JANUARY 1 CATTLE NUMBERS The USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service on January 27 reported estimates for numbers of cattle as of January 1. U.S. beef cow numbers were estimated at 29.9 million head, down 3 percent from a year ago. Dairy cows, at 9.2 million, are up 1 percent. Total inventory of all classes is 92.7 million head, lowest since 1952. Biggest declines in beef cows were in Texas (660,000, 13 percent), Oklahoma (288,000 head, 14 percent), and New Mexico (53,000 head, 11 percent). Those three states lost 1,001,000 cows. The remainder of the U.S. gained 34,000 cows.

According to the Public Lands Council (PLC) and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), President Barack Obama’s proposed budget includes elements such as an effective increase in the public lands grazing fee assessment, which would force family-owned ranches to shell out more cash to Uncle Sam. Dustin Van Liew, PLC executive director and NCBA director of federal lands, said increasing the grazing fee through an arbitrary tax is unwarranted and is further evidence that the president and his administration are out of touch with production agriculture.

In the winter of 2010-2011, 312 cattle were fed at Fairleigh Feeders, Scott City, Kansas, through the National Hereford Feedout. This was the seventh year for the National Hereford Feedout, which allows producers from across the country to test Hereford or Hereford-cross steers and heifers.

Thanks to Hereford breeders' commitment to the Whole Herd Total Performance Records (TPR) Program, the American Hereford Association (AHA) has created a new expected progeny difference (EPD). The new trait, called mature cow weight (MCW) is designed to allow breeders to select sires that will either increase or decrease mature size of cows in the herd.

Livestock Grain Market News cattle report for Feb. 17.  

Bayer HealthCare LLC, Animal Health Division announced today they have signed an agreement to acquire the Animal Health business of KMG Chemicals,Inc. This move will further diversify Bayer’s existing insecticides portfolio in the U.S., allowing the company to offer a broader range of actives and forms in addition to its current product portfolio thatincludes cattle ear tags, pour-ons, dusts and farm hygiene premise sprays.

According to year-end statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), exports of U.S. pork, beef and lamb set new records across the board in 2011, reaching all-time highs in both volume and value and exceeding $11.5 billion in total value. Pork exports totaled 2.255 million metric tons valued at $6.11 billion, breaking the previous volume record of 2.052 million metric tons and shattering the value record of $4.88 billion, which were both established in 2008. Year-over-year, pork exports were up 18 percent in volume and 28 percent in value.

Novartis Animal Health announces the introduction of BRD Shield™, a new modified-live vaccine (MLV) developed to protect nonpregnant beef and dairy cattle against bovine respiratory disease (BRD) complex. BRD Shield provides broad-spectrum protection against leading viral diseases that contribute to BRD, including bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) Type 1 and Type 2, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), parainfluenza 3 (PI3) and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV).

WACO ­ Cattle producers should be mindful to not get too caught up in reacting to high market prices, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist.When Dr. Jason Johnson, AgriLife Extension economist from Stephenville, showed a slide to several hundred cattle producers at the Blackland Income Growth Conference in Waco, it caused many to gasp and begin conversations about profit potential.

Tammi Didlot,  Moore, Oklahoma, has been elected the 61st president of the American National CattleWomen, Inc. (ANCW) during the organization's 2012 Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. The American National CattleWomen is a voice for women who support and promote the beef industry. Tammi grew up on a farm and ranch in Southwest Oklahoma. Her grandparents were in the Oklahoma Land Run and homesteaded in Altus, where her father still resides and manages the farm and ranch. After spending several years away from Oklahoma, Tammi and her husband, Dale, decided to return home in 2000.