Animal ID system may be years away

Animal ID system may be years away

PHILIP BRASHER
DES MOINES REGISTER
WASHINGTON BUREAU
April 6, 2006

Washington, D.C. – It could be years before the government has a way to track the nation’s farm animals after outbreaks of disease.
Last year, the U.S. Agriculture Department proposed to have a mandatory national livestock identification system by 2009.

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Judge denies full hearing on mad cow lawsuit, says hands ‘tied’

Judge denies full hearing on mad cow lawsuit, says hands ‘tied’

By BECKY BOHRERASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

BILLINGS, Mont. — A federal judge has denied a cattlemen group’s request for a hearing on its lawsuit challenging Canadian cattle and beef imports over mad cow disease concerns. U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull said his “hands are tied” by an appeals court ruling.
Cebull’s order, dated Wednesday, halts the challenge mounted early last year by R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America to keep Canadian cattle and beef out of this country. R-CALF claimed such trade would pose a risk to U.S. consumers and the cattle industry because of mad cow disease cases in Canada.

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NCBA URGES CONGRESS TO DEFEAT EPA’S PROPOSAL TO REGULATE DUST

NCBA URGES CONGRESS TO DEFEAT EPA’S PROPOSAL TO REGULATE DUST

NCBA

At this time, the EPA proposal to regulate particulate matter is clearly a regulatory matter, but NOW is the time for us to begin educating and engaging our elected officials on this issue. As we turn up the volume on this issue on Capitol Hill, we need cattle producers to voice their opposition of this proposal to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Please visit http://capwiz.com/beefusa/ to send a letter and a three page NCBA backgrounder to your Senators and Representatives. Please forward this on to all of your friends, neighbors and fellow cattle producers.
To view an overview fact sheet on why this issue is so important to America’s cattle producers, visit http://hill.beef.org/pdfs/NCBAonCoarsePM.pdf.
As this issue evolves, we will certainly be calling on each of you in different ways. TODAY, the focus must be on
1. Generating comments for submission to EPA prior to April 17, 2006 and
2. Generating letters to Congress asking them to oppose the EPA proposal.
If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to contact Jenni Beck at jbeck@beef.org or (202) 347-0228.

Tennessee News Beef Newsletter Available

Tennessee News Beef Newsletter Available

The University of Tennesssee’s Beef Newsletter is available on the web by clicking HERE. This helpful newsletter is in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. You must have the free Acrobat reader installed on your computer to view this post.

Animal ID System to Be in Place by 2009

Animal ID System to Be in Place by 2009

CBS News
Apr. 7, 2006

(AP) Authorities trying to limit disease outbreaks will be able to trace livestock movements from birth to slaughter by 2009, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said Thursday.
The goal is to pinpoint a single animal’s movements among the nation’s 9 billion cows, pigs and chickens within 48 hours after a disease is discovered.
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2006 Cumberland Beef Day will study varied topics

2006 Cumberland Beef Day will study varied topics

The eighth annual Cumberland Beef Day will be held on April 13, 2006 at the White County Fair Complex in Sparta, TN, from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. The event will again be co-sponsored by the White/Van Buren Cattlemen’s Association, University of Tennessee Extension, and area Extension Agents.
The 2006 Cumberland Beef Day’s theme will be Competing in a Global Cattle Economy, and will feature Troy Applehans of Cattle-Fax from Centennial, Colorado. “Perspectives on the Effects of Globalization on Beef Production and Marketing in the US” will be the title of Applehans presentation.
Troy Applehans is a native of Colorado and a graduate of Oklahoma State University. He is well-versed in the cattle business and has worked extensively with the cow/calf and seedstock segments of the industry. Applehans was previously employed by Cargill Animal Nutrition as a cattle mineral specialist, Future Beef Operations as a member of the cattle procurement team, and as a regional manager for the American Gelbvieh Association. His primary responsibility with Cattle-Fax is serving as a market analyst working with cow/calf and stocker operations.
Other topics will include: Comments on The Tennessee Beef Industry, Ken Givens, Commissioner of Agriculture; Using EID to Expand Opportunities – Dr Emmit Rawls, UT; Trace-back and Related Issues on EID – Dr Charles Hatcher, TN Department of Ag; Argentina, Our Growing Competitor – Dr. David Kirkpatrick, UT. In addition, there will be demonstrations on new innovations, practical applications, and answers to your concerns on EID.
Live demonstrations will include: Conducting a Beef Cow-Calf Herd Evaluation – Kevin Thompson, TN Livestock Producers. Kevin will use heifers and cows from a local herd to demonstrate what he looks for as he conducts an evaluation and how he determines the needs for improving the productivity of that herd. This program will assist anyone who wants to make progress in their breeding program, but is perfect for cattle producers participating in the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program.
The beef day will also feature an extensive trade show of products, equipment, services and beef cattle. A sponsored meal will be provided at noon.
For Information contact Scott Swoape (931-946-2435) or Bill Adcock 931-836-3348