Cattle Industry News

Year in Review – Top Headlines from Prime Cuts this Year

The officers and staff of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association would like to extend our most sincere wishes for a wonderful holiday season and New Year.  Although 2004 did present some challenges to those in the cattle industry, the year has left us with much to celebrate and be thankful for.  In honor of the last edition of Prime Cuts in 2004, we have included some of the top headlines from the year.  To view the full story, visit the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association website at www.mocattle.com and click on the Prime Cuts bar at the left. 

Two Missouri Cattlemen move into NCBA, CBB Leadership Positions (February 5)

MCA Recruits 500 New Members! (February 12)

BSE Investigation Comes to a Close (February 12)

Missouri Cattle Industry Celebrates Brucellosis Free Status (March 11)

The Future of the Missouri Cattle Industry Looks Bright (March 18)

County Leadership Conference a Success

New Junior Association Draws Interest and Enthusiasm

Cattlemen’s Wednesdays at the Capitol Start Next Week (March 24)

MJCA Members Attend Youth Beef Industry Congress (April 7)

Missouri Cattlemen’s Association Celebrates 1000th New Member (May 11)

Recent MCA Events Successful (June 24)
MCA All-Breeds Junior Show, MJCA Annual Meeting, First Annual  Cattlemen’s Steak Fry

MCA Teams Up to Send Beef Sticks to Missouri Guardsmen in Iraq (July 1)

Second of Two Inconclusive Tests Comes Back Negative for BSE (July 8)
Missouri Cattlemen's Association Reaches 3000 Member Milestone (July 29)

Missouri Cattlemen’s Association Membership Exceeds 2004 Goal (September 30)

2005 Dues Lowered to $50 for All Members

It's Negative - Animal with Inconclusive Test Result Did Not have BSE (November 23)

LMA Receives Another Black Eye In Checkoff Battle

by Troy Marshall, BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly, December 17, 2004

Many have speculated how anti-beef checkoff forces arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court could afford a lawyer recognized as one of the best in the business. A recent article in Feedstuffs sheds light on how one of the leading authorities on constitutional law might have taken up the anti-beef checkoff cause.

While everyone understands the argument concerning the lack of distinction between imported beef and domestic beef, and the anxiety some feel by collecting checkoff dollars from beef importers as well as domestic producers, Laurence Tribe sent shockwaves through the industry with his comments to reporters this week.

The Harvard University Law School professor, known as likely the nation's most prominent liberal constitutional scholar, elaborated not only on the arguments we've all heard. He also drew a distinction between live cattle and dead cattle, and how the government seemingly doesn't care about live cattle.

To grasp the motivation behind Tribe and some of the anti-beef checkoff folks, read Tribe's direct quotes in the latest issue of FeedStuffs.

"The government program sees every herd of cattle as just so much pre-slaughtered beef," Tribe says. That "bothers" his cattle producer clients, he says, noting "a lot of these people are kind of humane." He also says, given different business circumstances, "some of them might become vegetarians."

Short of becoming vegetarians, Tribe says, the checkoff opponents "don't want to see their animals treated as nothing but meat." He concludes: "Because this program does that, and associates them with it, it is a fundamental insult to their humanity."

It's hard to fathom these statements coming from a man representing the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA); and in public, no less! If nothing else, it now seems obvious how LMA could have afforded someone of Tribe's stature -- LMA gave him an opportunity to serve a greater aim. Animal rights and/or welfare perhaps?

This isn't the first time in recent memory that the industry has been used as a pawn by anti-beef activists. Anyone remember last spring when R-CALF teamed with three, so-called "consumer" groups to publicly beat up USDA over its BSE response?

Perhaps R-CALF and LMA should consider that when activist individuals or groups are willing to help fund or promote their policies, they might just have a vested reason for doing so.
- Troy Marshall, BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly, December 17, 2004

Reports of Feed Contamination in Canada

Recent reports have raised questions regarding the possible contamination of feed ingredients in Canada and what this may indicate in terms of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) risk.

This situation recently has been discussed with both the Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM) and the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS).

Here is what we know:

In the past year, the FDA-CVM, as part of its normal regulatory process, tested loads of Canadian feed ingredients prior to export into the United States. These feed ingredients were labeled as being of 100 percent plant origin. This testing (done by microscopy) found that samples of some loads contained trace amounts of mammalian byproducts.  These loads were prohibited from entering the United States. Follow-up tests determined the contamination was not of ruminant (cattle, sheep or goat) origin.

As a result of the finding of mammalian byproducts in these feeds, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) conducted widespread testing of feed ingredients to determine if contamination issues were prevalent and, if so, how to correct the situation. The CFIA testing program found some tested feed ingredients contained trace levels of several contaminants such as poultry feathers and animal hair. Corrective actions are reported to have been taken to prevent these contamination problems in the future.

There are no reports of feeds destined for cattle being contaminated with prohibited ruminant materials.

Based on tests, there is no BSE risk associated with these feed ingredients because analysis showed they did not contain any prohibited ruminant material. However, NCBA will continue to urge the FDA and CFIA to take steps to assure that feed ingredients labeled as 100 percent plant origin do not contain animal material. Reports of contamination of such feed ingredients, even with trace amounts of non-ruminant animal material, have the potential to affect public confidence in BSE feed regulations of the respective countries.

In the United States, the FDA and state governments regulate the sale of feed ingredients and routinely enforce standards. The American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) represents the feed regulatory system in the United States. The guidelines for best management practices for the manufacturing, packaging and distribution of animal feed and feed ingredients can be viewed at http://www.aafco.org/Guidance%20DocFinal.pdf.  Canada has equivalent feed control guidance and enforcement in place nationwide.                                – National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Cattle- Fax Market Update

The fed cattle reversed course last week, closing $1 higher at $85 to $86 live and $134 to $135 dressed. Trade volumes ranged from moderate to active. Boxed beef values trended lower. Movement mid to late week was very active, leaving packer inventories manageable going into two short kill weeks. Feeder cattle prices were primarily $1 lower on the week, while calves traded mostly steady. Slaughter cows were steady to $1higher. Trade volumes are beginning to slow going into the holidays, traditionally a slow marketing time for replacement cattle. Corn prices were near even in a fairly slow trade.

-To join Cattle-Fax, call (800) 825-7525

Missouri Cattlemen’s Association News

MCA Members Celebrate Success of 2004; Set Policy for 2005

Awards were presented, officers were elected, policy was set, and a good time was had by all at the recently concluded 2004 Missouri Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show, held December 9-12 at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach.  The new officers and award winners include:

President: Howard Hardecke, Bolivar

First Vice President: David Moore, Bismarck

Second Vice President: Merrel Breyer, Richland

Northeast Regional Vice President: Aaron Baker, Atlanta

Southwest Regional Vice President: Jimmie Long, Cole Camp

Stocker/Feeder Council Chair: Buster Geisendorfer, LaGrange

Also completing the second year of their two-year terms are Southeast Regional Vice President David Geier, Northwest Regional Vice President Carl Elliott, Secretary/Treasurer Paul Gibbs, and Seedstock Council Chair David Dick.  The Cow-Calf Council Chairmanship will be appointed due to the election of Merrel Breyer as Second Vice President.   

Cattleman of the Year: Dr. Larry Moore, Osceola

CattleWoman of the Year: Georgia Richter, LaGrange

Pioneer Award: Wayne “Doc” Smith, Winigan

Industry Award: Dennis Meyer – Merial, Syracuse

Top Recruiter: Wayne Seider, Butler (81 new members)

Top Hand Gun Winners: Wayne Seider, Tim Love, Rusty Kahrs, Mary Wheeler, Macon Co. Junior Cattlemen, David Geier, and Sam Hostetler

Top Hand Recruiters (10 or more new members): Melvin Oehrke, Les Volmert, Thomas Jones, W.A. Schlesselman, Kenny Smarr, Gerald Campbell, St. Clair Co. Cattlemen, Ken Disselhorst, Vernon County Cattlemen, David Moore

Awards for Excellence:

            First Place: Crawford County

            Second Place: Moniteau County

            Most MCA Members: Bates County (166)

            Most New MCA Members: Bates County (84)

            Largest Percent Increase: Dallas County (1,475%)

            Most NCBA Members: Boone County (36)

            Best Event: Crawford County

            Best County Beef Promotion: Pettis County

2005 Missouri Beef Queen: Susan Bernt, Leeton

2005 Missouri Beef Ambassador: Jalane Alden, Hamilton

MCA Points System Top Overall Exhibitor: Jason Martin, Bourbon

Junior Division Quiz Bowl Champions: Garren Bellis, Brittany Early, Andrea Reinhart and Clint Thompson

Senior Division Quiz Bowl Champions: Austin Black, Leslie Massey, Amanda Reinhart and Whitney Simpson

De-Calf-A-Lon Champions: David and Jill Elbert, representing Warren County

Calendar of Events

Dec. 25             Merry Christmas from the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association!

The Fine Print

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