welcomed the introduction of legislation in the U.S. Senate aimed at reforming federal Hours of Service (HOS) rules in a way that ensures animal welfare, highway safety, and the well-being of livestock haulers. S. 1255, the Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act, was introduced by Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) with a bipartisan group of original cosponsors, including Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jim Risch (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jon Tester (D-MT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Doug Jones (D-AL), John Hoeven (R-ND), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Mike Braun (R-IN), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and James Lankford (R-OK).

“The current Hours of Service rules for livestock haulers present major challenges for our industry and can often jeopardize the health and well-being of livestock,” said Colin Woodall, NCBA’s senior vice president of government affairs. “Hauling livestock is inherently different than hauling typical consumer goods, like paper towels or bottles of water. Live cattle cannot...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

PathProven from Performance Food Group Providing First-Ever DNA Trace Back System from Farm to Plate in North America

Nearly 93 percent of all consumers are more likely to be loyal to a brand when it commits to full transparency, according to a 2017 Label Insights study from the Food Marketing Institute. The survey also revealed 74 percent of consumers would switch from the brands they usually buy to ones that provide more in-depth product information beyond the physical packaging. In Europe, the fresh meat industry has been moving toward this goal for twenty years. In the U.S., Performance Food Group Company (PFG) has been working with European technology innovator, IdentiGEN, for 10 years to align supply chains, building the first complete DNA Trace Back System to the farm. PFG has connected the information loop to provide greater accountability, improve sustainability, ensure quality, and...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

Oregon Cattleman to Congress: Livestock Producers Serve as Conservation Allies

Today Oregon cattleman Rodger Huffman told a Congressional hearing that livestock producers across the country serve as stewards of the environment and allies in conservation. Despite the efforts of some in Congress to vilify livestock producers, effective wildlife conservation depends on strengthening the partnership between government agencies and ranchers. In fact, livestock producers maintain over 660 million acres of open spaces and landscapes, about a third of the U.S. landmass and home to many species of wildlife.

“Federal and state wildlife managers have no greater ally in the effort to conserve America’s species than ranchers,” Huffman said in prepared testimony. “Ranchers steward these landscapes for generations ...

Tyson Fresh Meats and IdentiGEN Collaborate to Trace Beef Using DNA Technology

Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), is collaborating with IdentiGEN to use DNA technology to trace beef back to the individual animal of origin. IdentiGEN’s signature DNA TraceBack® system will be a key tool to trace the cattle raised for Tyson’s Open Prairie® Natural Angus Beef.

A DNA sample from cattle entering the Open Prairie program will be used to trace the origin of individual cuts of beef as they move through the supply chain. The DNA TraceBack process is intended to assure customers that the Open Prairie beef products they buy were sourced from ranches where the cattle were raised to meet specific requirements, such as no antibiotics ever and no added hormones.

“This is about meeting growing demand for more transparency about how food is produced,” said Kent Harrison, vice president of marketing and premium programs at Tyson Fresh Meats. “Through DNA TraceBack, we’re providing ...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter