Headline News
Missouri Cattlemen Participate in Brucellosis Free Ceremony with Governor
Participants of the 2004 MCA County Leadership Conference had a unique opportunity to celebrate Missouri’s brucellosis Class Free status and tour the State Capitol, including the Governor’s Office, at the same time.
On Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Governor Bob Holden received official certification from the United States Department of Agriculture that Missouri is free of brucellosis. Over 50 MCA members, officers, and staff, along with staff from the U.S. and Missouri departments of agriculture, joined Governor Holden in receiving the certification. Eradication of brucellosis is an important milestone for the Missouri cattle industry.
Cattle Industry News
NCBA to Hold Live Satellite Town Hall Meeting
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association will host a satellite town-hall meeting from Capitol Hill on April 1 in conjunction with its spring policy conference. The 90-minute live broadcast will include updates on the NCBA's legislative and regulatory efforts, including export issues following the BSE discovery. The Satellite Town Hall will provide cattlemen from around the nation the opportunity to call in to a telephone number provided on-screen with their own questions or comments. The meeting will broadcast live on RFD-TV from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Eastern Time on April 1. A tape of the show will be rebroadcast three times on the RFD-TV channel at six-hour intervals, following the start of the initial broadcast. The program will also be broadcast on Saturday, April 3, at 4 p.m., Eastern Time.
USDA Announces Expanded BSE Surveillance Program
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Monday that it will test approximately 200,000 U.S. cattle for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) over 12-18 months in a one-time increased surveillance program to assess the level of risk.
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said that $70 million will be transferred from the USDA Commodity Credit Corporation to fund the enhanced program with the goal to test as many cattle as possible in the high-risk population as well as to test a sampling of the normal, aged cattle population over a 12 to 18 month time frame. The enhanced surveillance plan incorporates recommendations from the international scientific review panel and the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis; both have reviewed and support the plan.
The primary focus of USDA's enhanced surveillance effort will continue to be the highest risk populations for the disease, but USDA will greatly increase the number of target animals surveyed and will include a random sampling of apparently normal, aged animals. USDA will build on previous cooperative efforts with renderers and others to obtain samples from the targeted high-risk populations, which are banned from the human food supply.
Under the enhanced program, using statistical modeling, sampling some 268,000 animals would allow for the detection of BSE at a rate of 1 positive in 10 million adult cattle with a 99 percent confidence level. In other words, the enhanced program could detect BSE even if there were only five positive animals in the entire country.
The sampling of apparently normal animals will come from the 40 U.S. slaughter plants that handle 86 percent of the aged cattle processed for human consumption each year in the United States. The carcasses from these animals will be held and not allowed to enter the human food chain until test results show the samples are negative for BSE.
USDA will begin immediately to prepare for the increased testing, with the anticipation that the program will be ready to be fully implemented June 1, 200 4. In the meantime, BSE testing will continue at the current rate, which is based on a plan to test 40,000 animals in FY 2004. Testing will be conducted through USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, and a network of laboratories around the country. The U.S. is the only country with a single case of BSE to implement such a thorough testing program.
Cattle-Fax Market Update
The fed cattle market continued to advance last week as cattle sold $2 to $3 higher. In the Southern plains prices were at $87 to $88, while the North received $88 to $89 live and $140 to $142 dressed. Trade volumes ranged from moderate to active, keeping the industry very current. Boxed beef prices were modestly higher on Choice, while Selects were mainly steady. Trade volumes on that side were moderate. The best interest is for Choice middles, while end cuts struggle to stay even. Feeder cattle prices were $1 to $2 higher. The North remains limited on supplies, whereas more cattle began to move off wheat pasture in the South. Calf prices averaged $2 to $3 higher as grass interest continued to drive this market higher. Slaughter cows were $1 to $2 higher and supplies remain limited. In Missouri: Receipts for last week totaled 25,134 feeder cattle. In Southern Missouri, steers and heifers under 700 lbs. were $2 to $4 higher. In Northeast Missouri, feeder steers and heifers over 400 lbs. were $4 to $7 higher.
Missouri Cattlemen’s Association News
The Future of the Missouri Cattle Industry Looks Bright
County Leadership Conference a Success
Over fifty current and future leaders of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association came together March 16-18 for three days of learning, leadership, and fun. Highlights of the conference included: Media Training with the Cattlemen’s Spokesperson Network, a session entitled “The Successful County Cattlemen’s Association,” where the group collectively put together a new county leadership and recruitment handbook, legislative updates and visits at the State Capitol, and participating in the brucellosis class free announcement in the Governor’s Office. Participants also enjoyed sharing ideas with other counties, sampling Pony Express beer – compliments of the Missouri Soybean Association – and, of course, eating beef. Thanks to the Missouri Beef Industry Council and Pfizer Animal Health for their continuing support of the County Leadership Conference. Look for more details from the conference in next week’s Prime Cuts.
New Junior Association Draws Interest and Enthusiasm
The announcement of a new Missouri Junior Cattlemen’s Association has generated a lot of interest and excitement throughout the state. Several young people have expressed interest in the organization, and quite a few counties have inquired about organizing junior associations in their area.
The junior association will get off to a strong start next week, when the four-person junior task force and their advisors travel to College Station, Texas to participate in the Youth Beef Industry Congress. The task force will use this time to learn about setting up a junior association and to make plans for their first annual meeting, which will be held on June 12, 2004 at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, in conjunction with the MCA All-Breeds Junior Cattle Show.
Interested young people – and county associations - can find out more by contacting Luke Burbank at (573) 499-9162 ext. 231 or luke@mocattle.com.
Cattlemen Plan Wednesday Legislative Visits
Wednesdays are cattlemen’s days. Beginning next Wednesday, March 31, 2004, legislators in the State Capitol will begin to associate Wednesdays with visits from cattlemen across the state. Regular visits to the State Capitol will help establish the Missouri Cattlemen’s presence in Jefferson City and will help build strong working relationships between cattle producers and legislative leaders. If you are interested in participating in a legislative visit day, please contact Brent Bryant at (573) 499-9162 or brent@mocattle.com.
Membership & Recruiting Update
MCA Membership Continues to Grow – over 780 new members! In addition to our dedicated recruiters, direct mail campaigns have been successful in increasing awareness of MCA and bringing in new memberships. For those of you keeping track, here are the top five counties and recruiters as of 3/18/04:
Top 5 Counties (New members since 10/1/03): Bates (57), Macon (39), Dallas (28), Vernon (28), Moniteau (28)
Top 5 Recruiters (New members recruited since 10/1/03): Macon County Junior Cattlemen’s Association, Wayne Seider, David “Blue” Geier, Sam Hostetler, and the Vernon County Cattlemen’s Association
Congratulations and keep up the good work!
Calendar of Events
March 20 Missouri’s Cattlemen Foundation Cattlemen’s Roundup – St. Joseph
March 25-28 Youth Beef Industry Congress – College Station, TX
June 12-13 MCA All-Breeds Junior Cattle Show – State Fairgrounds, Sedalia
June 15 MCA Board of Directors meeting, followed by MCA fundraising dinner – Cattle Industry Headquarters, Columbia
June 16 MCA Allied Industry Golf Tournament (benefiting the Missouri’s Cattlemen Foundation) – Lake of the Woods Golf Course, Columbia
June 17 Missouri Cattle Women Board of Directors meeting - Columbia
County Meeting Notices
3/22/04 Benton County – Heimsoth Bros. Feed, Cole Camp, 7:00 p.m.
3/23/04 Moniteau County – Moniteau County Fairgrounds, 6:30 p.m.
3/25/04 Randolph County – Sheltered Workshop on Sparks Ave., Moberly, 6:30 p.m.
The Fine Print
This newsletter is a publication of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. All rights reserved – this newsletter may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without permission of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. Did someone forward this message to you? To subscribe yourself, contact Luke Burbank or McKenzie Keedy at (573) 499-9162 or send an email to cattleinfo@mocattle.com.
Do you have questions, comments or suggestions? Would you like to advertise in our newsletter? If so, please contact McKenzie Keedy at mckenzie@mocattle.com.
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