The CME Group, along with the National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF), have selected ten top-notch college students with interest in beef industry careers for the 2016 – 2017 $1,500 CME Beef Industry Scholarships. The scholarship was first introduced in 1989, in partnership with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and has remained a strong tradition ever since, working to recognize and encourage talented … Read More
Gelbvieh Association Elects Board of Directors
During the annual membership meeting at the 45th Annual AGA National Convention “Moving at the Speed of Change” in recently in Kansas City, the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) elected five candidates to serve three-year terms on the AGA Board of Directors. Newly elected board members are Dennis Gustin, Mandan, North Dakota; Andrea Murray, Kingfisher, Oklahoma; Randy Sienknecht, Gladbrook, Iowa and … Read More
Hereford Names New COO
Shane Bedwell has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Director of Breed Improvement of the American Hereford Association (AHA). Shane will lead the AHA performance department and oversee the National Reference Sire Program (NRSP) and Whole Herd Total Performance Records (TPR) program. “I feel very humbled and honored to take the job as Director of Breed Improvement and COO … Read More
Animal Ag Reacts to Cool Announcement
The broad spending and tax legislation compromise unveiled by House Republicans Tuesday night included a very big announcement on the repeal of mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for meat to prevent more than $1 billion in trade sanctions from Mexico and Canada approved last week by the WTO. “Farm Bureau supports COOL programs that are in line with world trade rules,” … Read More
Meeting Demand from Oceania Dairy & Beef Market
Alltech has expanded its production facility in Forbes, New South Wales, producing Optigen II™, a slow-release, non-protein nitrogen source, in Australia for the first time. The nitrogen source has been used world-wide for over 10 years and is supported by in vitro, in situ and in vivo research. “Farmers are facing extreme challenges in Australia and New Zealand,” said Rob … Read More
USMEF Report Talks Philippines-EU Trade Agreement
The latest U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Report discusses the recent announcement by Philippine officials that the country expresses interest in pursuing a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU), with hopes to launch formal FTA negotiations early next year. In the report, Joel Haggard, USMEF senior vice president for the Asia Pacific region, explains how this agreement … Read More
Beef STEM Event to Engage Science Coordinators
The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has announced an “On the Farm STEM Experience” for science curriculum coordinators, funded by the Beef Checkoff. Selected participants will receive a $2,000 stipend to attend the event held March 28-30, 2016, immediately prior to the National Science Teachers Association annual convention in Nashville. Science curriculum coordinators are leaders at the district level … Read More
Private Property Rights Threatened by White House
The White House issued a statement threatening a veto of Rep. Mac Thornberry’s (R-Texas) bill, H.R. 2130, the Red River Private Property Protection Act. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Philip Ellis called the veto threat another example of egregious federal overreach. NCBA President Philip Ellis said, “The President’s threat to veto the Red River Private Property Protection Act is par … Read More
October Meat Exports Numbers
The USDA released meat export numbers for October and the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) compiled them stating U.S. pork and beef exports in have edged higher than the previous month, but were still down from a year ago. Pork exports were down 3 percent year-over-year in volume to 177,191 metric tons (mt), and fell 21 percent in value to … Read More
COOL Retaliation – WTO Sets $1.01B in Tariffs
We anticipated this and now it’s here. The World Trade Organization (WTO) announced $1.01 billion retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods authorized in the country-of-origin labeling (COOL) with Canada and Mexico. The WTO has upheld multiple times our neighboring country’s claim that the label creates an unfair advantage to U.S. products. U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee … Read More