Land and Livestock Post

January 1, 2012

Listen up!

AFLATOXIN MORE DANGEROUS THAN MANY PRODUCERS REALIZE PAG E 8 GREAT NEWS FOR PRODUCERS

IT'S GOOD FOR DINNER

2012 should be a good year for cattle prices.

Study shows beef is part of a healthy diet.

I FARM, THEREFORE iPAD

WATER WORRIES FOR THE FUTURE

PAGE 4

Workshops to teach use of agriculture apps.

PAGE 5

PAGE 6

Report says Texas should spend $53 billion.

PAGE 16

The Land & Livestock Post ✪ January 1, 2012

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2

From the General Manager

I

By PAUL SCHATTENBERG Te s AgriLi Texa riLife riLi Life Extension Service

WACO — The Texas Water Resources Institute is hosting two programs spotlighting watershed restoration and protection Jan. 24-25 in Waco.

The institute is part of Texas AgriLife Research, Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.

According to planners, the programs are designed for watershed stakeholders, including watershed coordinators and water resource professionals.

The first will be the Stakeholder Facilitation Training Program from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Texas Farm Bureau Conference & Training Center, 7410 Fish Pond Road. Training will be presented by Charlie MacPherson of Tetra Tech, an environmental engineering and consulting firm. He will discuss tools used to effectively identify, engage and involve watershed stakeholders to restore and maintain healthy environmental conditions.

“Stakeholder engagement is more than just holding a public hearing or seeking

public comment on a new regulation,” MacPherson said. “Effective stakeholder engagement provides a method for identifying public concerns and values, developing consensus among affected parties, and producing efficient and effective solutions through an open, inclusive process.”

The second program, the Texas Watershed Coordinator Roundtable, will be from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Texas Farm Bureau center.

“These round-table discussions are held biannually and provide a forum for watershed coordinators where they can develop interactive solutions to common watershed issues faced throughout the state and add to the fundamental knowledge conveyed at other courses,” said Courtney Smith, the institute’s training program coordinator.

Registration for the Jan. 24 training is $30. A catered lunch will be offered at the Jan. 25 Texas Watershed Coordinator Roundtable for $10, payable in cash only.

The training course and round table are supported by funding from the Texas Com-

January 1, 2012

hoping that we turn the corner soon.

As if the drought weren’t enough to worry about, we take a look at something else that can cause a lot of damage: aflatoxins. Our cover story and an accompanying piece from Texas Agrilife dig into the issue of afla af toxins and what you can do about them.

We also have several other stories and features that will help you get 2012 off to a good start. Here’s to hoping there are plenty more rainstorms to get caught in this year. ’Til next time,

✪

caug in the rain one got caught night recently on the way to my truck. My first reaction was to make a run for it, but then I realized two things: I don’t like to run, and it’s been a long time since I got caught in JESSE WRIGHT a downpour.

I walked on, soaking up the rain and arrived at my truck wet, but not out of breath.

As we start this new year, there are predictions that the drought will continue into the fall. I’m all for expert opinions and scientific if data, but I sure ific hope the experts are wrong on this one. It was a tough year for us all in the industry in 2011, and I am not alone in

Watershed programs set

The Land & Livestock Post

News

• See WATERSHED/Page TERSHED TERSHED/Page 10

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The Land & Livestock Post ✪ January 1, 2012 4

News

2012 looks to be a good year for cattle prices

By BLAIR FANNIN Texas AgriLife Communications A classic case of supply and demand is predicted for the cattle market in 2012, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist.

Declining cow numbers due to drought will lead to fewer calves, causing tighter supplies across the U.S., said David Anderson, AgriLife Extension livestock economist.

“I think we will continue to maintain historically high prices,” Anderson said recently at the Brock FaulknerBrazos Valley Fall Cattleman’s Clinic in Bryan.

Anderson said his 2012 target prices for 600 pound steers are $131-$138 per hundredweight during the first quarter, $136-$144 in the second quarter, $137-$147 in the third quarter and $133-$143 in the fourth quarter.

The historic drought this year marked the biggest oneyear decline in Texas cow numbers ever with more than 600,000 sold by cattle producers, Anderson said.

“What does this mean?

We’ve got fewer cows and calves, which means higher prices,” Anderson said.

Cattle on feed numbers are high, which is consistent with a drought, Anderson said. Feedlots have been “staying current,” he said, selling animals to packing operations at a steady clip.

Meanwhile, slaughter steer prices hit a high of $125 per hundredweight in April and a low of $105 in June, Anderson said.

“They went back up to $119 per hundredweight in October,” he said.

That’s likely the result of buyers making sure enough beef is in grocery stores to satisfy first-of-the-month specials, Anderson said. “Prices shoot forward, then back off as grocery outlets buy what they need, then pull back due to the economy.”

Nationally, a 12 percent decline in 2011 in beef cow

2012 cattle market outlook • Tight supplies of calves will lead to higher prices in 2012.

• The Texas drought has led to a reduction of more than 600,000 cows in the state (12 percent), the second largest decline in history since 1934-1935 (18 percent).

• The economic recession in 2008 caused consumers to stretch their dollar by purchasing more ground hamburger.

— Source: Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

inventory is the second largest decline in history since 1934-1935 (18 percent), as 550,000 head of cows were sold off during that time. In 1996, a decline of approximately 400,000 cows was recorded during that drought year, Anderson said.

“In 2012, beef production is predicted to be down 4 percent,” he said.

The choice-select spread has choice beef selling for “huge amounts” more than select because exports are booming, Anderson said.

“We have growing demand for choice beef,” he said.

Walmart, the largest grocery retail outlet in the U.S., also is selling more choice beef, Anderson added.

Trends of consumer buying patterns indicate during the beginning of the recession in 2008 consumers were trying to “stretch their dollar by

Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin

David Anderson, Texas AgriLife Extension Service livestock economist, forecasts strong cattle prices for 2012. The historic drought in Texas has caused a decline of more than 600,000 cows, which will lead to fewer calves marketed this year.

buying more hamburger,” he said. “As a result, hamburger, chuck and rounds have reached record prices.”

However, there’s been growing demand for steaks, Anderson said, so “perhaps the economy is not as bad as some might think since there is some willingness to buy more steaks.”

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Workshops to teach Brush management in drought topic of Jan. 5 AgriLife webinar use of iPad ag apps Drought complicates range management necessitating different strategies than normally executed on a yearly basis, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialist.

“Brush Management: What to Do and Not Do in a Drought” will be the topic of a Jan. 5 webinar presented by Will Hatler, an AgriLife Extension rangeland program specialist in Stephenville.

This will be the first in the 2012 webinar series offered

by AgriLife Extension’s ecosystem science and management unit, according to Brittany Grube, graduate assistant and webinar coordinator.

The webinars, which offer a way to earn Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units online, are scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. every first Thursday of the month, Grube said. This webinar, as well as those from the 2011 series, can be accessed at naturalresourcewebinars. tamu.edu.

The webinar presented by

“This presentation will provide infor inf mation on when and how to be successful with your brush management program during a drought. ht.”

WILL HATLER HA AgriLife Li Extension rangel Life ng and program specialist ngel

Hatler will qualify for one pesticide continuing education unit.

“Drought impacts the management of our rangelands and natural areas in many ways, especially during a severe drought like Texas experienced in 2011,” Hatler said. “Brush management strategies during drought can be complicated by unusual conditions on the ground and in the target plant communities.

“The ability to select the proper techniques and timing, relative to the altered

conditions on the ground, is essf essful,” critical to being successful,” he said. “This presentation will provide information on when and how to be successful with your brush management program during a drought.”

For more information on the webinars, contact Grube at Brittany.grube@agnet. tamu.edu.

January 1, 2012

LUBBOCK — The Texas AgriLife Extension Service is conducting a new project to develop and teach agricultural applications for iPhones and iPads to farmers.

Five handson workshops, all with the same curriculum, are scheduled from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in January.

Dates and locations are: • Jan. 9, Lamesa, Forrest Park Community Center, South 10th and Houston streets.

• Jan. 23, Lubbock, Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 1102 E.F.M. 1294.

• Jan. 27, Plainview, South Plains College, 1920 W. 24th St. • Jan. 30, Amarillo, Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 6500 Amarillo Blvd.

• Jan. 31, Dumas, location to be announced.

“Our AgriLife Extension team will train producers to use these apps to more effectively manage risks in their business and improve their financial bottomline,” said Jackie Smith, AgriLife Extension economist in Lubbock.

“They’ll learn to access market data to help evaluate relevant pricing strategies.

They’ll also improve their knowledge of costs and breakevens by using the Cost of Production app the team developed,” Smith said.

Smith said other apps will relate to crop insurance, marketing plans, optimum irrigation water allocation and various time-saving calculators and other tools.

Each workshop participant

will have access to iPads with apps already installed, Smith said. They’ll use case studies to improve their price and production risk management skills.

Each workshop will be restricted to 30 participants.

Husband-andwife participation will require only one registration fee.

Registration is $50 to be paid at the door by check.

For more details on each workshop, go to SouthPlainsprofit. tamu.edu and click on iPhone/iPad Workshops.

To reserve a spot in any of the workshops, call the Lubbock Extension center at 806746-6101 and ask for Viki.

✪

By STEVE BYRNS Texas AgriLife Extension Service

By KAY LEDBETTER Texas AgriLife Communications

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The Land & Livestock Post ✪ January 1, 2012 6

News

Beef can be part of a healthy diet Special to The Post

WASHINGTON — In a first of its kind study, researchers at The Pennsylvania State University demonstrated that eating beef everyday as part of a heart-healthy diet can improve cholesterol levels.

Texas medical doctor and cattleman Richard Thorpe said the Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD) study proves what he has known for years — lean beef not only tastes great but it also plays an important role in a hearthealthy diet.

“As a father, medical doctor and beef producer, I have proudly and confidently served my family beef and have recommended it to my patients for years,” Thorpe said on behalf of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

“The BOLD study is further proof that Americans should feel good knowing the beef they enjoy eating and serving their loved ones is not only a nutrient-rich, satisfying food that provides 10 essential nutrients in about 150 calories but is good for their heart health as well.”

The BOLD study, which was funded by the Beef Checkoff, will appear in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in January. The study followed 36 men and women with moderately elevated cholesterol levels who consumed four diets for five weeks each to measure the impact of each diet on heart health risk factors, such as LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

The four diets evaluated were BOLD, which included an average of 4 ounces of beef per day; BOLD-PLUS, which included an average of 5.4 ounces of beef per day; the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which included an average of an ounce of beef per day; and the Healthy American Diet (HAD), which included an average of 0.7 ounces of beef per day.

Photo courtesy of ateamente.com

A study at The Pennsylvania State University shows that beef can be part of a nutrient-rice, heart-healthy diet.

Subjects following the BOLD and BOLD-PLUS diets experienced a 10 percent decrease in LDL cholesterol from the start of the study.

Further, according to the study’s outcomes, after five weeks, there were significant reductions in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the BOLD, BOLD-PLUS and DASH diets compared to the HAD. “This research adds to the body of evidence concluding that there are heart-health benefits to including lean beef in your daily diet,” said Shalene McNeill, executive director of human nutrition research for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, which is a contractor for the Beef Checkoff. “The BOLD study provides strong evidence that including daily lean beef in the gold-standard DASH diet has heart health benefits.”

McNeill said the BOLD and BOLD-PLUS diets are easy to follow as many recipes used in the BOLD study were from The Healthy Beef Cookbook, which includes a collection of healthy beef recipes.

“As families across the country prepare their holiday meals this month, lean beef is a perfect fit,” McNeill said.

“Americans should feel confinf nfident putting beef on their dinner table knowing that it is part of the solution to building a nutrient-rich, well-balanced and heart-healthy diet.”

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Advice on how to make it through tough times

P

$

s

sue 24 Is

NEWS YOU CAN USE RIGHT IN YOUR MAILBOX

tening to CNN to see when the next shoe will fall.

To you who have never quit trying, I offer a short list. It has helped me keep pointed in the right direction. I have never been a man who made goals. That sounds funny from a fellow who can tell you where he will be entertaining next Feb. 24 or May 5.

I pretty much live from today to my next performance road trip. In the meantime I have cows to check, calls to return, things to fix, church, friends to visit, family and routine responsibilities.

In my travels over the years I get to see my friends. They often say, “We should get together more often.” But, to me, I

do get to see and visit most of them every year or two.

That’s a lot considering the distance between our homes.

I can’t imagine ever “retiring,” as if this is a real job! During this recession many of us are being forced to face reality, the possibility of life-changing upheavals and a cloudy future. Personally, all my responsibilities seem to be swirling and spinning in my mind like puzzles on Wheel of Fortune. They keep popping up like brush fires which need tended immediately. You put it out and another one flares up!

I have given some thought about what is important to me to be able to survive the turmoil that

roils around us. What I can personally do that will make a difference and help while our leaders fiddle as Washington, D.C. burns: • Keep the faith.

• Do good works.

• Keep your shoulder to the wheel.

• Stay in touch with those you care about.

• Listen first.

• Be thankful for each day.

And if that don’t work, I’ll go back to the drawing board ’cause I’ve got a lot of chalk.

January 1, 2012

19.95

ment pension, or welfare, who pay little or no taxes, and have no doubt the next check is coming and those who have money in the bank from inheritance or private investment, pay two/thirds of all the country’s BAXTER BLACK income tax and are confident they can ride it out.

Then there are others.

Most of us I think. Those who have taken two jobs, moved into a smaller house, laid off employees with regret, are lending support to our friends and relatives, pay the rest of the income taxes and keep lis-

✪

resident Jimmy Carter’s reign was called the time of malaise, defined as a feeling of discomfort. Present times might be described as a time of anxiety. Still hopeful, but with very little trust in the people we put in office.

The recession has hit everybody and each of us has to find a way to get through it. We cannot let the niggling dread of what our well-meaning but inept government has wrought bring us down. I’m guessing that there is a segment of our population that doesn’t worry about our economic condition much.

They are on both ends of the spectrum: those who live on a private or govern-

The Land & Livestock Post

Commentary

• Baxter Black is a former large animal veterinarian who writes a syndicated column and appears regularly on National Public Radio. His website is www.baxterblack.com.

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The Land & Livestock Post ✪ January 1, 2012

News

Pay attention!

Aflatoxin more dangerous than you may think

By ROBERT FEARS Special to The Post

W

hen aflatoxin is discussed in a cow-calf producer meeting, the response is usually glazed eyes, feet shuffling, whispering, trips to the coffee pot or a combination of these activities. This lack of interest is because aflatoxin is not considered a serious threat to commercial cattle producers. It can be a problem, however, in feeding homegrown grain or from improper feed storage.

According to Erick Larson, Extension corn specialist at Mississippi State University, aflatoxin is a naturally occurring toxic chemical by-product of fungal growth. The two responsible fungi, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, are found in grains such as corn, milo and wheat; tree nuts; and oil seeds such as cotton, soybeans and peanuts.

The fungi are spread by air-borne spores and produce aflatoxin in crops during seed development or during crop storage and handling. Heat, drought, high humidity and insect infestation predispose crops to aflatoxin-producing fungi.

Aflatoxin is nasty stuff. It causes diseases such as aflatoxicosis in livestock, wildlife, domestic animals and humans throughout the world. Dogs are one of the most susceptible species. Aflatoxicosis, however, can be a problem for livestock, particularly young animals, and there are instances of wildlife and birds affected by aflatoxin in deer corn and birdseed.

Effects of aflatoxin include cancer, liver damage, decreased egg and milk production, immune suppression, gastrointestinal dysfunction, anemia, jaundice, reduced reproduction and a decrease in feed consumption and efficiency.

Group 1 carcinogen

8

Aflatoxin is a Group 1 carcinogen and is transferred to humans through contaminated milk and other foodstuffs. Group 1 carcinogens are those known to cause cancer on the basis of human experience.

“Aflatoxin presence in corn is consistently a challenge in Central and

Photo by Robert Fears

Feedlots in particular need to ensure they are buying grain with no aflatoxin or acceptable levels. Effects of aflatoxin include cancer, liver damage, decreased egg and milk production, immune suppression, gastrointestinal dysfunction, anemia, jaundice, reduced reproduction and a decrease in feed consumption and efficiency.

South Texas, as well as along the Red River valley in the northern part of the state,” says Ben Jones, associate director of the Office of the Texas State Chemist.

“The 2011 crop year was no exception. The widespread, extended drought stressed corn plants statewide and may have played a role in the increased presence of aflatoxin in the south plains around Lubbock and in other panhandle areas not usually concerned with the problem,” Jones said.

“The prevalence of aflatoxin was greater in counties that produce corn, but the levels were manageable.

The Office of the Texas State Chemist collected 356 samples of corn during harvest and the majority contained less than 100 parts per billion,” Jones said.

“Prevention of aflatoxin in corn is

ON THE COVER Sorghum, a popular feed grain in Texas, is susceptible to aflatoxin.

Photo by Robert Fears

difficult,” Jones said. “Scientists are working on the development of aflatoxin resistant hybrid corn seed and the application of non-toxin producing fungi strains to compete with toxin producing strains in the corn plant.”

“Solving the problem in corn will not rid the agricultural and food industries of aflatoxin, however, because it can occur in other grains, grain by-products, oilseeds and oilseed products. Reducing risk through testing, labeling and channeling grain containing aflatoxin to the appropriate animal species is currently the best way to protect livestock producers,” Jones said.

The Food and Drug Administration accepts the following maximum aflatoxin levels in feed for various livestock classes: • 300 parts per billion for corn and peanut products intended for finishing beef cattle.

• 300 parts per billion for cottonseed meal intended for beef cattle, swine, or poultry (regardless of age or breeding status).

• 200 parts per billion for corn or peanut products intended for finishing swine of 100 pounds or greater.

• 100 parts per billion for corn and peanut products intended for breeding beef cattle, breeding swine, or mature poultry.

• 20 parts per billion for corn, peanut products, and other animal

• See AFLATOXIN/Page 13

Bringing consistency to the marketplace

By BLAIR FANNIN Texas AgriLife Communications

✪ January 1, 2012

A new grain-testing program administered by the Office of the Texas State Chemist will bring consistency to the marketplace in light of aflatoxin issues over the past few years, according to the office’s director.

The program pursues a one-sample strategy that “builds consistency in aflatoxin testing among commercial grain establishments and end-users in Texas,” said Tim Herrman, director. “It will also align aflatoxin results between the U.S. Department of AgricultureRisk Management Agency and our office.”

Af toxin is toxin produced Afla by a ffungus that grows in some grain and oilseed crops.

Contamination is both a food safety and public health issue because at high doses the toxin can lead to serious illness, including acute liver cirrhosis and death in both humans and animals, Herrman said.

“At sub-lethal doses, aflatoxin exposure could increase risk of liver cancer,” Herrman said.

The one-sample strategy is a voluntary program administered by the Office of the Texas State Chemist, a regulatory agency headquartered in College Station and part of Texas AgriLife Research. The program incorporates USDA sampling methods outlined in the USDA Risk Management Agency Loss Adjustment Manual Program, Herrman said.

Participants must use Federal Grain Inspection Service-approved test kits validated by the state chemist office for measuring

aflatoxin up to 1,000 parts per billion.

Herrman said state chemist offi of ce field investigators conduct on-site training of grain industry personnel on how to perform sampling for aflatoxin testing using of cial procedures. He said offi the field investigators “serve as the competent authority to ensure that official procedures are followed during harvest.”

To minimize the negative impact of multiple aflatoxin measurements and non-uniform adoption of official procedures, the one-sample strategy utilizes a single corn sample for purchasing, regulatory and crop insurance decisions, Herrman said.

“The ‘one-sample strategy’ includes profic of iency testing ofic for sampling and testing, adoption of quality control techniques including the daily use of control samples and scale calibration, coupled with unannounced inspections, record reviews and verification of aflatoxin test results using retained samples,” Herrman said.

In 2011, the state chemist office implemented the onesample strategy as a step to achieve full compliance with Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act and fulfill pending requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act and minimize market risk, Herrman said.

Each truckload of corn delivered to a commercial grain elevator may be sampled and tested for aflatoxin three times for grain purchasing, crop insurance and regulatory oversight.

The Land & Livestock Post

News

Texas AgriLife Research photo by Blair Fannin

The dark green pictured on this corn ear is Aspergillus flavus, the fungus that produces aflatoxins. A new grain-testing program administered by the Office of the Texas State Chemist will bring consistency to the marketplace in light of aflatoxin issues over the past few years.

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Texas water needs in the future are costly

✪

Report says state should spend $53 billion to meet demand

By WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

January 1, 2012

The Land & Livestock Post

News

AUSTIN — Texas recently approved a somberly er worded erly plan that lays out where the state should spend $53 billion to cope with wit its water needs over the next half century, and warns that future

droughts may mean not enough supply to keep up with growing demand.

The 295-page report by the Texas Water Development Board says that to avoid a potentially thirsty future, the state should implement 562 infrastructure and conservation projects that include

building 26 new reservoirs as well as numerous dams, pipelines and wells — but it provides little guidance on how to pay for such infrastructure.

Texas suffered through its worst single ng -year drought on ngle record in 2011, making the question especially acute.

The board’s latest version of a plan produced every five years says the state’s population is expected to grow 82 percent by 2060, increasing water demand 22 percent even as supply is expected to drop 10 percent. en ent.

It says failing to meet future water needs could cost Texas $11.9 billion per year if the current drought approaches the state’s worst on record between 1950 and 1957, and up to $115.7 bill bi ion annually by 2060.

“The primary ar message ary ag of age the 2012 State Water Plan is a simple one: In serious drought conditions, Texas does not and will not have enough water to meet the

needs of its people, its businesses, and its agricultural enterprises,” board chairman Edward Vaughan wrote in the introduction.

State climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon says Texas has endured droughts in five of the past seven years, and that the current en one is like ent li ly to continue at least unti until til next fall — and may rival the 1950s one.

Rains in recent weeks have helped bring Texas back from the brink. in About ink. ou 41 percent out en of ent the state is now in exceptional drought, compared to nearly 88 percent en three months ent nt nths

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Smaller herd likely to cause higher prices

LUBBOCK — The worst drought in Texas’ history has led to the largest-ever oneyear decline in the leading cattle-state’s cow herd, raising the likelihood of increased beef prices as the number of animals decline and demand remains strong.

Since Jan. 1, the number of cows in Texas has dropped by about 600,000, a 12 percent decline from the roughly 5 million cows the state had at the beginning of the year, said David Anderson, who monitors beef markets for the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

That’s likely the largest drop in the number of cows any state has ever seen, though Texas had a larger percentage decline from 1934 to 1935, when ranchers were reeling from the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, Anderson said.

Anderson said many cows were moved “somewhere there’s grass,” but lots of others were slaughtered. He said that in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana and Arkansas, about 200,000 more cattle were slaughtered this year, a 20 percent increase over last year.

That extra supply could help meet increased demand from China and other countries, but the loss of cows likely will mean fewer cattle in future years.

“Consumers are going to pay more because we’re going to have less beef,” Anderson said. “Fewer cows, calves, less beef production and increasing exports.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that beef prices will increase up to 5.5 in 2012, in part because the number of cattle has declined.

That follows a 9 percent increase in beef prices in the past year.

Oklahoma, the nation’s second-largest cattle producer, also saw about a 12 percent drop in cows, Oklahoma State

University agriculture economist Derrell Peel said.

Anderson said beef production nationally will be down 4 percent next year.

In Texas, the problem is primarily due to the worst singleyear drought in the state’s history.

From January through November the state got just 46 percent of its normal rainfall of about 26 inches.

The drought was the result of a La Niña weather pattern, which brings drier than normal conditions to the southwestern states. Forecasters have said La Nina is back, meaning another dry year for Texas, Oklahoma and other nearby states.

The lack of rain coupled with blistering summer heat caused pastures to wither, leaving rancher with the choice of buying feed for the cattle or selling them.

Betsy Ross, a 75-year-old rancher from the small central Texas community of Granger, said she sold all but 80 of the 225 grass-fed animals she had in January. With feed costs up 40 percent and her pasture parched, Ross said she didn’t have any other option.

“It’s not a profitable year, heavens no,” she said. “If you can’t keep them on grass when they’re grass fed you’re

January 1, 2012

By BETSY BLANEY Associated Press

✪

State sees a 12 percent decline in cattle numbers

The Land & Livestock Post

News

AP Photo/Rex C. Cur Curry, ry File ry,

An Angus/Brahman crossed cow eats mesquite tree beans, higher in protein than grass due to the drought, on Pete Bonds' ranch in Saginaw.

Saginaw Texas' historic drought brought the biggest one-year decline in cows with an estimated 600,000 fewer bovines in the state now than on Jan. 1, 2011. not going to make any money.”

About 200 miles north in Sulphur Springs, part-time rancher Dwyatt Bell said producers in his part of the state sold off of up to half their herds.

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The Land & Livestock Post ✪ January 1, 2012 12

News

Cattle From 11 and livestock producers, and that figure is expected to rise Nationally, the number of cows has dropped by an estimated 617,000 this year, a 2 percent decline from the 30.9 million animals on Jan. 1.

That number would be larger, but states in northern plains such as North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska, increased their cow herd.

Anderson said it’s unclear whether high beef prices would hurt U.S. sales or limit exports.

The U.S. is the world third largest consumer of beef per capita at 85.5 pounds per year.

Uruguay is first at 137 pounds per capita.

“Exports have been the strongest part of beef demand all year and they’re expected to remain so but higher prices should constrain their growth,” he said.

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File

A cow grazes in a dry field near Westbrook. Beef economist David Anderson said the declining cow numbers will lead to tighter supplies from fewer calves and as much as a 5.5 percent increase in beef prices this year.

Aflatoxin From 8

Land & Livestock Post Published by Bryan-College Station Communications, Inc. (979) 776-4444 or (800) 299-7355

President - Jim Wilson...................................................Ext. 4613 Publisher and Editor- Kelly Brown................................Ext. 4656 Advertising Director - Joanne Patranella................ Ext. 4740 Advertising Sales/General Manager - Jesse Wright ........Ext. 4721 Financial Director - Rod Armstrong..................................Ext. 4605 New Media Director - Mike Albin ....................................Ext. 4663 Production Director - Mark Manning................................Ext. 4671 Circulation Director - Jack Perkins ..................................Ext. 4752

From 9 “Multiple tests yield different aflatoxin results and create uncertainty in the market,” Herrman said.

“Aflatoxin is not uniformly distributed in corn and it is measured in parts per billion. Consequently, a 30 percent variation between aflatoxin samples is common when a truckload of corn is tested multiple times using official procedures.”

When official procedures are not followed, a 60 percent variation between aflatoxin sample measurement has been documented by state chemist field investigators, Herrman said.

In Texas, aflatoxin-contaminated cereals and oilseeds exceeding 20 parts per billion must be labeled as feed and channeled to the appropriate end-use, Herrman said.

“Aflatoxin contamination exceeding 300 parts per billion is managed through blending and disposition plans involving regulatory oversight by the state chemist office,” Herrman said.

In addition to the one-sample strategy, the state chemist office approved the use of aflatoxin binders for use in animal feed and it continues to pursue additional steps to ensure product safety, according to Herrman.

“These activities include the development of advanced tracking and tracing technology and a science-based risk assessment to establish safe levels of aflatoxin for specific animals and growth stages,” he said.

Texas corn growers and end-users expect that risk management requirements by the state of Texas and

January 1, 2012

The Eagle

Corn

✪

feeds and feed ingredients, but excluding cottonseed meal, intended for immature animals.

• 20 parts per billion for corn, peanut products, cottonseed meal, and other animal feeds and feed ingredients intended for dairy animals, for animal species or uses not specified above, or when the intended use is not known.

“The amount of aflatoxin an animal can tolerate varies with age, sex and health of the animal,” said Jeff Ball of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. “Younger animals are most susceptible to aflatoxin poisoning. Pregnant and growing animals have slightly more resistance than young animals, but less resistance than mature animals.”

“To diminish risks, ask your feed supplier if they sample and test their incoming ingredients for the presence of aflatoxin,” Jones said.

“Do their purchase contracts specify feed ingredients with no aflatoxin or levels appropriate for the type of livestock for which the feed is produced? Livestock producers can also ask to see aflatoxin analysis results, collect samples and send to a commercial laboratory for analy-

sis, or contact their feed control agency if they suspect a problem.”

Since moldy feed may indicate possibilities of aflatoxin presence, it is important to avoid mold growth by storing feedstuffs in dry, well-ventilated areas. Do not feed hay and supplements in larger quantities than will be consumed by livestock in one or two days. Remove uneaten feed from troughs prior to spoilage.

“When growing grain, it is important to use management practices that promote good plant health,” Mississippi State’s Larson said.

“Healthy plants discourage aflatoxin development. Good management practices are timely planting, adequate fertility, good weed and insect control, supplemental irrigation, suitable plant population and hybrid selection.

“Aflatoxin producing fungi approach dormant levels when grain moisture drops to about 12 percent, especially when air temperatures decline to around 55 degrees Fahrenheit,” Larson said. “If you plan to dry grain yourself, do not harvest more than you can dry within these conditions.”

Research has shown that approved binders, when mixed at low rates with feed, bind aflatoxin and reduce its effect on animals and humans. Texas is the only state that permits the use of binders in custom mixed feeds.

For additional information, visit otscweb.tamu.edu or call 979-845-1121.

Aflatoxin is enough of a threat to livestock that proper feed management is warranted and closer attention to the speaker during the next presentation on aflatoxin.

The Land & Livestock Post

News

Photo courtesy of North Carolina State University

The fungus Aspergillus flavus sporulating on corn.

FDA to utilize current science, he said.

“The adoption of this multi-prong approach will help manage market and food-safety risk associated with aflatoxin,” Herrman said. “This will yield a positive impact on the Texas corn market. In addition to protecting the Texas feed and

food supply, efforts by this office will close the gap in price between Texas and Midwest-grown corn by instilling confidence in the market place.”

For more information about the one sample program, go to otscweb.tamu. edu/Risk/OneSample/ Default.aspx.

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E-mail: thepost@theeagle.com All offices are located at 1729 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan, Texas 77802.

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BRIEFS Southwest Beef AgriLife offers Symposium set pecan program

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ROSWELL, N.M. — Texas and New Mexico Extension agencies will conduct their annual Southwest Beef Symposium Jan. 17-18 in the Roswell Convention Center in Roswell, N.M. This is the seventh year the two agencies have collaborated on the annual event, which alternates yearly between locations in West Texas and eastern New Mexico, said Manny Encinias, New Mexico State University Extension livestock specialist at Clayton. He said the symposium will center around three educational sessions and a trade show.

For planning purposes, organizers said preregistration by Jan. 5 would be appreciated. Individual preregistration is $50. The fee includes a steak dinner, lunch, refreshments and a printed proceedings.

For more information and to preregister, call 432-336-8585 or 575-374-2566.

A schedule of events, speaker information, registration materials and lodging information is available at swbs.nmsu.edu.

LEAKEY — The Texas AgriLife Extension Service office in Real County will conduct a pecan management program from 9 a.m.noon Jan. 4 at the Frio Pecan Farm.”

The program’s scheduled speakers are Larry Stein and Mark Black of the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde.

Their topics will include: • 2012 Orchard ManagementImpacts of drought and how to manage orchards to recovery.

• Disease and Pest Management-Past season insect and disease pressure and the products and know-how to treat them.

Three Texas Depar tment of Agriculture continuing education units will be offered — 1.5 general, one integrated pest management and 0.5 drift minimization.

Individual preregistration is $10 due Jan. 3 to the AgriLife Extension office in Real County.

For more information or to RSVP, call the AgriLife Extension office in Real County at 830-2326673.

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It’s time to winterize your agriculture sprayers

By DAVID ANNIS Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

✪ January 1, 2012

Finalizing the winter livestock feeding program (hay and supplement) is a priority for producers at the end of each year and the start of another. It’s also a good time to look at another important fall/early winter activity: winterizing equipment, especially sprayers.

Even though our sprayers may not have received much use in the spring of 2011 due to the drought, expect them to get a good workout in 2012.

Whenever introduced grasses do not grow and forage resources are over-used, e x p e c t weeds to be a problem the following year.

Being prepared for s p r i n g m e a n s beginning during the winter.

Before it gets too cold, thoroughly clean the sprayer to remove any chemical residues (fol (f low the label directions for cleaning the sprayer) and remove any part(s) that could be damaged by freezing.

Start by removing the strainers and washing them by hand (wearing chemicalresistant gloves) with soapy water. Rinse them and either store or place them back in the sprayer where you can find them next season.

Next, look closely at the nozzles, nozzle bodies and check valves. If you don’t thoroughly clean nozzles and related hardware, chemical residue can build up over the winter and harden. This

residue buildup can reduce dramatically the sprayer’s performance.

Are there old nozzles on the sprayer that haven’t been changed out in a few years? If this is the case, you should budget for new nozzles. For what the new nozzles cost, they’ll save in herbicide use and aggravation next year. nozzle tips, Remove screens, check valves, caps and nozzle bodies from the nozzle body assemblies.

Correctly plug the assemblies to keep spiders and insects from building nests in the hoses. Clean and rinse out the nozzle tips, nozzle bodies and check valves. Store the parts in a well marked container where you can readily find them next season.

A tackle box or small toolbox makes a great storage unit for sprayer parts — just be sure to label the box “sprayer parts.”

Store check valves at room temperature over the winter to avoid damaging them with freezing temperatures.

Remove all pressure gauges, and cap the openings on the sprayer. Find a safe place to store the gauges where they will not be knocked around or freeze.

Finally, circulate antifreeze through the sprayer and all lines. Loosen the caps on the nozzles’ bodies so the antifreeze completely can fill the boom line. Tighten the caps when the boom line is full. This helps to reduce cracking and drying out of the

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Now is the time to clean and store your agriculture sprayer so it will be ready when the crops begin to grow. ow. Doing so will save time and money in the spring. ow

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January 1, 2012

✪

The Land & Livestock Post

News

Monsanto is moving into the grocery aisles

By P.J. HUFFSTUTTER Los Ange An les le Times me mes

CREVE COEUR, Mo. — Monsanto Co., whose genetically modified corn and soybeans have reshaped America’s heartland and rallied a nation of fast-foo -f d foes, wants -foo to revolutionize the produce aisle.

The agribusiness giant already has quietly stepped into the marketplace with produce grown from its seeds.

Grocery customers are chopping its onions that produce fewer tears, stir-frying its broccoli that decreases cholesterol and biting into tiny orange tomatoes that last longer on the shelf.

Soon, people will be thumping melons bred to be a single serving and shucking sweet corn genetically modified to enable farmers to spray the fields with the company’s weed killer, Roundup.

To do this, it’s marrying conventional breeding methods with its vast technological resources to bring about changes in fruits and vegeta-

bles in months or years, rather than in decades.

Monsanto’s goal: to dominate today’s $3 billion global market for produce seeds, much as it already has done with corn and soybeans. ”This isn’t a hobby. ...

We’re serious about it,” said Monsanto Chief Executive Hugh Grant, who expects the company’s vegetable seed revenue to rival its $1.5 billion soybean business in the coming decade.

The move has raised the hackles of some environmental and organic farming groups that fear it will ultimately squeeze out smaller, independent vegetable seed firms.

They also worry that the company will use technology to introduce revolutionary new genes into vegetable plants, just as Monsanto scientists have done in corn, soybeans and cotton. ”Clearly, the company wants to keep its options open,” said Doug GurianSherman, senior scientist with the food and environ-

mental program at Union of Concerned Scientists. ”But I think they understand it’s a dicey proposition to move into (genetically engineered) foods that are widely consumed, rather than foods that

are highly processed or used as animal feed.”

Monsanto officials said the opportunities for growth in the vegetable seed market were too good to ignore. They said there were plenty of

ways to use technology to design better-tasting vegetables, yet avoid the financial and consumer hurdles that

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sweeter, with a lower acidity level and a richer fragrance than conventional grape tomatoes on the market.

Monsanto, however, hasn’t completely ruled out the idea of genetically modified vegetables. Afte Af r all, genetically engineered produce has already made some inroads into U.S. grocery stores.

The University of Hawaii’s genetically modified papaya, resistant to the papaya ringspot virus, has been growing and sold for years.

Biotech giant Syngenta has been selling biotech sweet corn for nearly a decade.

Monsanto’s entry into biotech sweet corn will hit U.S. farm fields later this year. The company is waiting for regulatory approval for a variety of eggplant in India that is resistant to some insects.

January 1, 2012

Photo courtesy of Monsanto

Monsanto Co. is moving into the grocery aisles with vegetables grown from its engineered seeds.

But some scientists say this is genetic modification — just a different type. ”What they really are doing is creating something where the probability is very low that it would have happened in nature without human intervention,” said R. Paul Thompson, director of graduate studies at the University of Toronto’s department of ecology and evolutionary biology.

Although Monsanto has made billions of dollars selling biotech corn and soybeans, which are used in animal feed and processed food, it has generally shied away from investing in biotech products sold directly to consumers.

Part of the reason is simple economics. Biotech seeds typically take years to clear government regulatory systems in the U.S. and elsewhere before they are sold and sown.

Non-biotech seeds can be

brought to market faster.

Part of the reason, too, is to avoid the headaches of public controversy. The company ran into that problem in the 1990s and early 2000s with its NewLeaf potato.

The bio-engineered potato was developed to repel the Colorado potato beetle. But major French fry manufacand McDonald’s, turers which were worried about the public debate over whether biotech crops were safe, barred their growers from raising the genetically modified potatoes.

Monsanto ultimately shelved the product line.

Now the company is focused on its better-breeding approach.

Consumers now can buy Beneforte broccoli, which Monsanto claims has twice as much antioxidant benefit than typical broccoli varieties. There’s the company’s EverMild onion, which has lower sulfur levels and causes fewer tears when cut. And there’s the orange grape tomato, which is bred to be

✪

would inevitably come with rolling out genetically engineered produce for a grocery store.

The amount of arable land worldwide is dwindling, while the world’s population is forecast to jump to more than 9 billion by 2050 from nearly 6.9 billion today. Shifts in weather patterns have caused recent slumps in key crops.

All this, in turn, has waterstrapped countries eager to establish secure food supplies. Fast-growing economies, such as those in India and China, also are stepping up food imports to feed a burgeoning middle class.

Given these factors, Monsanto is making a multibillion-dollar bet that global farming conditions are going to get tougher and farmers are going to be hungry for their vegetable and fruit seeds.

Revenue from Monsanto’s vegetable seed business totaled $895 million for the company’s fiscal year that ended Aug. 31. That’s about 8 percent of its annual revenue, a ffigure the company hopes to grow steadily in coming years.

Monsanto moved aggressively into the vegetable business in 2005 when it bought seed powerhouse Seminis Inc. in Oxnard, Calif. Since then, it has acquired four other vegetable seed companies, opened 57 research centers worldwide and hired a slew of seed geneticists and agricultural researchers.

Today, Monsanto has about 4,000 employees — nearly a fifth of its 21,000 global labor force — working on its vegetable seed business worldwide.

It has nearly doubled the staff at its test farm and research greenhouses in Woodland, Calif., a farm community 18 miles west of Sacramento, where much of the company’s vegetable seed research happens.

Dozens of varieties of tomatoes, hot peppers and onions fill the 144-acre farm facility, where company researchers walk the fields each day, inspecting specimens and collecting samples to study under a microscope.

”A lot of technologies we’ve used for years are very applicable to vegetables,” said Marlin Edwards, chief technology offi of cer for Monsanto’s vegetable seeds division, who is based in Northern California.

Monsanto is relying on a strategy similar to the one it tapped to dominate the world of commodity crops: Use technology to speed up the breeding process. The goal is to create produce that tastes better and plants that yield more product, while letting farmers use fewer resources.

Monsanto officials are quick to stress that they are not creating genetically modified crops. In its Roundup Ready soybeans, for example, Monsanto developed seedlings with genes from a soil bacterium to help the plant to survive being sprayed with its herbicide.

With vegetables, scientists are looking for answers in the same, or similar, varieties of plants. So a trait in one pepper, such as flavor, might be meshed with the DNA of another pepper. The technique has been helpful developing vegetable plants that can withstand certain pests, said Consuelo Madere, vice president of Monsanto’s global vegetable group.

Such techniques speed up the conventional breeding process, Madere said. ”Our researchers have found natural resistances in the DNA of wild-grown peppers,” Madere said. ”So why not breed that resistance into the seed? You don’t need (biotech) for something that nature has already figured out.”

The Land & Livestock Post

News

Whiteface Replacement Sale

200 Herefords 50 Black Baldy Heifers

Cowtown Select Sale

16 Bulls 13 Heifers 1 flush and 1 set of embryos Sunday, January 29th 1 p.m. - West Sale Arena Fort Worth Stock Show Grounds

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January 1, 2012 âœŞ

The Land & Livestock Post

Water From 10

LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORTS Buffalo

Caldwell

Results of the Caldwell Livestock Commission’s Dec.

Sprayers

Milano

Results of the Milano Livestock Exchange’s Dec. 13 sale: Head: 933 Steers: 300-400 lbs., $149$200; 400-500 lbs., $148$195; 500-600 lbs., $129$167.50; 600-700 lbs., $126$144.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $135$174.50; 400-500 lbs., $130$163; 500-600 lbs., $124$159; 600-700 lbs., $116-

$134.50.

Slaughter bulls: $66-$81.

Slaughter cows: $700-$870.

Bred cows: $700-$870.

Cow/calf pairs: $950$1,100.

Navasota

Results of the Navasota Livestock Auction Co.’s Dec. 10 sale: Head: 2,357 Steers: 150-300 lbs., $125$225; 300-400 lbs., $110$190; 400-500 lbs., $110$185; 500-600 lbs., $110$165; 600-700 lbs., $105$145.

Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $120$190; 300-400 lbs., $115$170; 400-500 lbs., $115$160; 500-600 lbs., $105$155; 600-700 lbs., $105$130.

Slaughter bulls: $55-$84.

Slaughter cows: $35-$78.

Stocker cows: $650-$1,650.

Cow/calf pairs: $800$1,650.

— Special to The Post

Graham

From 15 hoses and reduces the amount of moist air trapped in the sprayer. Let the antifreeze sit in the valves and pump to avoid freeze damage and reduce rusting.

If possible, store your sprayer in the barn or out of the weather to reduce the amount of damage from sunlight hitting the hoses. If you have to store it outside, consider purchasing a tarp to cover it. The tarp may not last multiple years, but it will reduce the effects of ultraviolet radiation on your tank and hoses.

Although the number of winter chores seems to increase each year, it’s still important to take care of equipment that could be damaged by cold weather. Winter preparation will ensure the equipment can be ready when we need it in the spring.

It is a good idea to tag your sprayer with a note indicating where the sprayer parts are stored. This might save you time and money when you are ready to use the sprayer during the next season.

14 sale: Head: 562 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $160$199; 300-400 lbs., $160$199; 400-500 lbs.; $150$185, 500-600 lbs.; $140$170, 600-700 lbs.; $115$140.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $140$185; 300-400 lbs.; $150$190, 400-500 lbs.; $135$180, 500-600 lbs.; $130$165.

Slaughter bulls: $63-$86.

Slaughter cows: $35-$84.

Stocker cows: $550-$1,050.

January 1, 2012

Results of the Buffalo Livestock Exchange’s Dec. 10 sale: Head: 1,096 Steers: 150-200 lbs., $150$200; 200-300 lbs., $150$197; 300-400 lbs., $150$202; 400-500 lbs., $145$178; 500-600 lbs., $135$170; 600-700 lbs., $125$145; 700-800 lbs., $125$135.

Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $138$195; 200-300 lbs., $135$195; 300-400 lbs., $130$190; 400-500 lbs., $125$155; 500-600 lbs., $120$150; 600-700 lbs., $115$135; 700-800 lbs., $105$125.

Slaughter bulls: $60-$85.

Slaughter cows: $40-$78.

Bred cows: $650-$1,300.

Cow/calf pairs: $650$1,300.

✪

ago. But La Niña weather patterns also will likely ensure Texas rainfall remains minimal at least through June.

The board also heard that reservoir storage statewide is at a record low of 58 percent.

If all of the plan’s recommended projects are implemented, Texas would generate an additional 9 million acre-fee -f t of water per year by -fee 2060.

An acre-foot is about enough water to supply a typical household for a year.

But funding $53 billion in water projects won’t be easy.

Facing massive budget shortfalls, state lawmakers have made only about $1.4 billion available for future water needs. That means the rest

would have to come from local communities and municipal water suppliers, which are themselves facing cash shortages.

The report recommends that the state Legislature spell out steps to obtain potential sites for new reservoirs, ease restrictions on the voluntary transfer of surface water and look at more longterm solutions to pay for water plan projects.

The board will present the approved plan to Gov. Rick Perry and legislators before Jan. 5, but there is little mechanism to follow up with lawmakers about implementation after that.

Inaction only will make things more costly, though.

Inflation, as well as calling for more use of water treatment and desalinization facilities and pipelines, increased the estimated price of the state’s water needs from $31 billion in the 2007 report.

The Land & Livestock Post

News

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The Land & Livestock Post ✪ January 1, 2012

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