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Sauk Rapids Herald
Trump, Xi Jinping discuss Chinese beef markets
THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017
The central Minnesota shepherd
BY ROGER STROM The Business of Farming
Given the situation with North Korea and their nuclear missile development and China’s ability to inÁuence that little country, you would think farm trade would be the last thing on the minds of President Trump and China President Xi Jinping when they met. But to the surprise of many, the leaders took the time to discuss the Chinese ban on U.S. beef exports, striking a deal to reopen that market. A ban has been in effect since 2003 after the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the U.S. herd. China is already one of the fastest-growing beef markets in the world with beef purchases increasing exponentially in recent years as their economy improves, driving consumer demand for high quality beef. Speaking at the National Institute of Animal Agriculture’s annual conference, Dr. Mark Lyons, Global Vice President and Head of Greater China for Alltech told producers, said, “Today, about 10 percent of the Chinese population has over $10,000 of disposable income. In a very short amount of time, by 2030, that number is going to go up to 35 percent. That 25 percent increase is the equivalent of the U.S. population. Opening the entire China region, which includes China, Hong Kong and Vietnam, has the potential to become a $7 billion market. On another subject: Fields are drying out and the planters are rolling through the Àelds. Outside of harvest season, this is one of the most exciting and busiest times to be farming. Farmers are moving fast and have a lot on their mind as they put in their crops, which make it one of the most dangerous times to be on the farm. This is especially true for children on farms. Not to be a downer, but there’s research that shows every day there are 33 children who are seriously injured in farm-related accidents. About every three days there is a child who dies in an agriculture-related incident. Being around farm machinery is the leading cause of fatalities (25 percent of the time). Motor vehicles, including ATVs, come in second and drowning is third. Every year, we preach “farm
PHOTOS BY JENNIFER COYNE
Mary Jo and Mike Fitzpatrick lamb 350 ewes each spring on their farm near Foley. The Fitzpatricks began this venture 40 years ago by purchasing 60 western ewes.
Fitzpatrick lambs 300 ewes each year BY JENNIFER COYNE STAFF WRITER
FOLEY –April is the start of another season for many farmers in central Minnesota as they prepare their equipment and Àelds for spring planting. For Mike Fitzpatrick, April signiÀes more than Àeldwork, but also new life. Fitzpatrick lambs more than 350 ewes during the spring on his farm near Foley. “I started raising sheep because I wanted to farm, and with sheep I could do that without investing in a lot of expensive equipment,” said Fitzpatrick, who farms with his wife, Mary Jo, and son, Josh. To start his Áock, Fitzpatrick purchased 60 older western ewes 40 years ago, and has since grown his Áock from within to keep up with the demanding market for lamb and wool. In Minnesota, the sheep industry has steadily increased over the years with an estimated 130,000 animals as of January 2017 used for breeding and market purposes, according to the United States Department of AgricultureNational Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS); that value up 4 percent from one year ago. “Raising sheep is not popular here like it is out west, but we don’t have the tougher forages and predators like they do,” Fitzpatrick said. More than 5 million sheep were
accounted for across the U.S. in January 2017, according to USDANASS, with the greatest numbers in Texas, California, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. On April 10, Fitzpatrick
already had 55 breeding ewes give birth to more than 100 lambs, with an equally great amount ready to lamb in the coming days. “Last Monday we started lambing and it’s been busy,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’m in the barn all hours of the day, sometimes at 1 a.m., checking on the animals.” Every year, Fitzpatrick begins lambing during the Àrst week of April and continues throughout the
month. The breeding stock will lamb Àrst, and then the market stock begins after an eight-day hiatus. Although springtime quickly becomes a blur with Fitzpatrick’s Áock nearly doubling in size in a month’s time, the rush is anticipated as Fitzpatrick prepares for new life earlier in the year. Fitzpatrick: page 3B
Lambs are kept with their mothers after birth to ensure a healthy upbringing. The lambs and ewes are marked by numbers so the Fitzpatricks can identify who belongs with who.