NCBA Announces Policy Priorities at #CattleCon19

Cindy Zimmerman

As over 9,000 members of the cattle industry gathered for the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show last week in New Orleans, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released its official Policy Priorities for 2019.

While the Policy Priorities book fills almost 140 pages, the organization will focus on four main issue areas this year – fake meat, trade and market access, dietary guidelines, and regulatory reform and implementation.

NCBA was successful in 2018 in arguing for the USDA to have primary jurisdiction over the inspection and marketing of lab-produced and plant-based fake meat. Now in 2019 the group will work to ensure that a regulatory framework that protects the health of consumers, prevents false and deceptive marketing, and ensures a level playing field for real beef products.

Trade priorities will focus on a bilateral trade agreement with Japan, securing swift passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and expanding access for U.S. beef in key markets like China, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.

NCBA will be working to protect the scientific credibility of Dietary Guidelines and promote accurate information about the nutritional advantages of beef as part of a balanced diet as the federal government begins the process of updating the guidelines.

Regulatory priorities includes implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill; finalizing a new water rule to replace the 2015 Waters of the U.S. rule; modernizing and streamlining the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and federal grazing regulations; and promoting antimicrobial stewardship by producers and preserving access to key veterinary technologies.

NCBA Senior Vice President of Government Relations Colin Woodall talks about the policy priorities in this interview –
Colin Woodall, NCBA

2019 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show Photo Album

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Secretary Sonny Urges Cattle Producers to be Transparent

Cindy Zimmerman

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue had the opportunity to address about 9,000 cattlemen and women during the closing general session of the Cattle Industry Convention on Friday and challenge them to be transparent and let consumers know what they do to produce beef.

“We don’t have anything to be ashamed about in the U.S. beef industry,” said Perdue. “No longer can we stand behind the cattle guards of our farms and ranchers and say ‘we just grow it, y’all take care of it from here.'”

Listen to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue’s address to the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention –
#CattleCon19 Secretary Perdue comments

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Animal Ag Bites 2/4

Carrie Muehling

  • Kent Nutrition Group is offering a new line of supplements for pigs — NutriVantage® Nutrition Optimizer® — a research-driven, unique blend of natural ingredients, vitamins and minerals that impact performance at every stage.
  • In comments submitted to the FDA this week, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative called on the agency to “take immediate action” to enforce existing regulations that define dairy foods as originating from cow’s milk.
  • Benny Cox of San Angelo, Texas, was elected president of the American Sheep Industry Association, to succeed Mike Corn of New Mexico.
  • In light of the recent outbreaks of African swine fever and other animal diseases, the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) has been working on a multi-pronged action plan to: research science-based solutions for mitigating the risks of virus transmission through feed, and communicate any new information and recommendations to the industry and producer groups. As part of this effort, AFIA announced that it has released an updated version of its biosecurity guidelines.
  • The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research launched the International Consortium for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Agriculture, a public-private partnership to advance research on antimicrobial stewardship in animal agriculture and improve animal health and welfare.
  • Dairy Management Inc. used Super Bowl weekend to advance its Undeniably Dairy campaign. The organization created two very entertaining 30-second spots to appear on Facebook Feb. 1-4 via a paid promotion. The videos are designed to extend Undeniably Dairy, which was created to grow trust in and relevancy of dairy. Watch Video 1 and Video 2 here.
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Secretary Sonny Perdue visits #CattleCon19

Chuck Zimmerman

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, visited with the media during the Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show prior to his remarks at the closing general session.

The first topic of the press conference was on trade and it was obvious he really wanted to talk about it. He said the top priority for ag groups is trade, trade, trade. You can hear his summary of where things stand with trade negotiations and the impact on agriculture in his remarks below.

He ended the conference answering a question about forest fires and management. It is encouraging to hear him talk about allowing proper management of our forests to ensure we don’t have the devastating fires we’ve seen recently.

Listen to or download the press conference below.

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue press conference audio –
Secretary Perdue Press Conference

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Barn Sentry Launches at Develop with Deere

Carrie Muehling

John Deere dealers attending the Develop with Deere Conference in Chicago were among the first to see a new barn monitoring system with the launch of Barn Sentry from New Boundary Technologies and Mel Foster Company.

The product is designed especially for farmers with hog, turkey and chicken operations and it has the ability to send data from New Boundary’s RemoteAware service into the John Deere Operation Center. Farmers can then see alerts and data with the Operation Center or in a mobile app.

“We believe the John Deere dealer network is the ideal network to work through, because of their close relationships with their customers, and the fact that we are already sending the data into Operations Center, we feel that they will find more value in that than maybe some other dealers will,” said Martin Miller, Application/System Engineer with Mel Foster Company.

Barn Sentry includes a monthly monitoring service that provides the cellular service and the RemoteAware application service. The system is easy to install in new or existing barns. Barn Sentry is available through Mel Foster Company and its authorized dealers. For information, contact Martin Miller, martin@melfoster.com.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Martin here: Interview with Martin Miller, Mel Foster Company

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Zimfo Bytes 2/1

Carrie Muehling

  • During the past two weeks, 83 FFA members visited South Africa for a 12-day educational and cultural experience. Members participated in the 2019 International Leadership Seminar for State Officers as an annual, international opportunity through the National FFA Organization.
  • K2 Insurance Services, LLC has announced the completion of the acquisition of the assets and operations of Mid-America Risk Managers, Inc.
  • The Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City will showcase emerging innovation in agriculture technology at the Ag Innovation Forum on Feb. 14 in Kansas City. Register here.
  • The Association of Equipment Manufacturers has officially kicked off its year-long 125th anniversary celebration. AEM will feature anniversary updates throughout the year in the AEM Industry Advisor. Get updates by subscribing to the newsletter at https://www.aem.org/subscribe.
  • The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists has opened the application process for the 2019 IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders Award. Apply by Feb. 8, 2019.
  • American Farmland Trust has hired Dr. Beth Sauerhaft as vice president for programs.
  • Specific elements of the implementation process of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 will be examined at the Farm Foundation® Forum on Tuesday, Feb. 5. Sen. Pat Roberts, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, will provide opening remarks. Register HERE if you plan to attend the Forum in person at the National Press Club. For the free live audiocast, register HERE. Audiocasting is made possible by a grant from Farm Credit.
  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has selected three highly-qualified individuals for senior leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Perdue named Dr. Mindy Brashears as Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, Naomi Earp as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, and Dr. Scott Hutchins as Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics. These positions do not require Senate confirmation.
  • It was a record-breaking year for the National Corn Growers Association Fields-of-Corn Photo Contest. More than 590 images were submitted for judging in the 2018 contest. In total, 25 prizes were awarded, representing photographers from 16 states. This year’s grand prize photo was submitted by Ryan Kanode from Colorado with the photo titled “Golden.”
  • Agricultural Research Service molecular biologist Elizabeth Ainsworth is receiving the National Academy of Science’s Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences.
  • Terramera announces Adrian Percy as Chair of their Science and Technology Advisory Council.
  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $200 million to 57 organizations through the Agricultural Trade Promotion Program to help U.S. farmers and ranchers identify and access new export markets.
Zimfo Bytes

Alltech Busts Mineral Myths

Jamie Johansen

Back by popular demand, Alltech brought attendees of the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show the Mineral Myths Forum. Last year they tackled the importance of minerals in feedlots. This year fertility sat center stage. The newest technologies behind trace mineral supplementation and its impact on not only fertility but also immunity and calf health were also discussed.

Following the forum, we sat down with Alltech’s Dr. Vaughn Holder and asked him to take us through each myth and hold cattle producers can apply in their own herds.

Myth #1 – All organic trace minerals are created equal.

Myth #2 – Minerals are only for health and fertility, not performance.

Myth #3 – Mineral supplementation only has an effect on the current generation, not successive generations.

Myth #4 – Using organic trace minerals costs your operation more than inorganic trace minerals.

Myth #5 – Mineral supplementation is all about getting essential nutrition, and not about the type of delivery method.

Myth #6 – I only need a mineral program at certain times of the year.


2019 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show Photo Album

Official Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show virtual newsroom

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CattleFax Previews 2019 Market

Cindy Zimmerman

CattleFax market specialists presenting at the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention say they expect markets to continue strong but see a leverage shift on the horizon. The popular annual CattleFax Outlook Seminar drew a capacity crowd Thursday as cattlemen and women gathered to hear expert market and weather analysis.

CattleFax analyst Kevin Good said he expects prices will remain strong, with demand and the economy expected to remain solid. He said price risk remains over the next few years in response to the last five years of expansion. The beef cowherd expansion cycle is believed to be within 1-2 years of being complete.

However, domestic demand remains robust and higher wages and job growth are supportive of prices. CattleFax projects the all-fresh retail beef price to average $5.73/lb., up $.06 from year ago levels, while the composite cutout will rise $4 to average $216/hundredweight (cwt.) during 2019.

Fed cattle prices are expected to be steady during 2019, averaging $117/cwt., with market resistance at the $130-level and downside risk to $100/cwt. at the low end of the trading range, according to Good. He said a larger supply of cattle outside of feedyards coupled with limited profitability in the feeding sector will hinder demand and pressure feeder cattle prices. CattleFax projects 750 lb. steer prices will range from $130-$160/cwt., with an average at $147/cwt. for the year ahead.

“The relatively strong calf market we saw in 2018 will be under pressure this year,” said Good. “However, values in the spring should have the potential to reach the mid-$180s. On the other hand, a larger calf crop and softer demand have the potential to erode prices to the $140-level next fall, so there is certainly more price risk in feeder cattle and calves than in the fed cattle markets in 2019.”

Feed and grain prices are expected to remain stable during the year ahead, with corn acreage increasing an expected 2 million acres to total 91 million acres and soybeans declining 2.2 million acres to 87 million and wheat gaining 1 million acres to total 49 million.

Interview with Kevin Good, VP of Industry Relations, CattleFax –
Kevin Good, CattleFax

2019 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show Photo Album

Official Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show virtual newsroom

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New York Farm Wins Environmental Stewardship Award

Cindy Zimmerman

Thunder View Farms in Grahamsville, New York was honored this week at the Cattle Industry Convention as the winner of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association 2018 Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP).

Thunder View Farms originated in 1958 when Phil Coombe brought five registered Angus cows to the farm. Phil’s brother Dick joined the operation soon after and they have been running the operation together ever since. Today, the farm has more than 200 seedstock cows on 1,500 acres 100 miles north of New York City. It sits between two of the state’s biggest reservoirs supplying drinking water to the nine million people in the city. In the 1990s, New York City proposed tough watershed regulations that would have driven most farmers out of business, but the Coombe family, along with other families in the area, convinced officials that a way to keep land and water in pristine conditions was to keep the land and forests in well managed farms.

The ESAP was established in 1991 by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to recognize outstanding land stewards in the cattle industry and is sponsored by Corteva Agriscience™, the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™; McDonald’s; USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation.

2019 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show Photo Album

Official Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show virtual newsroom

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Deere Dealers Gain From Conference

Carrie Muehling

The 2019 Develop with Deere Conference saw more John Deere dealers attending as they strive to stay current on available technology and know how to best help their farmer customers.

“This is where some of the future of John Deere lies,” said Jeff Barnes with Greenway Equipment. “The way that Deere is thinking about partnering with these software guys and incorporating them in, I think it’s very important as a dealership to support this effort and come here, because I think we need to continue encouraging all the companies that are out there that you have a network. You’re not just working with Deere, you’re working with a dealer network to help deliver these solutions to a broader marketplace.”

Barnes valued the opportunity to find nearly 80 software companies in one place and see what each is bringing to the table. He also appreciated the ability to talk with other dealers about how they are implementing different technology. Marcus McDonald with James River Equipment agreed.

“There is no easy button when it comes to precision ag,” said McDonald. “The way I approach it, everything is customizable. Every farm is different, so being able to customize a software or a program or some type of package is huge for us at a dealership. Having that ease of changing program, changing packaging, offering different services, a different level of services is big for the dealership.”

McDonald said support is also a key piece for dealerships when it comes to partnering with software companies as they work to keep their customers profitable and ultimately stay in business themselves.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jeff here: Interview with Jeff Barnes, Greenway Equipment

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Marcus here: Interview with Marcus McDonald, James River Equipment

2019 Develop with Deere Conference Photo Album

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