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Changes seen in the beef industry over the past 10 years will only prepare producers for changes that lie ahead, said CattleFax CEO Randy Blach, in his remarks to producers at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association convention on Feb. 3, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Driven largely by export market growth in the past two years, the beef industry has new markets that have balanced shrinking meat consumption in the domestic U.S. “We’ve gone from a net importer to a net exporter in three years,” said Blach in the CattleFax Outlook Seminar. “That’s been a very dynamic piece of the puzzle.”
U.S. net farm income is projected at $95 billion for 2012, down from $98 billion in 2011, by a report to Congress from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI). “While net farm income may fall a little short of last year, we expect 2012 to be another good year for most producers,” said Pat Westhoff, director of FAPRI at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Corn yields dropped below trend line the last two years, reducing carryover stocks and pushing up prices. “With normal weather, a bigger crop in 2012 may lead to lower prices this fall,” Westhoff said. “Other crop prices tend to follow corn.”
Less steak may be a new American reality that’s here to stay. The average U.S. consumer is eating less meat and poultry in general, a shift in consumption that reflects tighter budgets, fewer animals on the market and more meat going to foreign countries. The feed factor can be fingered as a top culprit, affecting meat production from hooves to feathers.
Paying more for food may not be out of the question for consumers if regulations on the U.S. poultry and livestock sectors increase. In fact, consumers could pay up to $16.8 billion more annually for meat, milk and eggs if regulations are imposed on U.S. poultry and livestock farmers that raise input costs by 25 percent.
The Consumer and Food Safety Costs of Offshoring Animal Agriculture, a recent soy checkoff-funded study, evaluated current U.S. supply and demand for poultry and livestock products and the impact of regulations on retail price.
Western Kansas Manufacturers Association, sponsor of the annual 3i SHOW, continues to make scholarships available to area colleges and vocational technical schools.
The scholarships are for freshman students who are residents of Western Kansas and who have graduated from a Western Kansas high school. Preference is given to students enrolling in Industrial Engineering, Pre-Engineering or Business Administration.
The Texas AgriLife Extension Service’s Ranch Management University, scheduled April 9-13, will address several wildlife topics this year to aid those managing for more than just livestock, according to an AgriLife Extension specialist.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been taking extra steps to meet the needs and ensure the success of some of its most important customers – U.S. exporters.
"Overall, U.S. farmers and ranchers are experiencing their best period in history in terms of agricultural exports, and USDA's support is an important part of that success," said Rebecca Blue, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs.
Beef producers shouldn’t get too caught up in adding cattle to herds despite recent rainfall, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service forage specialist.
“After the drought, remain de-stocked,” said Dr. Larry Redmon, AgriLife Extension state forage specialist in College Station. “Just because you see green in the spring doesn’t mean you should load up with cows again. Consider drought management as part of your overall strategy.”
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