U.S. Pork Exports Set New Volume Records in 2017

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Export, Pork, Pork Checkoff

In 2017, U.S. pork exports recorded the largest year ever in volume, with sales to more than 100 countries around the world. U.S. pork and pork variety meat exports totaled 5.399 billion pounds valued at $6.486 billion, up 6 percent and 9 percent respectively from 2016.

“Exports continue to be an important piece of the puzzle for adding to producers’ bottom line,” said Craig Morris, vice president of international marketing for the Pork Checkoff. “Recognizing the importance of exports, the National Pork Board recently approved nearly $8.7 million for 2018 export market activities, the most significant financial investment of Checkoff dollars in international marketing efforts to date. With more high-quality U.S. pork available than ever, we are redoubling efforts to build on the momentum of the past year.”

Pork variety meats were the shining star during 2017. Exports tied the 2011 record, with 82 percent of edible variety meat exported. Pork variety meat exports totaled $1.17 billion, setting a new total value record and surpassing $1 billion for the first time. Together, China and Mexico accounted for 86 percent of U.S. pork variety meat exports. In 2017, total edible pork variety meat exports added $9.67 in value to every hog marketed, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

U.S. pork and pork variety meat exports accounted for 26.6 percent of total pork production, with 22 percent of muscle cuts exported, in 2017. Export value returned an average $53.47 per head back to producers, up 6 percent from 2016.

The top six markets by volume were Mexico (1.768 billion pounds), China/Hong Kong (1.09 billion pounds), Japan (868 million pounds), Canada (459 million pounds), South Korea (382 million pounds) and South America (229 million pounds).

The top six markets by value were Japan ($1.626 billion), Mexico ($1.514 billion), China/Hong Kong ($1.078 billion), Canada ($792 million), South Korea ($475 million), and South America ($268 million).

NCBA Recognizes Arizona Ranch for Environmental Stewardship

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A third generation Arizona rancher is working hard to leave his ranch land better than he found it for the next generation. The Jim O’Haco Cattle Company is this year’s winner of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association National Environmental Stewardship Award, presented during this year’s Cattle Industry Convention in Phoenix. O’Haco owns two ranches totaling nearly 90,000 acres.

“We have improved profitability, our bottom line, our calves are heavier, and we also have helped the environment and natural resources. We have increased wildlife on our ranch, as far as elk, antelope and other species. So it’s worked for both, for the range, the land and my business,” said O’Haco.

O’Haco said getting water to the cattle and wildlife on the ranch has been a top priority. In addition to running pipeline throughout the land, smaller changes have helped to maintain and increase wildlife populations on the ranch.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jim O’Haco here: Jim O’Haco, NCBA National Environmental Stewardship Award Winner

2018 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show Photo Album

Talking Turkey: See through Myths on Cages, Farms & Antibiotics

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Animal Health, Animal Welfare, National Turkey Federation, Poultry, Turkey

America’s turkey farmers, represented by the National Turkey Federation, have prepared a new series of videos and resources offering common-sense answers about raising healthy turkey flocks on family farms.

“People are curious and like to understand more about their food and where it comes from,” said Minnesota turkey farmer John Zimmerman. “It’s satisfying to know consumers can appreciate how turkey farming is both practical and sustainable, and the answers to their questions are all common-sense.”

“The videos aim to satisfy the public’s curiosity about a turkey farmer’s practical approach to raising their flock and to encourage consumers’ appreciation of their food from farm to fork,” said Keith Williams of the National Turkey Federation. “These short videos present the exaggerated myths of turkey farming with a bit of humor that welcomes curiosity and encourages questions.”

America’s Turkey Farmers website introduces the farmers, farmwork, and the food they provide for the consumer enjoyment of Turkey.The Perfect Protein®. The depth of experience and attention to caring for turkeys can be reviewed on the website in the Stewardship Manual written and adopted by the country’s turkey farmers as members of the National Turkey Federation. The website also offers concise fact sheets for turkey’s lean protein options among a variety of cuts for meals throughout the week that can be grilled, baked, sautéed or served as snacks.

The online resources follow the successful engagement with the public from 1.3 million views on YouTube of the “Turkey Farm and Processing Plant” video visit by the world’s leading animal welfare expert, Dr. Temple Grandin.

Perdue Discusses State of Rural Economy

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Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue briefed members of the House Agriculture Committee Tuesday on the current state of the rural economy and USDA’s farm bill priorities.

“We’re in a very different situation than when you last contemplated a farm bill,” said Perdue in his opening remarks. “The state of the rural economy is fragile.”

Secretary Perdue was asked about a number of issues impacting different areas of the nation, including sorghum, nutrition programs, dairy, specialty crops, trade, FMD vaccine, getting undersecretaries approved by Congress, labor and immigration, broadband access, precision ag, citrus greening, renewable fuels, cotton, and lots more.

Listen to part of the hearing here: Sec. Perdue State of Rural Economy

Hereford & Red Angus Release “Premium Red Baldy” Program

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Beef, Cattle, Genetics, Hereford, Red Angus

Two of the largest beef breed associations in the U.S. have teamed up to offer commercial cattlemen a genetically verified program to improve their bottom line. The Red Angus Association of America and the American Hereford Association have introduced the “Premium Red Baldy” program, designed to capitalize on the best traits from both breeds while developing quality commercial females.

RAAA CEO Tom Brink and AHA Executive Vice President Jack Ward announced the new initiative at the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Phoenix.

Brink said, “Both Red Angus and Hereford are committed to the success of commercial cow-calf producers, and we believe the pathway to profitability begins with having the right genetics in the cow herd. This new program will help producers access genetically verified females that are packed with heterosis and ready to go to work on farms and ranches all across the country. It all starts with the right cow traits, and Premium Red Baldy females will excel in that regard.”

“AHA is honored to join Red Angus to introduce the Premium Red Baldy program that identifies genetically superior F-1 females,” Ward said. “The AHA and RAAA are the only two breed associations that implement a mandatory whole herd reporting performance program which gives strength and reliability to their respective genetic evaluations.”

Premium Red Baldy is a tagging program designed to take advantage of hybrid vigor by maximizing the best traits of both breeds and providing commercial producers with premium replacement females. This program, targeting only heifers, will generate females for the commercial producer by emphasizing longevity, fertility, adaptability and efficiency. This partnership of powerhouse breeds promises to elevate the best genetics from each, and will build better F1 females to further the beef industry.

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Five Mineral Myths Busted

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA, NCBA Convention

Alltech did some myth busting at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show with regards to the latest strategies and newest technologies in trace mineral supplementation.

A panel discussion including Dr. Vaughn Holder, ruminant research director with Alltech, conducted a forum where they busted five mineral myths relating to ruminant nutrition. Holder said producers should get help when determining the correct mineral balance for their cattle.

“Work with your nutritionist. Ask the questions that you need to ask about quality versus quantity of trace minerals. Talking about using a lot less of something of high quality than a lot more of something of low quality. These are important concepts,” said Holder.

Listen to Dr. Vaughn Holder bust the five mineral myths with Jamie here: Dr. Vaughn Holder, Alltech

2018 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show Photo Album

New Pig Farmer of the Year Appointed

AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Pork

The National Pork Board has named Leon Sheets from Ionia, Iowa as America’s Pig Farmer of the Year® for the remainder of 2017-18 program year. He was selected to replace Leslie McCuiston, who had to step down from the role after taking a new position in the agricultural industry where she will not directly work with pigs, which is obviously the main requirement for Pig Farmer of the Year!

“With the unexpected change, the National Pork Board reached out to our America’s Pig Farmer of the year judging panel,” said Terry O’Neel, a pig farmer from Friend, Nebraska, and president of the National Pork Board. “The panel unanimously voted to elevate Sheets, a finalist from last fall, with the move adopted and supported by all members of the National Pork Board.”

Sheets started farming with his grandfather when he was a child and currently raises 33,000 pigs on his farm in northeast Iowa, where he focuses on animal care and environmental sustainability. With the help of his employees, son and wife, Sheets also grows corn, soybeans, hay and cover crops. Leon will serve in the role until a new America’s Pig Farmer of the Year is announced in October 2018.

Sustainability a Focus for Beef Supply Chain

Ag Group, AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, NCBA, NCBA Convention, sustainability

Many of those gathered at this year’s Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show in Phoenix are working toward sustainability within the beef industry at all levels of the supply chain.

“Sustainability, as defined by NCBA, is about producing safe and nutritious beef with economic viability, environmental stewardship and social responsibility,” said Dr. Sara Place, Sr. Director, Sustainable Beef Production Research at NCBA. Place said consumers often have misconceptions about things like greenhouse gas emissions when it comes to beef production.

One way the industry is working toward better educating and communicating with all members of the beef supply chain, as well as consumers, is through the formation of the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. NCBA Sr. Director of Sustainability Ashley McDonald said the Roundtable is clarifying things across the industry when it comes to sustainability.

“Everybody has made a commitment that they understand that they have an impact and that we have challenges and every sector is responsible for addressing concerns in their sector,” said McDonald.

Chairman of the Roundtable Rickette Collins agrees. She is Sr. Director for Beef/Pork/Fish in the Global Supply Chain and Sustainability with McDonald’s Corporation.

“Being able to see the programs and the practices and the policies that are already in place and implemented… while I think we all knew they were there, getting to that level of detail and granularity and really seeing it firsthand has been a really big help and I think has helped shape actually the way that the Roundtable has developed,” said Collins.

The Roundtable plans to release Sustainability Assessment Guides for all sectors of the beef industry in May of 2018.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Dr. Sara Place here: Dr. Sara Place, NCBA

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Rickette Collins here: Rickette Collins, McDonald’s

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Ashley McDonald here: Ashley McDonald, NCBA

2018 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show Photo Album

Animal Ag Bites 2/5

AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

  • Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has announced the appointment of five members to serve on the American Lamb Board. A list of board members is available on the AMS American Lamb Board webpage.
  • Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has also announced the appointment of three members to serve on the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center Board of Directors. Additional information can be found on the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center Website at www.nsiic.org.
  • Elanco Animal Health, a division of Eli Lilly and Company announced the launch of its U.S. Salmonella 360 platform at the 2018 International Production & Processing Expo. Salmonella 360 is an innovative, holistic approach to Salmonella control which utilizes food safety resources and experience from across the poultry industry.
  • As interest in phytogenics, commonly defined as plant-based feed additives, has grown in the United States, Delacon recognizes a need for education around the role of phytogenics in nutrition. In late 2017, Delacon launched the “Guts to Grow” marketing platform, urging livestock and poultry producers to consider phytogenics in their approach in a post-AGP, and increasingly antibiotic-free, era. For more information, visit www.gutstogrow.com.
  • Angus Genetics, Inc. has announced the release of two new foot score research EPDs, the first of its kind in the U.S. for beef cattle. For more information about foot score guidelines, click here. You also can find the How to Foot Score video here.
  • The National Pork Board will host its annual Pork Management Conference, April 17-20, in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The registration fee is $425 per person through March 23 and increases to $475 beginning March 24. No refunds after March 30. A registration form and a detailed list of events are available at pork.org/pmc.

Cattlemen Release 2018 Policy Priorities

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A number of topics are priorities for cattle producers in the coming year, beginning with the passage of a new Farm Bill.

“Everybody is trying to push completion of the Farm Bill before the current one expires, and we are no different,” said Colin Woodall, senior vice president of government affairs with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “We want to make sure we get it done. We don’t like the uncertainty of extensions. We want to make sure that we know what the programs are going to look like.”

NCBA Policy Chair Joe Guild shared the group’s highest concern within the Farm Bill discussion.

“Our highest priority is creation of a Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine bank,” said Guild. “We are asking for $140 million a year to fund that bank and to make sure that it’s viable and continues. It’s a defensive tool. We don’t want Foot and Mouth Disease to come back to this country. Right now the vaccine bank is inadequate for the potential defenses that we’d need to implement. So that’s the highest priority in the Farm Bill.”

Other significant items NCBA will be addressing in 2018 include immigration law, transportation concerns over electronic logging devices, the Endangered Species Act, and Fake Meat – protecting terms like “beef” with the introduction of more and more plant-based protein products onto the market. Trade remains a focus for the group, as well.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Colin Woodall here: Colin Woodall, NCBA

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Joe Guild and Jerry Bohn here: Joe Guild and Jerry Bohn, NCBA

2018 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show Photo Album