Tuesday January 31 Ag News

NEBRASKA JANUARY 1 CATTLE INVENTORY
All cattle and calves in Nebraska as of January 1, 2017 totaled 6.45 million head, unchanged from January 1, 2016, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

All cows and heifers that had calved totaled 1.98 million head, up 4 percent from last year.

Beef cows totaled 1.92 million head, up 4 percent from last year.

Milk cows totaled 60,000 head, up 3 percent from January 1, 2016.

All heifers 500 pounds and over totaled 1.78 million head, down 1 percent from last year.

Steers weighing 500 pounds and over totaled 2.29 million head, down 2 percent from last year.

Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over totaled 110,000 head, up 16 percent from last year.

Calves under 500 pounds totaled 290,000 head, down 8 percent from January 1, 2016.

All cattle on feed fed for slaughter in Nebraska feedlots totaled 2.47 million head, down 2 percent from the previous year.

The 2016 calf crop totaled 1.70 million head, up 3 percent from 2015.



Iowa Cattle and Calves Report

All cattle and calves in Iowa as of January 1, 2017, totaled 3.85 million head, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle report. This was down 100,000 head from January 1, 2016. Beef cows, at 965,000 head, were 3 percent above last year. Milk cow inventory was up 5,000 head to 215,000 head.

All heifers 500 pounds and over were down 10 percent to 830,000 head. Heifers for beef cow replacement were down 3 percent from 2016 to 185,000 head; heifers for milk cow replacement, at 135,000 head, were up 13 percent from the previous year; and all other heifers were down 16 percent to 510,000 head.

Steers weighing 500 pounds and over were down 2 percent from last year at 1.30 million head. Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over were unchanged from a year ago at 60,000 head. Calves under 500 pounds on January 1, 2017, totaled 480,000 head, down 4 percent from last year.

The 2016 calf crop was estimated at 1.09 million head, up 3 percent from the 2015 calf crop. Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter in all feedlots on January 1, 2016, totaled 1.16 million head, down 6 percent from one year ago.



January 1 Cattle Inventory Up 2 Percent

All cattle and calves in the United States, as of January 1, 2017, totaled 93.6 million head. This is 2 percent above the 91.9 million head on January 1, 2016.

All cows and heifers that have calved, at 40.6 million head, are 3 percent above the 39.5 million head on January 1, 2016. Beef cows, at 31.2 million head, are up 3 percent from a year ago. Milk cows, at 9.35 million head, are up slightly from the previous year.

All heifers 500 pounds and over, as of January 1, 2017, totaled 20.1 million head. This is 1 percent above the 19.9 million head on January 1, 2016. Beef replacement heifers, at 6.42 million head, are up 1 percent from a year ago. Milk replacement heifers, at 4.75 million head, are down 1 percent from the previous year. Other heifers, at 8.88 million head, are 1 percent above a year earlier.

Calves under 500 pounds in the United States, as of January 1, 2017, totaled 14.4 million head. This is 2 percent above the 14.1 million head on January 1, 2016. Steers weighing 500 pounds and over totaled 16.4 million head, up slightly from one year ago. Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over totaled 2.23 million head, up 4 percent from the previous year.

Calf Crop Up 3 Percent
The 2016 calf crop in the United States was estimated at 35.1 million head, up 3 percent from last year's calf crop. Calves born during the first half of 2016 were estimated at 25.6 million head. This is up 4 percent from the first half of 2015. Calves born during the second half of 2016 were estimated at 9.53 million head, 27 percent of the total 2016 calf crop.

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for all feedlots totaled 13.1 million head on January 1, 2017. The inventory is down 1 percent from the January 1, 2016 total of 13.2 million head. Cattle on feed, in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head, accounted for 81.2 percent of the total cattle on feed on January 1, 2017. This is up 1 percent from the previous year. The combined total of calves under 500 pounds and other heifers and steers over 500 pounds (outside of feedlots) is 26.6 million head. This is 2 percent above one year ago. 



NEBRASKA JANUARY 1 SHEEP AND GOAT INVENTORY

All sheep and lamb inventory in Nebraska on January 1, 2017 totaled 83 thousand head, up 3,000 head from last year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Breeding sheep inventory totaled 71 thousand head, up 4,000 from last year. Ewes one year and older totaled 58 thousand head, up 3,000 from the previous year. Rams one year and older remained unchanged from last year’s 3,000 head. Total replacement lambs was 10 thousand head, up 1,000 from last year.

Market sheep and lambs totaled 12 thousand head, down 1,000 head from last year. A total of 1,000 head were mature sheep (one year and older) while the remaining 11 thousand were under one year. Market lamb weight groups were estimated as follows: 2,300 lambs were under 65 pounds; 2,000 were 65-84 pounds; 2,700 were 85-105 pounds; 4,000 were over 105 pounds.

The 2016 lamb crop totaled 65 thousand head, unchanged from 2015. The 2016 lambing rate was 118 per 100 ewes one year and older, equal to the lambing rate in 2015.

Shorn wool production during 2016 was 450 thousand pounds, down 10 thousand pounds from last year. Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 64 thousand head, up 1,000 head from 2015. The average price paid for wool sold in 2016 was $0.94 per pound, compared with $0.90 in 2015. The total value of wool produced in Nebraska was 423 thousand dollars in 2016.

Milk goat inventory in Nebraska totaled 3,700 head on January 1, 2017, up 500 head from last year.



IOWA SHEEP AND GOAT INVENTORY

All sheep and lambs inventory in Iowa as of January 1, 2017, totaled 175,000 head according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Sheep and Goats report. The sheep and lambs inventory remained unchanged from last year. Total breeding stock, at 120,000 head, was 4 percent below one year ago. Market sheep and lambs increased 10 percent from a year ago and totaled 55,000 head. The lamb crop for 2016 increased 1 percent to 125,000 head. Wool production for the State was 900,000 pounds, with fleece weights averaging 5.5 pounds.

Milk goat inventory in Iowa as of January 1, 2017 was 30,500 head, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Sheep and Goats report. Iowa ranked third in total milk goats. The inventory was down 8 percent from January 2016. Total meat and other goat inventory was 32,000 head, an increase of 14 percent from the previous year.



January 1 Sheep and Lamb Inventory Down 2 Percent

All sheep and lamb inventory in the United States on January 1, 2017 totaled 5.20 million head, down 2 percent from 2016. Breeding sheep inventory at 3.86 million head on January 1, 2017, decreased 2 percent from 3.95 million head on January 1, 2016. Ewes one year old and older, at 3.04 million head, were 2 below last year. Market sheep and lambs on January 1, 2017 totaled 1.35 million head, down 1 percent from January 1, 2016. Market lambs comprised 94 percent of the total market inventory. Market sheep comprised the remaining 6 percent of total market inventory.

The 2016 lamb crop of 3.25 million head was down 1 percent from 2015. The 2016 lambing rate was 105 lambs per 100 ewes one year old and older on January 1, 2016, unchanged from 2015.

Shorn wool production in the United States during 2016 was 25.7 million pounds, down 5 percent from 2015. Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 3.56 million head, down 3 percent from 2015. The average price paid for wool sold in 2016 was $1.45 per pound for a total value of 37.2 million dollars, down 5 percent from 39.2 million dollars in 2015.

Sheep death loss during 2016 totaled 217 thousand head, down 5 percent from 2015. Lamb death loss decreased 1 percent from 374 thousand head to 372 thousand head in 2016.

January 1 Goat and Kid Inventory Up 1 Percent
All goat inventory in the United States on January 1, 2017 totaled 2.64 million head, up 1 percent from 2016. Breeding goat inventory totaled 2.17 million head, up slightly from 2016. Does one year old and older, at 1.61 million head, were slightly above last year's number. Market goats and kids totaled 469 thousand head, up 2 percent from a year ago.

Kid crop for 2016 totaled 1.64 million head for all goats, up 1 percent from 2015.

Meat and all other goats totaled 2.12 million head on January 1, 2017, up 1 percent from 2016. Milk goat inventory was 373 thousand head, unchanged from January 1, 2016, while Angora goats were up 1 percent, totaling 152 thousand head.

Mohair production in the United States during 2016 was 800 thousand pounds. Goats and kids clipped totaled 141 thousand head. Average weight per clip was 5.7 pounds. Mohair price was $4.56 per pound with a value of 3.65 million dollars.



Fischer Meets with Ag Secretary Nominee

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), today met with Governor Sonny Perdue, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Agriculture.

Senator Fischer says, “Governor Perdue and I had a good conversation today about the Nebraska families who work hard to keep our state’s economic engine running and feed a hungry world. We also discussed regional differences in agriculture and the importance of sound policies that will enable Nebraska producers to grow their businesses and access new markets. I am confident that Governor Perdue’s experience and unique perspective will prepare him well to take on the critical role of leading the USDA.”



Save Hay by Reducing Feeding Waste
Larry Howard, NE Extension Educator, Cuming County

Much expense and many long hours go into harvesting and storing hay for winter feeding.  So why waste it!  Hay feeding waste can be reduced.  Cattle can waste as much as 45 percent of their hay when it is fed without restrictions.  How can you reduce these losses to minimize costs and maintain an adequate hay supply?

Your first step should be to limit how much hay is available.  Research shows that cattle fed hay with free access every four days needed about 25% more hay than cattle fed daily.  Daily feeding reduces the amount of hay refused, trampled, fouled, over-consumed, or used for bedding.

A second step is to restrict access to the hay by using hay racks, bale rings, electric fences, feed bunks, or anything else that will keep animals off the hay.  It’s especially important to limit the amount of hay accessible to trampling.  So use racks or bale rings with solid barriers at the bottom to prevent livestock from pulling hay loose and then dragging it out to be stepped on.

If you feed hay on the ground, either as loose hay, unrolled round bales, or as ground hay, it is especially important to follow these guidelines.  Limit the hay fed to an amount animals will clean up in a single meal.  Anything left over will be stepped on, fouled, or used for bedding instead of as feed.  And if you can – use an electric wire or other barrier to restrict access to only one side of the feed on the ground.  But also be sure to distribute that hay enough so all cows have access to it at the same time.  With a little foresight and careful management, you can stretch your hay further.

A Forage for Every Season
Think back over the past couple of years.  Did you have ample pasture all season long, or were there times when more forage growth would have helped?  If you have cows, horses, ewes, or other livestock that can graze year-around, one of your goals should be to graze for as many days during the year as possible.  But no matter where you are, no single pasture can meet that objective.

Warm-season range grasses provide good summer grazing in some areas, but more green grass would be nice in early spring and for late fall grazing.  For livestock producers in many other places, though, smooth bromegrass, wheatgrass, needlegrass, orchardgrass, fescue, and other cool-season grasses grow well in spring and fall but mid-summer pasture often is limiting.

To overcome these seasonal pasture shortages, you need to have several different types of pasture available.  For example, warm-season grasses like the bluestems, indiangrass, blue grama, and switchgrass provide excellent summer pasture.  Match them up with other, but separate, pastures or meadows that contain cool-season grasses for spring and fall grazing and you will have a good, long grazing season.

To extend grazing even further, plant winter wheat, rye, or triticale next fall to get pasture as early as late March.  And oats planted in late July or August can be grazed through November, while turnips often provide pasture into December or even January.  Don’t forget that alfalfa and corn also can be grazed effectively throughout much of the year, giving you even more options for timely pasture. Start looking at your pasture gaps.  Maybe this year you can extend your grazing season with new and varied pastures.



Ag economist will keynote Feb. 15 forum in Curtis

An agricultural economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City will deliver the keynote address at an Ag Business Economic Symposium in Curtis on February 15.

Cortney Cowley, who is based at the Federal Reserve’s offices in Omaha, Neb., is the luncheon speaker at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture’s forum. Four regional businesses are also program presenters.

Mary Rittenhouse, assistant professor and division chair of the NCTA Ag Business Management Systems Division, said student interest and is keen in the current agricultural economy as graduates prepare for their future employment and individual agricultural enterprises. The forum is open to the public.

Ag Business Club students from NCTA will greet participants with 9:30 a.m. registration at the Nebraska Agriculture Industry Education Center.

However, due to luncheon reservations, Rittenhouse requests pre-registration and online payment of all attendees by Feb. 10 at: http://ncta.unl.edu/economic-ag-symposium.

The symposium will feature agricultural ownership and management transition, legal and estate planning, real estate and insurance, and commodity marketing and risk management.

Cowley is an agricultural economist in the Regional Affairs Department at the Omaha Branch. She supports the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and the Federal Reserve System efforts surrounding agricultural economics research, analysis and outreach.

She conducts research on issues related to the farm economy, agricultural finance and natural resources.  Cowley is a contributor to the Bank’s Economic Review research journal, the Tenth District Survey of Agricultural Credit Conditions and the Federal Reserve System’s Agricultural Finance Databook. She also provides regular updates on the agricultural economy for the public, and for the Kansas City Fed’s president – who is a voting member of the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee.

Cortney joined the Bank in 2015 after completing her Ph.D. in agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in biosystems engineering from Oklahoma State and a master’s in civil engineering from Colorado State University.

Other program presenters are Steve Herman, Esq., of Norman, Paloucek & Herman, in Curtis; Phil Hinrichs and Andrew Fischer of Farm Bureau Financial Services;  and Steve Knuth of AgWest Commodities.



New USMEF Regional Director Sees Strong Potential for Further Export Growth to Mexico, Central America and Dominican Republic

Oscar Ferrara, Ph.D., joined the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) earlier this month as the organization’s new regional director for Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic. A native of Paraguay, Ferrara brings an extensive educational and professional background to the position. He moved to the United States in 2000, earning his master’s degree and doctorate in Food and Resource Economics from the University of Florida. He also holds Bachelor of Science degrees in both Applied Economics and Agricultural Engineering.

Ferrara was previously with USDA, working first in the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) before joining the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Office of Agreements and Scientific Affairs.

“In my position with FAS, one of the main priorities was to open markets and expand market access for U.S. pork, beef and lamb in the Western Hemisphere,” Ferrara said. “So I feel this experience will serve me well at USMEF, as we look to further expand demand for these products.”

Capitalizing on duty-free access achieved through NAFTA and the lower duties negotiated in the U.S.-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), U.S. red meat exports to this region have grown substantially in recent years, with the United States being the dominant foreign supplier. But Ferrara notes that there is still significant room to expand demand for U.S. products among the region’s growing middle class, and he intends to build on USMEF’s success by educating customers about the full range of pork, beef and lamb products available from U.S. suppliers.

“There are a lot of areas in which we can expand our offerings in the region, and what I hope to do in this capacity is to expand customers’ knowledge of the products we are exporting to these countries,” Ferrara explained. “Many people know that the U.S. offers safe, high-quality meat products, but we can further educate them on the options and choices available, as well as the unique attributes of U.S. meat and the different methods of preparation and cooking. This will reinforce the great value these products deliver and build even greater customer loyalty.”

In addition to customer education, Ferrara says it is vitally important to maintain strong relationships with importers, processors and distributors in the region.

“Trade servicing is absolutely critical, even in a region in which USMEF has a longtime presence,” he noted. “Buyers want reliability and consistency from their suppliers, and USMEF serves as an important resource for them, helping ensure they can access the products that meet their needs. This is true whether we are working in established markets like Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala, or in emerging destinations such as Nicaragua and El Salvador – there are many exciting opportunities for the U.S. meat industry.”

USMEF must also work closely with government officials in the region – an area in which Ferrara gained valuable experience while at USDA-FAS.

“I had the pleasure of working with USMEF on many issues during my time at FAS, and the level of cooperation was outstanding,” he explained. “When we were seeking to gain full access to Mexico for U.S. beef, for example, we accompanied Mexican regulators to U.S. plants and other production facilities in the United States. USDA and USMEF worked extremely well together in organizing these visits and ensuring that we communicated effectively and constructively with these officials. These efforts are very important for eliminating trade barriers and expanding markets for U.S. meat.”



Former Ag Secretaries Pen Op-Ed on Dow-DuPond Merger
Mike Johanns and Dan Glickman

As former U.S. secretaries of agriculture from both sides of the aisle, we know firsthand that the contributions made by farmers and agribusinesses of all sizes are rarely given the credit they are due. American farmers help to drive the U.S. economy and create new opportunity in rural communities. They contribute almost $1 trillion to U.S. gross domestic product each year and exported $129.7 billion worth of American-grown and -made products in fiscal year 2016 alone. By 2050, a growing global population will need twice as much food as the world can produce today, which presents even more new opportunities for American farmers.

With new opportunities come new challenges. Looking forward, we see headwinds acting against the livelihoods and future global competitiveness of American farmers and the security of our national food supply: the unmanageable cost of innovation and the need for a strong, focused American-owned agriculture company.

There is no greater imperative for global agriculture than science and technology. Mother Nature throws farmers an endless stream of curve balls, from new weather patterns to spreading pests. As the challenges evolve, the needs of farmers for new products and services evolve, too. Those who grow and consume food depend on tools focused on reducing water usage and raising drought resistant crops; nutritional advancements that assure the hungry are fed and improve overall health and well-being; better planting techniques and conservation and tillage practices that improve and preserve soil health; practices that reduce post-harvest loss and food waste; and new seed varieties that can stand up and thrive under the most difficult conditions, among others.

But as costs of discovery and commercialization rise, and agriculture has become both more global and more competitive, fewer and fewer companies have the scale to afford the costly, end-to-end process from discovery through development and regulatory approval that is required to bring new products to farmers. With fewer and fewer companies having the capability to do so, farmers everywhere face the prospect of limited choices and fewer new products.

Innovation in food and agriculture comes from companies of all sizes - from the army of experts our industry employs and from scientific discoveries by numerous creative farmers, university labs and startups that are then developed by mid-sized firms and multinationals. These different groups depend upon one another, just like an ecosystem, to move new ideas through the long, expensive processes of development and regulatory approval before they can be delivered to farmers. Larger companies depend on smaller ones and vice versa.

To do enough to meet farmers' requirements for more innovation and greater choice, and overcome the emerging innovation bottleneck that is holding them back, large companies with scale and focused resources are a necessary part of that creative system. That is what is causing some of the shifts in the inputs marketplace we are seeing today, including the number of companies seeking to merge with one another. Some of these companies are foreign-owned and seeking to take control of American companies.

Dow and DuPont are each huge conglomerates within which their relatively small agriculture businesses must compete for resources against other businesses. By coming together, they intend to then create a single, independent, U.S.-based and -owned pure agriculture company capable of competing effectively against their still larger global peers.

Given the current landscape, now more than ever America's farmers need what Dow and DuPont are proposing - a strong, focused American agriculture company that is American-owned, championing the interests of the American farmer in a marketplace that may soon be dominated by foreign-owned behemoths. Without such an enterprise, totally and completely focused on agriculture, with every minute of every day devoted to working in partnership with farmers and the full range of entities working to feed an ever-expanding need for sustainable food sources, the American farmers who grow our food lose out - and the people who eat it do, too.

For farmers across this great nation - and around the world - the stakes are real. They all want a faster, bigger and better stream of new products, techniques and tools because they need them. They want to seize business opportunities by putting food on tables, at home and abroad. This will mean hard work for America's farmers, which they will do with humility and excellence, as they always have. They need a strong, American-owned agriculture company by their side.

Johanns is a former governor and U.S senator from Nebraska, and served as agriculture secretary under former President George W. Bush. Glickman represented Kansas for 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and served as agriculture secretary under former President Bill Clinton.



NMPF Lauds New House Bill Calling for Enforcement of Dairy Labeling Standards

The National Milk Producers Federation today endorsed new legislation introduced in the House of Representatives that would prompt the enforcement of dairy labeling terms, which are increasingly being used to market imitation products containing no real dairy ingredients.

Introduced by Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT), Sean Duffy (R-WI), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Joe Courtney (D-CT), David Valadao (R-CA) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA), the House bill would compel the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take action against misbranded, plant-based beverages that are inappropriately using dairy terms, especially “milk.” The measure requires the FDA to issue guidance for nationwide enforcement of these definitions within 90 days. It would also require FDA to report to Congress two years after the bill’s enactment to hold the agency to its obligations.

The House bill mirrors Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s (D-WI) DAIRY PRIDE Act, introduced two weeks ago in the Senate.

“Real milk has been recognized for decades for its important nutritional benefits,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “These imposter products almost always use dairy imagery, similar packaging and names – but they never match the nutritional benefits found in milk. This House legislation sends a clear message that plant-based foods should not be able to create and use nomenclature that is in conflict with existing federal standards of identity requiring the presence of real milk.”

FDA regulations (CFR 131.110) define “milk” as a product of a cow, with similar definitions for yogurt and cheese products. Though existing federal policy is clear on this subject, FDA has not challenged the labeling practices of imitators made out of nuts, beans, seeds and grains, which have been branding themselves using dairy-specific terms for the past two decades, according to NMPF.

The lack of enforcement of proper dairy terms in the United States market differs from to how the matter is handled in similar nations, which actually police the matter closely. While the term “almond milk” is seen on products sold in the United States, it is absent from the same brand of almond beverage sold in Canada and the United Kingdom.

In December, Reps. Mike Simpson (R-ID), Peter Welch (D-VT) and a bipartisan coalition of 32 House members sent a letter to FDA urging the agency to more aggressively police the improper use of dairy terminology. NMPF also supported that effort.



CWT Assists with 2.1 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 13 requests for export assistance from Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, Inc., Michigan Milk Producers Association and Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold). These member cooperatives have contracts to sell 989,876 pounds (449 metric tons) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses and 1.102 million pounds (500 metric tons) of butter to customers in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from January through April 2017.

So far this year, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 4.421 million pounds of American-type cheeses, and 1.323 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat) to 10 countries on three continents. The sales are the equivalent of 70.572 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program in the long term helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them. This, in turn, positively affects all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.



NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen Celebrates Tenth Anniversary in Nashville
 
Milestones were met in 2016 for NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen television show; the 500th episode was taped in Washington, D.C., last fall and the airing of the 2017 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show episode in early February will mark the tenth anniversary of the show’s first airing. Spring episodes will include full coverage of the event in Nashville and special panel shows on important industry topics including full episode dedicated to market conditions.

“Cattlemen to Cattlemen is one of the best ways NCBA can connect with farmers and ranchers today,” said John Robinson, Executive Director of Organizational Communications, NCBA. “We are very proud of the work we do on behalf of NCBA members and the beef industry and we remain committed to telling the story of America’s farmers and ranchers.”

Over the past ten years, NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen has been used to deliver industry news, producer education and policy updates from Washington, D.C., NCBA started the show in 2007 on RFD-TV as a 30 minute, weekly show. Since then the show has successfully evolved into three, 60 minute airings each week, with debut episodes on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. with re-airs on Wednesdays at 12:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. (All times Eastern).

Production of NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen is possible because of the ongoing support of oustanding sponsors including: Bayer, Dow AgroSciences, John Deere, Merial, NRCS, New Holland, Purina, RAM, Ritchie Waters, Roper and Stetson. To view past episodes of NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen, visit: www. cattlementocattlemen.org.



Livestock Industry Supports Legislation to Address BLM Planning Rule

The Public Lands Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association applaud the introduction of concurrent resolutions in both the Senate and House disapproving the Bureau of Land Management’s Planning 2.0 rule finalized last December. The resolutions, introduced by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Rep. Liz Cheney’s (R-Wyo.) respectively, would reverse damage done in the final hours of the Obama administration. Ethan Lane, Executive Director of PLC and NCBA Federal Lands said the rule represents a wholesale shift in management focus at BLM; prioritizing “social and environmental change” over multiple use, and eliminating stakeholder and local input into the planning process.

“It’s critical that Congress step in to halt implementation of this midnight regulation before it does irreparable harm to our ability to manage federal lands,” said Lane. “Despite paying lip-service to our input in the final rule, the fundamental problems with Planning 2.0 remain, and the rule must be withdrawn. We applaud Senator Murkowski and Rep Cheney’s leadership on this critical issue and look forward to working with Congress and the new Administration to undo this kind of regulatory overreach.”

PLC and NCBA urge Congress to pass these resolutions without delay.



Zinpro Corporation Surpasses Significant Research Milestone

Zinpro Corporation announces a major research milestone in the company’s history: its 200th peer-reviewed research publication across multiple species. The 200th publication was released in the Journal of Animal Science. In this study, researchers investigated beef-cow supplementation with a combination of trace minerals (zinc, manganese, copper and cobalt) during the third trimester of gestation and how feeding different forms of those trace minerals impacted offspring development, immunity and subsequent performance. The study results affirm a concept that offspring can benefit greatly from maternal trace mineral nutrition long after birth. Referred to as Generational Nutrition®, this concept has applications across multiple species, ranging from beef and dairy to poultry, swine and equine.

Reaching this milestone highlights the significant investment in research that has been a cornerstone of Zinpro Corporation since Dean Anderson founded the company 45 years ago. “The 200th publication demonstrates not only the depth of science but also the quality of research that Zinpro is supporting, and has supported over the years,” says Terry Ward, Ph.D., global director of Research and Nutritional Services (RNS), Zinpro Corporation. “This milestone represents a tremendous body of research that covers more than 10 animal species.”

Peer-reviewed research indicates that the science is sound and the study is designed rigorously enough that it passes a review of peer scientists in the field. “It means that the research has been submitted to a scientific journal and subsequently published by the journal,” Dr. Ward explains. “During this process, multiple third-party scientists in the field of interest review and critique the data and the methods by which the data was obtained. They must concur that the experimental methods used to collect and analyze the data are scientifically sound before the data is published.”

This is the first time any trace mineral company in the animal feed industry has achieved this landmark. “We do more animal performance mineral research than all other trace mineral companes combined,” says Joe Carrica, executive vice president, global sales and marketing, Zinpro Corporation. “Zinpro is synonymous with sound research. We have a commitment to our customers to provide relevant, current research to show our products are efficacious and provide benefits to them on a daily basis.”

Key Findings from the 200th Publication
Conducted at Oregon State University, the 200th peer-reviewed publication is titled “Effects of organic or inorganic cobalt, copper, manganese and zinc supplementation to late-gestating beef cows on productive and physiological responses of the offspring” (Marques et. al., 2016. J. Anim. Sci. 94:1215-1226). This study is unique in that it applies to the western range cow-calf producer. These cows often lack access to mineral supplementation in the early stages of gestation, and this study capitalized on the short period producers have when supplementation is feasible in their operations.

“Results from this study showed that by simply supplementing the gestating cow with 7 grams per head per day of trace minerals in the form of Availa®4 during the last trimester, producers can impact overall calf growth and health while also realizing improvements in calf performance all the way through finishing,” says Jason Russell, Ph.D., research nutritionist – beef, Zinpro Corporation.

Research results showed an improved mineral status in the cows fed Availa-4, as well as a lasting impact on their calves in the form of improved immunity and greater weaning weight and carcass weight. “It should be noted that the cows in this study started with good trace mineral status to begin with,” says Connie Larson, Ph.D., RNS ruminant manager – North America, Zinpro Corporation. “When we fed these mineral programs during the last trimester, the result was increased weight at weaning.”

Results from the study also showed a significant reduction in bovine respiratory disease (BRD) treatment rates during the feedlot growing phase of the study in calves born to cows supplemented with Availa-4. The reduction in BRD benefited calf health as well as the producer’s bottom line – through decreased treatment costs and labor as well as decreased stress on the animal.

“Simply by supplementing that cow for the last trimester, we were able to impact calf health and growth,” Dr. Larson says. “To me, that really speaks to how important that mineral program is for the pregnant cow.”

Research has shown that trace minerals play a critical role in the gestating beef-cow diet. Availa-4 features Zinpro Performance Minerals® (complexed zinc, manganese, copper and cobalt) in a unique combination that is research-proven to deliver strong performance benefits to the beef-cow herd and a strong economic return to the cow/calf producer.

“It’s hard to overcome a bad start when it comes to newborn animals,” Dr. Russell says. “Results from this research highlight the opportunity that exists with Generational Nutrition in multiple species to provide a great start to newborn animals – and that great start carries on throughout their life.”