Alexander becomes NCBA president

Alexander becomes NCBA president

ROD SMITH

Feedstuffs

J.D. Alexander became president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assn. (NCBA) at its annual meeting Saturday, stepping up from the president-elect position, which he held in 2011.

Alexander heads the Alexander Cattle & Land Co., a cattle feedlot and 2,000-acre corn, soybean and alfalfa farm near Pilger, Neb. The business markets approximately 1,500 fed cattle per year.

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U.S. cattle inventories lowest in 60 years

U.S. cattle inventories lowest in 60 years

Elizabeth Campbell

Fort Worth Star Telegram

U.S. cattle inventories fell to the lowest in 60 years after a drought in the South scorched pastures, prompting ranchers to shrink herds.

As of Jan. 1, beef and dairy farmers held 90.77 million head of cattle, down 2.1 percent from a year earlier, the Agriculture Department said Saturday in a report. That’s the fewest since 1952.

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Brazil Is Using Reproductive Technology To Leapfrog The U.S.

Brazil Is Using Reproductive Technology To Leapfrog The U.S.

Wes Ishmael

BEEF

The Brazilian beef cattle population is to the beef world what the Chinese human population is to the world in general. In both cases, their numbers are so vast that even a minor change in those epicenters creates ripples felt globally.

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Alcorn State sees viable future in cattle program

Alcorn State sees viable future in cattle program

Clarionledger.com

Alcorn State University officials say they have started a program that will provide a handful of high-quality cattle for sale annually for years to come.

Animal Science professor Evelin J. Cuadra tells the Mississippi Business Journal that a recent sale of nine bulls produced from embryo transfers marked the start of the program.

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New FDA rules limit antibiotic use on livestock

New FDA rules limit antibiotic use on livestock

Elizabeth Laubach

The Missourian

To MU veterinarian John Middleton, the most significant impact of new government rules that govern the use of certain antibiotics on livestock will be increased accountability for farmers and veterinarians.

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Dwindling herds, overseas demand drive up beef prices

Dwindling herds, overseas demand drive up beef prices

Georgina Gustin

Wichita Eagle

For anyone who loves a good steak, a juicy burger or a nice Sunday roast, these are anxious times.

Prices for beef, which have been climbing for months, hit a record high in December — an average of $5 a pound — and analysts predict they could climb 5 to 8 percent higher this year.

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Neb. feedlot forums can help improve operations

Neb. feedlot forums can help improve operations

KOTA

The latest tips for improving the health of cattle in feedlots and the profits for owners of the businesses will be discussed at a series of roundtables across the state.

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Bill Gates Speaks Out on Need for Money, Innovation in Ag Research

Bill Gates Speaks Out on Need for Money, Innovation in Ag Research

Oklahoma Farm Report

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and one of the richest men in the world, highlighted the relative lack of money devoted to agricultural innovation and research in his annual letter outlining the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s 2012 priorities.

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Adding Value to the Calf

Adding Value to the Calf

Beef Today

Having a better understanding of markets and selecting the right programs are important when considering raising value-added calves. For some producers value-added programs benefit them, for others it’s just a hassle that they don’t have the time to deal with.

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Switching to LED light could extend meat shelf life

Switching to LED light could extend meat shelf life

The Cattle Business Weekly

A simple switch to LED lights in refrigeration units could save the retail meat industry millions of dollars each year, according to research from Kansas State University.

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