NCBM1109

NOVEMBER 2009

Herd Expansion ■ Opportunities ■ Neighbors ■ CattleFax ■

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Superior Science *Research results from Dr. R. F. Sprouse’s paper “$100 More for Your Feed Lot Steers” pgs 1-6, 2008. Findings from Feedlot Steer Trials 2006-2008 in cooperation with Knight Feedlot Inc. For more information or complete study results, call 800-944-7563. ®ENDOVAC-BOVI, IMMVAC and the IMMVAC LOGO are registered trademarks and IMMUNE PLUS® is a trademark of IMMVAC. ©2008 IMMVAC, All rights reserved.

NATIONAL CATTLEMEN • The Journal for America’s Cattle Producers

NOVEMBER Volume 25 • Number 2

10 12

13 Conflicting market signals and pressures to make decisions on inventory can make it difficult to know when to grow your herd. We’ll examine several factors that can guide your cattle inventory decisions.

10 OPPORTUNITY IN THE EAST China, South Korea and Japan represent great opportunities for the U.S. beef industry. Here we take a look at this growing market in the East.

12 NEIGHBORS In a post-BSE world, Canada and Mexico have emerged as true partners to the United States cattle industry. We’ll examine the challenges that each of these trading partners faces.

4 LEADERSHIP & SOLUTIONS Start planning now for the Cattle Industry Annual Convention and NCBA Trade Show, set for Jan. 27-30 in San Antonio.

8 CATTLEFAX An El Nino is on the way this winter. Learn how it will affect weather around the world as it changes moisture patterns.

13 CAPITOL CONCERNS The 2009 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Legislative Conference was held this September in Washington D.C. Read about the highlights of this annual conference.

DEPARTMENTS

IS IT TIME TO EXPAND THE COWHERD?

FEATURES

6

ABOUT THE COVER Photo by Marvin Kokes, taken at the Kevin Ochsner place near Kersey, Colo.

www.NationalCattlemen.com Th is address takes you to National Cattlemen online.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association reserves the right to refuse advertising in any of its publications. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association does not accept political advertising in any of its publications. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association does not accept advertising promoting third-party lawsuits that have not been endorsed by the board of directors.

www.NationalCattlemen.com

3

LEADERSHIP & SOLUTIONS 4

Make Plans Now to Attend NCBA’s Annual Convention

I

t’s hard to believe, but 2009 is quickly drawing to a close, and 2010 is just around the NCBA President corner. That Gary Voogt means it is time to start planning for the Cattle Industry Annual Convention and NCBA Trade Show. This year, we’re headed to San Antonio for the convention, which is the most important gathering of cattle producers in the country. Mark your calendars now for Jan. 27-30 and plan to travel to the city of the Alamo this winter.

I know there is never a good time to leave your operation. There is always more work to be done and too few hands to do it. But the annual convention is an important chance to meet with your fellow producers and get new information to help you improve the way you do business. It’s an opportunity to meet officers and share your thoughts with us. And it’s a forum to discuss your wants and needs from NCBA with the staff members that are working to serve you. In short, the convention helps you make the most of your membership.

NCBA is run by cattle producers, for cattle producers, so we understand that taking time away from your operation is difficult. That’s why we make sure that the convention is more than just a place to talk business — it’s also a fun vacation for your family.

To those of you in states north of Kansas, there is no better time to

November 2009 l National Cattlemen

travel south than the end of January.

Living in Michigan, I’d probably attend the convention myself even if I didn’t raise cattle, just to get out of the snowdrifts that time of year.

The city for annual convention is chosen with that idea in mind. San Antonio has hosted a number of cattle industry conventions because it provides so many activities for you and your family. The San Antonio River Walk is a tree-lined oasis populated with shops and restaurants along the San Antonio River. It’s a favorite spot for tourists and locals alike.

The Alamo is one of many historical attractions in San Antonio, including the King William Historic District and the Old Spanish Trail of cities conquered by the Spanish. The San Antonio Zoo houses more than 3,500 animals, while the botanical gardens cover 33 acres. There are so many things to see and do in San Antonio that it would be worth the trip for those attractions alone.

Of course, NCBA and our partners in the cattle industry won’t leave you lacking for things to do either.

Meetings will cover educational topics like animal health as well as policy issues like cap and trade legislation.

We offer a pre-convention tour that is a great way to see the local sites and getting to know your fellow producers.

You can learn more about the annual convention at www.beefusa.org. I hope to see you there, and I look forward to talking to you about our industry and our organization.

Gary Voogt is the president of National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

NATIONAL CATTLEMEN The Journal for America’s Cattle Producers

NOVEMBER 2009 VOLUME 25, ISSUE 2 2009 Officers President President Elect Vice President Chairman Federation Division Chairman Policy Division Chief Executive Officer NCBA Publishing Staff Editor

Gary Voogt Steve Foglesong Bill Donald J.D. Alexander Tracy Brunner Forrest Roberts Polly Ruhland

To Learn More About NCBA Call 1-866-BeefUSA (1-866-233-3872) or visit www.BeefUSA.org.

To receive e-mail updates from NCBA, contact Sheryl Slagle at sslagle@beef.org.

Contributors Dr. Tom Field Holly Foster Duane Lenz Bethany Shively How To Contact National Cattlemen’s Beef Association: P.O. Box 3469, Englewood, CO 80155 (303-694-0305); Washington, D.C.: 1301 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20004 (202-347-0228).

National Cattlemen is a publication of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Published by Naylor, LLC 5950 NW 1st Place Gainesville, FL 32607 Phone: 800.369.6220 | Fax: 352.331.3525 Web site: www.naylor.com Naylor Publisher Kathleen Gardner Naylor Editor Elsbeth Russell Project Manager Troy Dempsey Publication Director John O’Neil Advertising Sales Robert Shafer, Paul Woods, Jamie Williams Marketing Associate Erin Sevitz Pagination Catharine Snell Advertising Art Reanne Dawson ©2009 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Who Am I? Dr. Hugh McCampbell is an NCBA member and a large animal practitioner based in Sweetwater, Tenn. A charter member of the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association, he has also been active at the national level and is the 2009 top recruiter of new members through NCBA’s Top Hand Club.

NCBA Part of Coalition for Conservation Through Ranching A group of respected ranching and conservation organizations have come together to form a unique broadbased coalition to consider important conservation issues throughout the West. The Coalition for Conservation through Ranching is a new multi-stakeholder partnership between national conservation-minded groups that share an interest in promoting open space for ranching and healthy landscapes.

Steering committee members of the coalition include the Public Lands Council (PLC), the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Family Farm Alliance (FFA) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Other organizations that have joined the coalition at this time are the American Farmland Trust, the American Forage and Grassland Council, the California Farm Bureau Federation, the Society for Rangeland Management, the Wild Sheep Foundation and the Wilderness Society. The Bureau of Land Management serves as an advisor to the group. The coalition will work on common issues which may include grassland research projects, specific species conservation projects and climate change, including raising the awareness of the important role of grasslands on carbon sequestration, as well as other issues of common interest.

Master of Beef Advocacy Hits 1,000 The Master of Beef Advocacy (MBA) program enrolled more than 1,000 students during its first six months.

More than one-third of those students completed the six online courses and earned their official MBA diplomas.

The MBA program, a partnership between NCBA and the beef checkoff, trains cattlemen and women to be advocates for the beef industry, using self-paced online modules. The program consists of six, one-hour core courses: beef safety, beef nutrition, animal care, environmental stewardship, modern beef production and the beef checkoff. To sign up, send an e-mail to MBA@beef.org and ask for instructions to get started.

ESA Nominations Welcomed Nominations for the annual Environmental Stewardship Awards are open for 2010. The award, now in its 20th year, recognizes producers at the regional and national level who demonstrate outstanding stewardship practices and wildlife habitat improvement, while maintaining profitable cattle operations.

Any organization, group or individual may nominate a U.S. cattle producer. From the field of nominees, seven regional winners are selected by an expert panel representing NCBA, conservation and sportsmen’s groups, federal and state agencies and land grant universities.

Judges consider the management of water, wildlife, vegetation, air and soil, as well as the nominees’ leadership and the sustainability of the business as a whole. Regional winners will be announced in July 2010. From the seven regional winners, judges will choose a national winner to be announced at the Cattle Industry Annual Convention in January 2011.

The program is funded by Dow AgroSciences and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. For more information, including examples of past winners, visit www.EnvironmentalStewardship.org or contact the National Cattlemen’s Foundation at (303) 694-0305.

YOUR NCBA

Around NCBA

NCBA Joins Ag Community Urging Public Outreach on H1N1 NCBA joined a group of 10 national agriculture organizations in thanking the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for its efforts to clear up public misinformation about the nature of the H1N1 virus. The groups also urged the FAO to continue these efforts through the flu season.

In a letter to the FAO, the groups noted: “On behalf of America’s pork, beef and poultry producers, we would like to thank you for the efforts of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to convey to the public and the media the facts about the Novel H1N1 Influenza, particularly that the virus is not transmissible through food and that it did not originate from swine…The initial misnaming of the H1N1 virus as “swine” flu caused the North American pork industry to suffer significant losses. U.S. pork producers were losing just under $10 per head on April 24, the first day the H1N1 flu received wide media attention. That number soared to more than $30 per head as consumer demand for pork fell and some U.S. trading partners closed their markets to U.S. pork despite the large body of evidence demonstrating that the virus is not transmitted through food.

“Even the U.S. beef and poultry industries, which weren’t directly tied to H1N1, have suffered losses because export markets were closed in reaction to H1N1 in the United States. Beef producers estimate losses of nearly $1 million during the weeks after the flu outbreak was first reported, and poultry producers suffered similar economic losses.”

The letter was signed by the American Farm Bureau Federation; American Meat Institute; National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; National Chicken Council; National Meat Association; National Pork Board; National Pork Producers Council; National Turkey Federation; U.S. Meat Export Federation and the U.S.A. Poultry and Egg Export Council.

www.NationalCattlemen.com

5

YOUR BUSINESS

Is It Time to Expand the Cowherd?

By Tom Field, Ph.D.

“Y

ou can’t shrink your way to greatness,” says business management author Tom Peters. Yet, trends in beef cattle inventory stand in stark contrast to Peters’ advice. During the past 15 years, approximately 150,000 producers have exited the cattle business. In 2009, USDA data show the U.S. beef industry at 50-year lows in total cattle inventory, beef cows and feeder calf supplies (Table 1).

Inventory has been reduced despite a 12-year run of profitability for the average cow-calf producer during a concurrent period of steady-toincreasing beef demand. As a result, most industry analysts project that additional cattle feeding and beef processing capacity will be idle over the next year as the industry strives to regain profitability.

Fourth-quarter decision making in the cow-calf sector in 2009 is a tough call. Managers must sort through a maze of confl icting signals and pressures to arrive at logical decisions about replacement heifer retention, culling rates and business expansion.

Appropriate choices depend on answers to the following questions: • Where is the economy headed?

• What is the future for global protein demand?

• How severely will the dairy and swine industries cut inventories of breeding stock?

• What will happen in the feedstuffs markets – both forages and grains?

Let’s examine each of these factors one at a time.

The Economy Chaos and volatility will be descriptors that historians choose to describe the economics of the past 18 months, and perhaps the next two to four quarters. Without question, the U.S. and global economies have taken a beating and the agricultural sector, including beef, has not been immune

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November 2009 l National Cattlemen

to equity losses, cash-flow problems and a host of other challenges arising from recession. The economic downturn can be attributed to many factors, but perhaps most critical is lack of fiscal discipline by individual consumers, companies and the government. All three entities failed to respond to leading indicators foretelling the crisis in the financial, housing and energy sectors, while consistently spending beyond their means.

However, during the past two quarters, consumers changed their habits by increasing savings, moderating personal spending and bringing debt back to manageable levels. While indicators about the health of American businesses carry divergent messages, one thing remains clear: businesses that stuck to their core abilities, implemented a risk management game plan and avoided government ownership seem to have better weathered the storm. The tide of public opinion has taken a decided shift back to the center, which suggests that members of Congress and the administration will have to modify their approach if they desire the opportunity to retain power in upcoming elections.

Beef Demand The Food and Agriculture Organization at the United Nations projects that the world’s growing population will double demand for protein by 2050. History has shown that beef demand rebounds with economic recovery in both domestic and international markets. For example, China’s economy lagged behind the rest of the world through the 1960s and 1970s with consumption of animal products hovering around 5 grams per person, per day. Yet when the economy of China boomed resulting in significantly higher disposable incomes for Chinese citizens, daily intake of animal protein grew to nearly 35 grams per day in the period from 1980 to 2002. All other factors being equal, rising beef demand in the U.S. is more a question of “when” than “if.”

How Will the Dairy and Swine Industry React to Low Profitability?

Faced with massive decline in milk prices, coupled with a rapid rise in feed costs, the dairy industry is experiencing significant losses. In response, the dairy industry initiated

YOUR BUSINESS Expansion – Deal or No Deal?

Table 1. Inventory trends for the U.S. beef industry Year

Beef Cows (1,000 hd)

All cattle and calves (1,000 hd)

Cattle on feed (1,000 hd)

3 state calves grazing small grain pastures (1,000 hd)

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2007

45,112 37,107 35,405 32,455 35,190 33,575 32,674 32,644

132,028 111,242 109,582 95,816 102,785 98,199 95,018 96,573

10,171 12,221 12,453 11,626 12,420 14,073 13,925 14,647

NA NA NA NA NA NA 3,100 2,600

2009

31,671

94,491

13,851

1,650

Source: USDA

three dairy herd buyouts this year through its Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) program. At this writing, dairy cow harvest tracks nearly 15% higher than a year ago.

As a result, harvested cows (beef and dairy combined) are 2% above a year ago and 15% higher than the running five-year average.

The pork industry has lost nearly one-half of its equity in the past 18 to 24 months, sustaining losses of $20 per head. The underlying causes of these losses are high feed prices fueled by the heavily subsidized ethanol industry’s growth and the fallout of H1N1 influenza. Even with corn prices readjusting from the speculative highs of 2008, feed costs have added more than $25 of additional cost to each hog marketed compared to the first half of 2007.

Pork producers are sure to reduce the breeding herd and they recently asked USDA to allocate $150 million to buy excess pork volume.

The net effect will be added pressure on cow prices.

Thus for the remainder of 2009 and perhaps into the first half of 2010, market cow prices will Table 2. Feed prices Year 1995 2000 2002 2004 2006 2007 2008 2009 Source: USDA

Alfalfa ($/ton)

Hay ($/ton)

Corn ($/bu)

87 90 100 99 114 139 161 124

66 71 76 75 104 111 119 106

3.53 1.86 2.32 2.05 3.13 4.45 4.05 3.58

be under downward pressure as the dairy and swine industries reduce numbers.

Feed Prices Year-to-date precipitation levels have been notable and with the exception of south Texas, the U.S. generally has avoided sustained drought conditions. With excellent fall forage conditions, beef producers have the potential to send the breeding herd into winter in good body condition with most of the nutrients provided via grazed forages. In many cases, producers anticipate that they may be able to graze longer than typically expected and thus reduce supplemental feed costs.

While haying season was confounded by excellent rainfall, thus reducing the overall quality of early cuttings across much of the primary beef producing region of the U.S., the overall volume has been sufficient to reduce alfalfa and hay prices significantly compared to 2008. In some states, alfalfa is lagging nearly $100 a ton beyond prices for the previous year (Table 2).

If weather remains favorable, the Heartland is on track to yield an exceptional corn and soybean crop. Some forecasters call cash corn prices at levels below $3 per bushel in the last quarter of 2009 and on into 2010. While a government decision to change the ethanol blend could have an impact on corn prices, the overall picture for feed prices remains far better than late 2007 and 2008.

A number of emerging trends and conditions suggest expansion should begin now. First of all, long-term demand forecasts for beef consumption are favorable. In light of the long biological cycle for the beef industry and current inventory trends, the industry cannot afford to wait much longer to stabilize and expand its inventory. The next two quarters will likely see downside pressure on market-cow prices due to liquidation in the dairy and swine industries, thus the incentive to liquidate is not supported from a price perspective. Good range and pasture conditions coupled with excellent feed availability appears to be supportive of expansion both through retention of more replacement heifers or from discouraging excessive culling in the short term. The overall economy remains a wild card, and while the vast majority of forecasters are cautious with estimates about economic growth in the remainder of 2009 and most of 2010, they predict a much brighter outlook for 2011. Taken in total, modest expansion is a reasonable strategy this fall.

Finally, from a longer-term perspective, if the beef industry continues to reduce the size of the breeding herd, then the industry may see a sizeable portion of the beef production and supply chain infrastructure become idle. If an additional 800,000 to 1.5 million head of feedyard capacity goes empty then the processing sector is sure to downsize as well. Once that happens, the industry is faced with the possibility that its future growth will be restricted by a lack of capacity beyond the cow-calf enterprise and in light of the current regulatory climate; regaining lost capacity may be a crippling hurdle to future industry success.

Tom Field, Ph.D., is executive director, producer education for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

www.NationalCattlemen.com

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CATTLEFAX

YOUR MARKET UPDATE

An El Nino’s Brewing: What’s it Mean for You?

By Duane Lenz

Precipitation Outlook October through December 2009

Above Below

A

ccording to CattleFax consulting Meteorologist Dr. Art Douglas, an El Nino is on the way this winter. An El Nino occurs when a pool of warm water forms in the Southern Pacific. It can affect weather around the world as it changes moisture patterns.

Here in the U.S., the effect is different for different parts of the country. For the northern parts of the U.S. this pattern typically brings warm, dry weather and in fact, the Northwest could note drought conditions.

The southern U.S. will normally note wetter winter weather in these kinds of years. California could be mixed, with the area south of the San Francisco Bay noting wet conditions while northern California stays dry.

For the Southwest and South Plains

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November 2009 l National Cattlemen

the wetter pattern could bring snowy and muddy conditions to the feedlot regions of Texas and Kansas. The Southeast could also see more rain than normal.

As far as the cattle market, the biggest impact in this scenario would be the effect of the wet weather in the southern Plains feedyards.

A wet scenario in feedyards tends to raise fed cattle prices as cattle struggle to gain weight, using much of their energy instead to stay warm and slog through mud and snow. Cattle therefore tend to be marketed later than normal as owners seek to regain lost weight. Th is results in fewer cattle on the front end and less pounds being marketed.

The higher market seldom translates to profitability as gains are slowed and cost of gains skyrocket, resulting

in performance losses. Sickness and death loss also increase which negatively affects the bottom line.

Risk management becomes more difficult as the futures market may rise along with the live market, resulting in hedge losses. For the stocker operator, feed costs may go up in the winter wheat regions if snow remains on the ground, while stockers in the West may have to supplement feed because of drought.

For cow-calf producers, the winter wheat and early grazing will support prices early, but a dry winter may mean slow developing grass in the North during the spring, especially if spring rains fail to materialize. In the South, feedyards may be slow to restock as pens remain sloppy, making managers reluctant to refill the wet pens with new cattle.

NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen ...A Television Show by Cattlemen for Cattlemen

Covering the issues that matter most to your operation and your industry from across the country!

Join host Kevin Ochsner for NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen debuting Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m.

Also watch on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m.

(All times eastern) Watch online anytime at: www.CattlemenToCattlemen.org

Join host Kevin Ochsner for new episodes of NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen on RFD-TV!

YOUR BUSINESS

Opportunity in the East

By Holly Foster

C

hina represents one of the world’s oldest and most complex cultures, but its growing economy will likely make it a key player in a world financial recovery. With more than 1.3 billion inhabitants, China is the most populated country in the world.

A growing middle class that is estimated to be the same as the entire United States population has created a marked increase in consumer spending on food, and demand for higher-quality beef has grown as a result.

Historically, according to Australian researchers Dong Wang, Kevin Parton and Claus Deblitz in a paper published in the Australasian Agribusiness Review, China has been self-sufficient in its production of beef. However, cultural changes are influencing how much beef Chinese consumers purchase and have changed the face of domestic production.

“Beef is not traditionally a major part of the Chinese diet, but people are trying out lots of new foods as their purchasing power rises,” says Fred Gale, a senior economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS). “Steak houses have become a new fad in recent years and Brazilian barbecue is also a popular type of restaurant found in a lot of cities.”

Gale adds that fast-food chains including McDonald’s and Subway have also contributed to more demand for beef among Chinese consumers, as well as high-end hotels with “western” style restaurants.

Cattle have been present on mainland China for thousands of years and were originally used for draft purposes. Traditional customs made it largely taboo to slaughter cattle for beef in many regions.

Exposure to western culture and changing demographics has changed

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November 2009 l National Cattlemen

that attitude and consumer demand for beef has grown.

Domestic producers have met the demand for more beef by increasing supply from 934,000 tons in 1990 to more than 7 million tons in 2005, making China the third largest beef producing country in the world, after the U.S. and Brazil. Cattle inventories, many of which are actually part of China’s exploding dairy industry, have not grown at a rate fast enough to offset harvest rates, creating a potential beef deficit for Chinese consumers.

“Beef production in China is expected to decline in the future as small backyard producers, which account for the majority of production in the highly fragmented industry, face low returns, high grain prices, a lack of grazing lands and significant market-based risks,” says Erin Daley, economist for the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

“Compared to the pork industry, there has been limited investment

in the Chinese beef industry due to the longer production interval, land and resource requirements and lower government subsidies,” adds Daley.

“As a result, domestic Chinese production will likely not keep up with increased demand.”

Increasing affluence and a growing middle class have made China a target for beef export expansion by both the United States and other countries, including Australia.

While much of China’s population still remains rural, a growing middle class has seen incomes rise by an average annual rate of more than 8% since the economic reforms that began in the late 1970s. Prior to the current economic slowdown, China’s economy expanded at a rate of approximately 10% per year, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

Prior to the first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) identified in the United States in 2003, China represented a market

YOUR BUSINESS that was worth approximately $100 million in beef exports, according to the USDA. “Beef imports, mainly from the U.S., were on an exponential growth path until 2003,” says Gale.

Normalizing trade with China has been difficult since the market was closed in 2003.

“Despite China’s high-level political commitment in 2006 to reopen its borders to U.S. beef, this is the only market that remains completely closed to our product,” says Gregg Doud, chief economist for NCBA. “This market has grown like gangbusters in recent years but we haven’t been able to even discuss normalizing trade with the Chinese for two years as a result of the argument on Capitol Hill about other issues, including the importation of cooked poultry from China.”

In spite of those challenges, this is still a market worth watching. “The developing countries, especially the ‘BRIC’ countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China will account for the majority of GDP growth in the future,” says Daley. “Of these countries, Russia had been the only major red meat importer, but China emerged in 2007-2008 as the largest pork importer in the world due to a shortage in domestic supply.

Maintaining self-sufficiency in meat production will continue to be a challenge for China and makes it a major wild card for global red meat producers.”

Average per-capita consumption of beef in China remains well below other Asian markets; however, it has continued to grow. USMEF reported that in 2002 per-capita consumption averaged 4.5 kilograms, but increased to 5.6 kilograms in 2007. More recent consumer concerns regarding the H1N1 virus and its perceived link to swine have softened demand for pork.

According to USMEF, beef consumption in Greater China, which includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, is increasing at a rate faster than pork

or chicken. More affluent consumers are also changing their cooking methods from traditional stewing and wet cooking to dry cookery methods such as grilling or roasting.

The foodservice or hotel and restaurant trade has represented some of the largest potential for growth within this market and has prompted demand for grain-fed beef.

According to USMEF, following annual growth of 30% during 2008, global beef exports to Greater China increased 36% through July 2009 (compared to the same period last year). The Greater China region has been the only major growth market for beef exports this year, with exports from all major suppliers posting at least double-digit growth through July. U.S. exports beef exports to the region are up 52% through July (totaling 89 million pounds), building on annual growth of 135% during 2008 (when exports neared 113 million pounds). U.S. beef exports account for more than 80% of global grain-fed beef exports to the Greater China region while Brazil and India supply large volumes of mainly frozen manufacturing beef. Direct access for U.S. beef exports to mainland China would further expand U.S. beef prominence in this vast and growing market.

Jim Peterson, a rancher from Buffalo, Mont. and chairmanelect of the U.S. Meat Export Federation recently visited several Asian countries and says untapped opportunities in China, South Korea and Japan represent great opportunities for the U.S. beef industry.

“If we could develop these Asian markets and get our access back to anything close to what it was in 2003, the economic stimulus would be huge for U.S. livestock producers, and this market is as they say, ‘shovel-ready.’”

Holly Foster is a fourth-generation cattle producer and freelance writer based in California.

WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL (800) 317-0838 W W W. A M E R I S A F E . C O M

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7/29/09 1:39:37 PM www.NationalCattlemen.com

11

YOUR BUSINESS

Neighborly Affairs

Canadian and Mexican producers adjust to their changes – and ours

By Holly Foster

I

n a post-BSE world, Canada and Mexico have emerged as true partners to the United States cattle industry.

Together the two countries represent almost 60% of the current U.S. export trade. The U.S., Canadian and Mexican cattle businesses have been closely tied for hundreds of years, but culture, climate and politics recently have created challenging situations for our trading partners.

Mexico Historically, Mexico’s strength has been an excess of forage, resulting in an ability to produce feeder cattle inexpensively and a strong domestic demand for grassfinished beef. Changes in Mexican consumer preferences and the country’s willingness to import U.S. grain-fed beef have created a new marketing environment.

“During almost the last decade, there has been a dynamic growth in beef demand among Mexican consumers, partly in quantity, but also in the quality and a desire for a product similar to the United States,” says Derrell Peel, a livestock marketing specialist with Oklahoma State University. “This has created both challenges and opportunities for Mexican cattle producers.”

More than one-half of Mexico’s 196 million hectares are used for livestock production. Traditionally, Mexican cattle producers finish cattle on grass and market directly to major consumer centers. Now, Peel estimates that more than 50% of cattle harvested in Mexico go through some sort of intensive feeding period. As a result, feedlot capacity has expanded, especially in the northern part of the country.

Tough economic times for both consumers and Mexican cattle producers hindered expansion in recent months.

Drought still severely affects portions of the country.

Although the Mexican cattle industry is changing, Peel feels both Mexico and the United States can benefit from a complimentary relationship.

“Even though Mexico is developing a segment of more intensive feeding operations, the country is still a natural trading partner to the U.S.,” he says. Mexico will continue to have a need for beef products from the U.S. to blend with its domestic production, he says.

Canada Canada’s small domestic population means that the country’s 90,000 beef producers came to rely heavily on export markets to maintain profitability.

Canada’s historical dependence on export markets meant that the identification of the fi rst

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case of domestic BSE in 2003 created even more severe challenges than those faced by the United States with its subsequent first BSE case. A recently released CanFax Research Services report said that beef and cattle exports accounted for more than 50% of Canadian beef production between 2000 and 2002. Closure of those markets resulted in a 65% drop in fed cattle prices between April 2003 and July 2003.

Cessation of live cattle exports to the U.S. created an oversupply for the domestic Canadian market, also contributing to depressed fed cattle prices.

“Our industry faced some very tough years immediately after the discovery of BSE,” says Travis Toews, vice president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) and a cow-calf and stocker operator near Grand Prairie, Alberta. “We have been working hard to regain market admission, but there are still some critical markets where we don’t have viable access, notably Japan and South Korea.

Not being able to export beef from cattle over 30 months of age to Mexico has also been really challenging.”

To help normalize trade, the CCA made 25 recommendations to the Canadian federal government on how it conducted trade negotiations. “Our association examined what the U.S. and Australia has done to increase market access, and combined that with our unique needs as an exporting nation, to offer recommendations for more rapid progress,” says Toews.

Canada’s cattle industry had been closely integrated with that of the U.S. packing industry, so when the border closed to live cattle exportation, not only did Canada have insufficient packing capacity to process its own cattle, but price discovery mechanisms were also affected.

Canada has aggressively attempted to increase harvest facility infrastructure, but price discovery mechanisms still remain hampered, especially after the implementation of mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) in the U.S. earlier this year, according to Toews.

“U.S. processors are bidding lower on Canadian fed cattle, which affects how much Canadian processors will pay for domestically raised cattle.”

For both Mexico and Canada, the implementation of mandatory COOL has been cited as a major stumbling block. Both countries have fi led complaints with the World Trade Organization (WTO) claiming that the final rule is inconsistent with current trade obligations.

CAPITOL CONCERNS NCBA, Working for you in D.C.

NCBA Holds Successful Legislative Conference

By Bethany Shively

Nearly 160 cattle producers representing 31 states attended the 2009 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Legislative Conference this September in Washington D.C. Highlights of the week included briefings by the new chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee Sen. Blanche Lincoln and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

Members also participated in meetings with key officials at the Agriculture Marketing Service; Food Safety and Inspection Service; Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; Foreign Agricultural Service; Global Change Program; Marketing Regulatory Programs; Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; Food and Drug Administration; Environmental Protection Agency; Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Bureau of Land Management and Fish and Wildlife Service.

NCBA helps members prepare for these meetings with briefings on the key issues before Congress currently.

While health care reform was the top item on the agenda for Congress, there are a number of subjects being debated that can directly impact your business.

Here is a brief summary of current issues discussed: Food Safety: Beef safety is top priority for cattlemen. As the House and Senate continue to work out details of a food safety bill, we’ll be working to make sure it meets our common goal of increasing food safety, without creating unintended consequences for industry or agriculture.

Antibiotic Use in Livestock: Congress is considering the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), which would phase out the use of non-therapeutic antibiotics in animals. Cattlemens’ judicious use of antibiotics is a necessary tool to prevent, control and treat disease in cattle. Prohibiting all low-level applications of antibiotics used in livestock will reduce our ability to manage disease in cattle.

All antibiotics used in beef cattle production go through a rigorous testing process before being approved by the FDA. In multiple studies, no connection has been found between antibiotic use in cattle and antibiotic-resistant foodborne or other pathogens. It’s important that any decisions about the use of antibiotics are based on science, and not politics.

Climate Change: The Cap and Trade bill—as passed in the House— could significantly increase fuel, electricity, feed, fertilizer, equipment and other input prices for cattle operations. Some economists estimate that the Cap and Trade bill could decrease farm income by $8 billion in the short term and more than $50 billion long-term.

NCBA opposed the House bill because of concerns about increased operating costs, and is working with the Senate to improve the legislation.

Death Tax: Currently, estates valued at more than $3.5 million—or $7 million for a couple—are taxed at a 45% rate. If Congress doesn’t act to reduce the estate tax, in 2011 it will revert to a staggering 55% tax on estates worth just $1 million or more.

NCBA is asking Congress to support H.R. 3524, the Family Farm

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YOUR CAPITOL CONCERNS and Conservation Preservation Act, sponsored by Congressmen Thompson (D-CA) and Salazar (D-CO), which would exempt working farm and ranch land from the death tax, as long as the land is kept in production agriculture.

NCBA is also asking for additional estate tax relief for agriculture operations in tax extender legislation.

Transportation Reauthorization: Agriculture and cattle production are unlike the manufacturing industry, because during busy seasons, our transportation needs don’t comply with normal working schedules. For that reason, cattle producers need Congress to increase the allowable truck weight limits for certain agricultural vehicles, which will increase productivity and make us more competitive with Mexico and Canada, countries that allow heavier trucks. Because livestock must frequently be transported across state borders, uniform standards are critical for a smooth flow of commerce.

NCBA is supporting H.R. 1799— the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2009—which would allow states to permit vehicles to haul agricultural products up to 97,000 pounds with the addition of a third axle. Additionally, HR 1220 and S.639—the Farm Truck Bill—would exempt agricultural haulers from federal commercial motor vehicle

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and operating regulations and raise the federal definition of commercial vehicles from 10,001 pounds to 26,000 pounds.

The Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill included an amendment (Section 194) by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) authorizing a pilot project exclusive to the state of Maine to allow an increase in the allowable truck weight limits on Maine’s federal roads.

Under the provision, 100,000-pound six-axle trucks (currently authorized on state roads only) will have access to Maine’s federal interstate system for a one-year period, during which time studies will be conducted to evaluate the impacts on safety, infrastructure, and the environment. The House version of the bill does not include a similar provision.

Section 194 is a positive step toward increasing efficiencies in the transportation sector. NCBA continues to support similar legislation at the national level to allow states the choice to safely increase allowable truck weight levels, and in turn save on energy and costs associated with agriculture trucking.

Earlier this fall, the House passed a three-month extension of current surface transportation law. The Senate is considering an extension of 18 months. An 18-month extension,

which is favored by the White House, would postpone votes on gasoline taxes and/or other revenueraisers until after the 2010 midterm elections.

Clean Water Restoration Act: NCBA is working to defeat this act. The existing clean water act has been highly successful thanks to the strong partnership that exists between the federal and state governments, which allows states flexibility to manage their own land and water in a way that makes sense. According to legal experts, there is ample authority under current statutes to regulate clean water. The proposed Clean Water Restoration Act is not about clean water; it is about total watershed control by the government.

At a time when our resources are already stretched thin, it makes no sense to expand the government’s responsibility to mud holes and other wet areas with little to no environmental value to the public.

The Clean Water Restoration Act was passed out of committee, but Sen. Crapo (R-ID) placed a hold on the bill, indicating that he would fi libuster the bill if necessary.

For more information, visit www.beefusa.org.

Bethany Shively is associate director media relations for National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

8/19/09 5:48:24 PM

YOUR CAPITOL CONCERNS EPA GHG Reporting Requirements Will Have Major Impact on Livestock Operations The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final rule to require livestock operations that emit 25,000 tons or more of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) per year from their manure management systems to report those emissions as part of a mandatory greenhouse gas registry. The new rule will affect beef cattle operations that have 29,300 or more head of cattle, about 150-180 cattle operations nationwide—a much larger number than the 11 operations EPA originally projected to be covered under the proposed rule released in April. NCBA sent comments to EPA in June in opposition to the proposed rule.

According to the EPA, GHGs from all livestock manure management systems in the U.S. account for less than 1% of all U.S. GHG emissions, and manure management systems from the beef sector emit only .12% of total emissions. As such a minor emitter, this type of reporting by the livestock sector will not provide data that are useful to address EPA’s longterm goal of reducing major sources of GHG emissions, and it will be a significant financial and administrative burden on cattle operations. Instead of being regulated, agriculture should be considered a solution to the climate change problem by providing important sources of offsets such as soil carbon sequestration and renewable energy.

The efficiencies found in cattle feeding are critical to providing a nutritious and affordable food supply. Emissions from beef manure management systems are purely natural, and in no way should be compared to emissions from cars or factories.

NCBA supports efforts by our land grant universities to gather data to accurately measure livestock emissions and develop best management practices to mitigate them.

If you have questions about how this rule will affect your operation, contact NCBA at 202-347-0228.

Sunstein Confirmed to Top White House Regulatory Position The Senate voted 57-40 to confirm Cass Sunstein as the new administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). As OIRA administrator, Sunstein will review and approve or reject all regulations promulgated by the Obama administration, thus giving him great power to influence these regulations.

NCBA expressed concern to the Senate about Sunstein’s long history of academic work in animal rights and antilivestock advocacy, including a book in which he asserted that animals should have the right to bring suits against humans, with humans as their legal representatives.

Sunstein sought to clarify those concerns with a letter to Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) in which he clarified that he does not favor and would not support such a right, and that his primary concern would be to ensure that regulations are consistent with the Constitution, the law as enacted by Congress, and the principles reflected in governing executive orders.

USDA Agrees to NCBA’s Request for Changes to Livestock Indemnity Program The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that it will add an additional weight category to the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) for non-adult beef cattle, non-adult dairy cattle, and non-adult buffalo/beefalo.

LIP compensates livestock owners at a rate of 75% of the market value of the livestock for losses in excess of normal mortality rates due to adverse weather.

NCBA has been actively pushing for changes to this program, which has historically set only two weight categories for assessing market value— under 400 lbs and over 400 lbs. This has caused undervalued assessments for livestock losses. NCBA held meetings with FSA to highlight the importance of rectifying this problem.

FSA announced that the over-400 pound category will be split into two

categories: 400 to 799 pounds and 800 pounds or more. This change will ensure that the assigned market values for non-adult beef cattle, non-adult dairy cattle and non-adult buffalo/ beefalo over 400 pounds reflect the statutory requirement for the payment to be 75% of the market value for the livestock.

Compromise Reached on China Poultry Trade In September, conferees to the Fiscal Year 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill agreed to compromise language that would allow USDA to perform a risk-assessment to determine whether Chinese poultry products are safe for importation to the U.S. The agreement will allow USDA to do its job, protecting Americans from unsafe foods, while giving China the same treatment as all other nations who seek to ship their meat and poultry products to the U.S. The House-passed version of the appropriations bill contained a provision that effectively banned the import of certain Chinese chicken products, without allowing USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to conduct a necessary and appropriate riskassessment. The provision—which NCBA actively opposed—prompted China to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and has continued to adversely impact U.S. credibility, and potentially hinder U.S. market access for beef.

Dairy Herd Retirement Coincides with Beef Cow Culling Season Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has announced the implementation of its third herd retirement in 2009, effective Oct. 1, 2009. The timing of this latest dairy retirement, at the height of beef cow culling season, could have a negative impact on cull cow prices this fall.

NCBA Chief Economist Gregg Doud provided the following analysis: “As the economy continues to exhibit sluggish signs of growth, beef demand continues to struggle. Our cattle feeding sector

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YOUR CAPITOL CONCERNS alone has seen equity losses of over $7 billion going back to December 2007. At the same time, the beef complex overall is under unrelenting duress due to huge pork supplies and pork prices that seem to give wholesale beef prices no ability to gain altitude, despite seasonal improvement in cattle supplies. In these challenging times, it’s more important than ever that all nonmarket related and policy decisions take into account the seasonal and psychological impacts that they have on the beef and other industries.”

Senators Harkin and Lincoln to Take Over Key Committee Roles With the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), the Senate appointed leadership to two key committees. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) left the Agriculture Committee to take Kennedy’s spot on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee. Sen.

Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) will fill Harkin’s former chairmanship of the Agriculture Committee. Both Harkin and Lincoln are strong voices for America’s agricultural heritage.

Harkin’s role will give him oversight jurisdiction of FDA and will have a direct impact on issues like approval of animal drugs, livestock feed and nutrition labeling.

Lincoln began her leadership of the agriculture committee by speaking to NCBA’s legislative conference in September. Her introduction of an amendment to provide death tax relief during the Senate budget debate this spring shows her commitment to helping America’s farmers and ranchers.

Public Lands Council (PLC) Works to Maintain Public Access on Federal Lands During consideration of the FY 2010 Interior-Environmental

Protection Agency Appropriations bill, the Senate declined to insert language that would have designated additional range on public lands as exclusive horse sanctuaries. This type of public-land designation would be a drastic departure from our country’s proud tradition of allowing public access to federallyowned lands, and permitting multiple uses of those lands by diverse groups like ranchers, sportsmen and nature enthusiasts. Exclusively designating land in this way would also make it harder for the secretary of the interior to maintain a sustainable population of horses, both by imposing additional costs on administration and by limiting tools needed to manage populations.

PLC continues to urge lawmakers to oppose legislation that would undermine the multiple-use tradition of our country’s shared federal lands.

Time flies when you’re having fun …

Recruiting New NCBA Members!

Become a member of NCBA’s member-recruit-a-member Top Hand Club and earn prizes.

The new recruitment year has begun (October 1st thru September 30th, 2010). Recruit 10 new members and win a personalized Top Hand Club Swiss Army watch (also available in women’s size).

For more information, please contact Member Services

866-BEEF-USA (866/233.3872) Proud Sponsor of the Top Hand Club

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(2 for Renews) Top Hand Plaque, Year Plate, and Lapel Pin 2010 Personalized Top Hand Club Swiss Army watch One airline ticket to the Annual Convention or Summer Conference ($400 max. value) One registration for the Annual Convention or Summer Conference Three nights lodging at the Annual Convention or Summer Conference One additional airline ticket to the Annual Convention or Summer Conference ($400 max. value)

TOP RECRUITER

$2,000 Cabela’s Gift Card

The Top Hand Club was created to recognize outstanding volunteers for their commitment in building a stronger national organization by recruiting new NCBA members. In 2009, 184 Top Hands recruited 1,394 new members. Thank you, Top Hands!

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Hugh McCampbell, DVM Dr. Hugh McCampbell is an NCBA member and a large animal practitioner based in Sweetwater, Tenn. A charter member of the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association, he has also been active at the national level and is the 2009 top recruiter of new members through NCBA’s Top Hand Club.

“I appreciate the fact that the NCBA does a lot to educate the public about beef production,” says McCampbell. “It’s unfortunate that the general American public is so far removed from agriculture.

Everybody has to eat, whether they like to or not. Most Americans don’t realize the time, effort, sacrifice, risk and perseverance required to produce any sort of crop.”

McCampbell grew up on a dairy farm outside of Knoxville, Tenn. McCampbell earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Maryville College, Maryville, Tenn. A gifted student, he not only excelled academically, but lettered in football, wrestling and track.

This talented veterinarian is also a musician and gives a benefit concert every February in Sweetwater, Tenn., where he plays the piano, picks the banjo and tells tales of farm life and veterinary practice.

After finishing his undergraduate degree, McCampbell earned a master’s degree in biochemistry from Iowa State University. It was there that he decided to pursue veterinary medicine. He obtained his DVM from Auburn University, graduating in 1972.

After a two-year stint as an Army veterinarian in Texas, McCampbell practiced in Oklahoma focusing

Something in the Water?

primarily on cattle and horses.

McCampbell, his wife Marty and three children then moved back to Tennessee and opened a private practice in 1975.

From 1985 to 1998 he served as Extension Veterinarian for Tennessee until budget cuts prompted him to reenter the world of private practice.

Basing his practice out of a truck with a custom license plate that says “COWDOC,” McCampbell focuses primarily on horses and cattle these days. “I once heard someone say that if you get a job you like, you never work a day in your life and it couldn’t be more true,” he says.

In his more than 30 years of practicing veterinary medicine McCampbell has seen how changes in the political climate have influenced how the livestock industry is perceived. “It’s unfortunate to have to combat and straighten out misconceptions that are the result of misinformation and emotionalism,” he says. “Many voting decisions have been won and lost by a mere few votes. It is important for every single member of NCBA to renew their membership, and recruit others to keep beef on the table and cattle in the pastures. I can’t think of anybody who won’t benefit from keeping the numberone source of protein in America on the table.”

Eli Bryan Wagner (right) was born exactly one month earlier on April 27.

North Carolina Angus Holds Field Day

North Dakota Stockmen’s Association’s (NDSA) Vice President Jason Schmidt of Media, N.D., NDSA President Jack Reich of Zap, N.D., and NDSA District 2 Director Mark Wagner of Monango, N.D. surprised the NDSA board at the Dec. 2008 meeting by announcing that each of their wives was pregnant.

The couples had happy, healthy babies – all within 30 days. Pictured from left are baby girl Ava Jaylee Schmidt, born May 1. Will James Reich, center, was born May 27 and

NCBA members visit at the North Carolina Angus Field Day, held Sept.

12 hosted at Cool Spring Plantation in Halifax, NC. From left to right: Angus Association Regional Representative David Gazda, Steve McPherson, Brandon Winston, Field Day Host Winston Goins and NCBA Field Representative Nate Jaeger (back to camera). Jaeger spoke at the event.

Idaho Cattleman, Leader Passes Eugene “Gene” C. Davis of Bruneau, Idaho passed away

peacefully on Sept. 16. A dedicated cattle industry leader, Davis served on the NCBA executive committee, and as president of the Owyhee Cattlemen’s Association, the Idaho Cattlemen’s Association (ICA), CattleFax and University of Idaho’s Agricultural Consulting Council.

He was inducted into the Southern Idaho Livestock Hall of Fame and the Northern International Livestock Exposition Hall of Fame. He received an award of merit for outstanding service to agriculture by the University of Idaho chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta Agriculture Honor Society. ICA recognized Davis as Cattleman of the Year and Cattle Feeder of the Year.

Most recently the Western States Continued on Page 18

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These are companies that have teamed with NCBA as allied industry members, demonstrating their commitment to the beef industry. Their involvement and investment strengthens our future. NCBA members are urged to support these partners in turn by purchasing their products and services. Those who would like to become allied industry partners with NCBA (securing a premium booth placement at the next annual convention and trade show), please call the association marketing team at 303-694-0305.

Allied Industry

Directory Gold Level Sponsors (minimum $100,000 investments) Intervet/ ScheringPlough Animal Health www.intervetusa.com www.spah.com John Deere www.deere.com Merial www.merial.com

AgriLabs www.agrilabs.com Bayer www.bayer-ah.com Barenbrug USA www.barenbrug.com Caterpillar www.cat.com

Dow AgroSciences, LLC www.dowagro.com Elanco Animal Health www.elanco.com Fort Dodge Animal Health www.fortdodge.com

Allflex USA, Inc. Alpharma Barenbrug Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.

Cargill Animal Nutrition Monsanto Novartis Animal Health Health U.S., Inc. Central Life Sciences Novus International CME Group Leo Burnett USA

ADM Alliance Nutrition, Inc. AgInfoLink American Live Stock Inc. Beef Magazine

Lextron, Inc. Midwest PMS, Inc. Nutrition Physiology Co., LLC

Agriculture Engineering Associates Albion Advanced Nutrition Alltech, Inc. AniPro Certified Angus Beef Certified Hereford Beef Cline Wood Agency Croplan Genetics Destron Fearing Faegre & Benson, LLP

Grow Safe Systems, Ltd Hartford Livestock Insurance Kent Feeds, Inc. Kunafin “The Insectary” Lallemand Animal Nutrition Meat & Livestock Australia, Ltd. Miraco/Gallagher Moly Manufacturing

American Foods Group Applebee’s International Beef Products, Inc. Booker Packing Company Cargill Meat Solutions Darden Restaurants

DuPont Qualicon Gilroy Foods & Flavors H.E.B. IEH Laboratories Kraft Food/Oscar Mayer

Micro Beef Technologies www.microbeef.com Pfizer Animal Health www.pfizer.com Purina Mills, LLC www.cattlenutrition.com

Allied Industry Council Pioneer, A DuPont Business Y-Tex Zinpro Corporation

Allied Industry Associates Priefert Manufacturing Company Ridley Block Operations

SmartLic Supplement U.S. Premium Beef, Ltd. Vigortone Ag Products Walco International, Inc.

Allied Industry Partners New Holland Noble Foundation Nova Microbial Technologies Phibro Animal Health PlainJan’s Quali Tech, Inc. Rabobank International Ritchie Industries Inc. Roto-Mix Stone Manufacturing

Temple Tag Teva Animal Health Tru-Test US Bank Varied Industried Corp.

Vitalix The Vit-E-Men Co. Inc./ Life Products Western Farm Credit Association WW Livestock Systems Z Tags North America

Product Council Members Lobel’s of New York McDonald’s Corporation National Beef Packing Outback Steakhouse Sam Kane Beef Processors

Smithfield Beef Group, Inc. JBS Swift & Company Tyson Fresh Meats Wal-Mart Stores Wendy’s International

Livestock Insurance From the 1917 Kansas City Stockyards Fire through the 2009 Texas Blizzards – The Hartford has been there stayed there, and will be there in the future. hartfordlivestock.com 1-800-295-1815 Since 1916

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8/21/09 1:50:21 PM

2009 Cattlemen’s College, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, will focus on profits, products, and policy.

An Applied Reproductive Strategies Workshop will be offered for the first time at 2009 Cattle Industry Convention, San Antonio, TX. Register early. Visit www.beefusa.org or call 303-694-0305.

Continued from Page 17 Hereford Association honored him as Cattleman of the Year.

Davis is survived by his wife, Letty, his daughters, Jeanne Gannon and Carla and her husband Chuck Locuson, his son, Eric and wife Pam Davis, and many nieces, nephews, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Memorial donations may be made to the National Cattlemen’s Foundation, 9110 East Nichols Ave., Ste. 300, Centennial, CO 80112.

Clemons Honored With Florida Folk Heritage Award Pete Clemons, Okeechobee Livestock Market, Okeechobee, Fla. has received the 2009 Florida Folk Heritage Award.

The Florida Department of State presents Florida Folk Heritage Awards annually to citizens whose lifelong devotion to folklife has enriched the state’s cultural legacy. Like the National Heritage Awards, Florida Folk Heritage Awards honor Florida’s most significant and influential tradition bearers for excellence, significance and authenticity. Clemons was tremendously successful in his 25-year rodeo career. He won the Best All Around Cowboy title at the Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee nine times. He competed throughout the U.S. and as well as in Canada and Cuba and traveled twice to South America to serve as an ambassador of U.S. rodeo. Clemons was also selected as “Big Boss” of the National Day of the American Cowboy celebration in Okeechobee in 2007 and 2008.

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