This is Jaime Albers, graphic designer with the Angus Journal, with the April 27, 2022, update from the AJ Daily. Today’s update contains a report on weather patterns, comments from National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Farmers Union on a recent Senate hearing to discuss transparency and oversight within cattle marketing, and comments from the House Agriculture Committee about a hearing on cattle markets.
Weather Forecast: La Niña Continues to Control Weather Patterns; More Neutral Tendencies Into Next Year
Adapted from an article by Megan Silveira, Angus Journal
Looking beyond the seven-day predictions featured on the screen of a smartphone, cattle
producers can expect a more mild and neutral weather pattern in the upcoming year.
Matt Makens helped participants at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show predict Mother Nature’s next moves during the third general session Feb. 2, the CattleFax 2022 U.S. & Global Protein & Grain Outlook Seminar.
Makens said, “Very rarely has La Niña been here for three years, and we’re on year two.”
The sea surface temperatures are currently colder than average across the equatorial Pacific waters, with warmer water found in the central and western zones — a trend Makens said will continue into the next year.
To read more, go to angusjournal.net.
Cattle Industry Opposition to Government Mandate Amplified Through Senate Hearing
Adapted from a release by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry April 26 convened a hearing to discuss transparency and oversight within cattle marketing, specifically the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act and additional oversight through the Office of the Special Investigator. The hearing has been proceeded by months of debate over the need for increased transparency in cattle marketing, and the conversation highlighted the vehement opposition to government mandates by a majority of U.S. cattle producers.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane said, “The majority of cattle producers have made it clear that one-size-fits-all solutions, such as the government mandate on cattle sales included in the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, is not the solution the industry is looking for.”
For more information, go to ncba.org.
Farmers Union Member Testifies Before U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Adapted from a release by Lyndsey Medsker, National Farmers Union
Representing National Farmers Union in a hearing April 26 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Shelly Ziesch testified in support of S.4030, the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2022 and S.3870, the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022.
Ziesch is a fourth-generation rancher from Pettibone, North Dakota, and serves on the board of directors for North Dakota Farmers Union. In her testimony, Ziesch called for greater transparency, price discovery and fairness in cattle markets and discussed how these changes are critical to the survival of family farms and ranches.
Ziesch testified, “Ranchers need to have options when marketing their cattle, including cash trades and alternative marketing arrangements.”
To read more, go to nfu.org.
Chairman David Scott at Hearing “An Examination of Price Discrepancies, Transparency and Alleged Unfair Practices in Cattle Markets”
Adapted from a release by the House Agriculture Committee
House Agriculture Chairman David Scott of Georgia delivered the following statement at today's hearing “An Examination of Price Discrepancies, Transparency and Alleged Unfair Practices in Cattle Markets.”
Scott said, “Good morning. I’d like to thank our House Agriculture Committee members for joining us and our witnesses for appearing before the Committee today. We are holding this critical hearing to discuss cattle markets, concentration in the meatpacking industry, and allegations that the big four meatpackers have partaken in unfair practices that have driven down prices for cattle producers and led to distorted markets.
“Since the 1980s we have seen a steady increase in concentration in the packing industry.”
For more information, click on the link in this episode’s description.
The AJ Daily is compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor for theAngus Journal. For more Angus news, visit angusjournal.net.