When Iowa hog farmer Sam Carney got his first look at the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule released on June 22, he was shocked. “I thought it would be something to get rid of vertical integration,” Sam says. “And to me, this is just something that looks like they’re encouraging vertical integration.” Sam is president of …
GIPSA Rule Could Set Beef Industry Back 25 Years
At least one pure bred Angus breeder is concerned that the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule could set the beef industry back 25 years. Bill Rishel of North Platte, Nebraska is president of the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association and owner of Rishel Angus. He’s among the nation’s top Angus breeders and was one of the first to …
Cattle Producer Wants Long Term Analysis of GIPSA Rule
Will cattle producers be helped or hurt by the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) regulation that is intended to provide protection for producers against unfair, fraudulent or retaliatory practices in the livestock business? That is the question that many in the cattle business are asking now, less than two months after the rule was proposed. Many of …
Cattle Feeder Concerned With GIPSA Proposed Rule
The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) proposed rule that was published in June is causing quite a bit of concern among cattle feeders, who would be impacted right along with every other aspect of the meat and poultry industry. I talked about the issue with Jerry Bohn, general manager of Pratt Feeders in Kansas, who will be taking …
GIPSA Rule Hot Topic At Next USDA/DOJ Workshop
The next USDA/DOJ public workshop on competition in the livestock industry is scheduled for next week in Ft. Collins, CO, and I will be attending. The session will be held on Friday and there will be a separate session the evening before hosted by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and National Pork Producers Council which I will also be attending. …
Remember Agriculture on Earth Day
Tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in the United States. I still remember the very first Earth Day when I was in middle school and it was a very “hippy-ish” sort of deal. Today, everyone is in on the environmental act. That includes farmers and ranchers – the original environmentalists. As National Corn Growers Association president Darrin Ihnen, …
Novus Acquires Animal Nutrition Division of Albion
Novus was hoping to make this big announcement at the recent Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio, but sometimes the legal wheels slow down the process a bit. But this new deal means an expanded commitment for Novus to the livestock industry worldwide, especially for cattle. Novus International has finalized the acquisition of the Animal Nutrition Division of Albion Laboratories …
Novus to Expand Mineral Product Portfolio
Novus International has announced plans to acquire the Animal Nutrition Division of Albion Laboratories in Clearfield, Utah. Products from the acquisition will align with Novus’s MINTREX® chelated trace mineral products and further expand its mineral technology. When complete, this acquisition will enable Novus to offer its customers and the animal agriculture market an expanded chelated trace mineral product portfolio to …
House Passes Permanent Estate Tax Relief Bill
If you’re like me, then you have been watching closely the progress of the Estate Tax Relief Bill. As the average age of the American farmer or rancher nears 60, agriculture businesses will start switching hands, and unfortunately, poor succession planning can result in the end of a long-standing family tradition. Here is a release that was published in Hoosier …
Farm Credit Takes Ownership of Superior Livestock Auction
Superior Livestock Auction, Inc., the largest livestock auction company in the U.S. and the number one in the livestock marketing industry, is now owned by SLAI, LLC, a wholly owned entity of Farm Credit West, ACA. According to company materials, Superior Livestock is the nations’ leader in marketing load-lots of cattle via satellite and the Internet, and pioneered video cattle …