This is Heather Lassen, special projects editor for the Angus Journal, with the December 7, 2023, update from the AJ Daily. Today’s update contains a story about trends in carcass weights, a story with answers to your questions about Inventory Reporting, and news from the American Farm Bureau Federation about efforts to reduce nutrient losses in the Mississippi River watershed.
Carcass Weights Hit Record Highs
Adapted from a release by Paul Dykstra, Certified Angus Beef
Few things in cattle market trends are entirely predictable, but the fact that carcass weights peak in November is as close to a sure bet as one could identify. The typical pattern traces weights to their annual lightest measures in late May or early June. Steer weights then increase roughly 2.3 pounds per week for 24 weeks to culminate in a 51-pound increase to their November highs.
Annual average steer and heifer carcasses have increased 5 lb. in a decades-long series of data. That relatively stable pattern was upset in 2020 when packing disruptions and subsequent fed-cattle backlog sent combined fed-cattle weights 26 pounds heavier than 2019.
To read more, go to cabcattle.com and select CAB Insider under the news tab.
Q&A About American Angus Association Inventory Reporting
Adapted from a release by Performance Programs, American Angus Association
Members participating in American Angus Association Inventory Reporting provide complete female production records on their cow herd, which better characterizes maternal traits. This in turn helps Angus Herd Improvement Records provide breeders with selection tools. Although everyone has a unique situation, Inventory Reporting is designed to work for anyone.
At the 2023 Angus Convention in Orlando, Fla., Angus breeders committed to improving maternal selection tools joined performance programs experts during the “AAA Q&A” session to learn more about Inventory Reporting.
Read a few questions and responses below from the convention session.
Question: If I am trying to start Inventory Reporting, when can I earn the MaternalPlus® designation?
Answer: Obtaining the MaternalPlus designation is possible after the first year in the program, which requires reenrollment in the year following the first enrollment.
For more information, go to angus.org.
Farmers Collaborate With State and Federal Agencies to Meet Nitrogen Loss Goals Two Years Early
Adapted from a release by the American Farm Bureau Federation
A new report by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Hypoxia Task Force demonstrates that the hard work of farmers and ranchers to reduce nutrient losses in the Mississippi River watershed is paying off. The report reveals that the twelve participating states have met interim nitrogen-reduction goals two years ahead of schedule and are also making considerable progress in bringing down phosphorus losses.
The goals, which are part of a comprehensive strategy established by state and federal agencies across the Mississippi River watershed region, tasked farmers, ranchers and trusted advisors with helping to reduce nutrient losses by 20% by 2025. Through dedication to the implementation of conservation and best management practices, nitrogen loss has already been reduced by 23%, which exceeds the goals established in the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008.
To read more, visit fb.org.
The AJ Daily is compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor for the Angus Journal. For more Angus news, visit angusjournal.net.