JBS USA, a leading animal protein processor in the U.S. and Australia and a wholly owned subsidiary of Brazil-based JBS S.A., today announced that, as a part of a scheduled succession plan, Don Jackson will retire as CEO effective year end 2012. Andre Nogueira, former JBS USA CFO and current CEO of JBS Australia, will become CEO of JBS USA effective Jan. 1, 2013.

Watch a video explaining the results of the latest National Beef Quality Audit, funded by the Beef Checkoff, which provides a road map for the beef industry to continue improving the quality and acceptance of beef.

Z Tags North America, L.P. welcomes David Jameson as its new regional sales manager for the North Central region. Jameson will be based in Kansas City, Missouri, and oversee all Z Tags sales activities in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. Jameson brings more than 20 years of animal health industry sales experience to Z Tags.

Bill Swafford, AgriLabs Technical Services, will present the winners of the AgriLabs Dr. Bruce Wren Continuing Education Awards at the 45th annual meeting of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), Sept. 20-22. These annual awards honor Dr. Bruce Wren, a long-time AgriLabs Technical Services veterinarian, in recognition of his lifelong commitment to practical and formal continuing education for veterinarians.

Southern Plains cow-calf producers with fall-calving herds should be watching out for any incidence of premature births in late summer. Research conducted by Oklahoma State University's Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources indicates that excessively hot summertime temperatures can shorten the gestation length of beef cows. "OSU research shows that cows exposed to 90 degrees Fahrenheit or greater during the last two weeks of gestation calve an average of four days earlier than what is considered normal," said Bob Wettemann, OSU Regents professor and animal science researcher.

While a strong winter wheat crop and good spring growing conditions bolstered Midwest and Mid-South farm income expectations during first half of 2012, the summer drought has significantly lowered these expectations for the third quarter, according to a new quarterly agricultural finance survey launched today by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

The first National Beef Quality Audit of fed cattle was conducted in 1991, with subsequent audits in 1995, 2000, and 2005. Findings of the 2011 audit have been reported by the National Cattleman’s Beef Association.

More often than not, our horses will show signs of stress. And just as often, horse owners can control the amount of stress seen in our horses.

High grain prices continue to take a toll on the livestock sector as higher feed costs erode profit margins and lower bids for beef cattle, pork and related markets, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension economist.