E4-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 22, 1994
LOWELL L. WILSON
Professor, Animal Science
Penn State
Although there has been some
upward movement in the cattle
markets over the past few months,
the movement has been slow and
erratic. There have been several
developments the past few weeks
that should help individual cattle
feeders and the rest of the industry
cope with the current market/price
situation.
Feed prices and cost of gain
should be less —in most parts of
the state the com crop looks good.
We have some dry places in the
northeast, but generally there
should be an excellent com grain
or com silage yield, which should
reduce feed costs. One concern
now in some parts of the state is
that the amount of moisture we
have had might, if it continues,
interfere with com silage harvest.
According to most experts, com
silage is still the cheapest cattle
feed and can produce more
pounds of beef per acre than any
other crop.
The National Cattlemen
magazine in August had an excel
lent article. “A Simplified View
of the Market,” published by
Cattle-Fax. To summarize, it
traced the current cattle cycle;
• Cow Herd—Feeder calf
prices have been fairly profitable
the last few years for the cow-calf
producer, which encouraged
expansion of the nation’s cow
herd. The beef-cow inventory was
1 million head larger in early 1994
than a year earlier. Increases in
cow numbers will continue at least
through 1996.
• Trend in beef production
turns upward—Through the first
half of 1994, total beef output was
up 7 percent. This is the first sig
nificant increase in about 8 years.
Increased numbers of cattle
slaughtered was not the only fac
tor that brought about this
increase—heavier carcass weights
contributed significantly to the
Challenge Of The
(Continued from Page E 3)
Dorothy Ferrell, 3 Jay Hurd
Novice Amateur Western Horsemanship:
1 Karen Zmuida, 2 Tammy Long, 3 Dorothy
Ferrell
Novice Youth Weetem Horsemanship:
1 Charles Bowers, 2 Bethann Zendt, 3 Erin
N Biddle
Amateur Weetem Horseman-ship: 1 E
Ketcham, Jr, 2 Crystal Zeller, 2 Rebecca G
Trego
Youth Activity Western Horsemanship
•13 A Under: 1 Charles Bowers, 2 Amanda
Arnold, 3 Denise Howard
Youth Activity Waster Horse-manship -
14-18: 1 Eva Ryder 2 Deborah Coles, 3
®SOCIATIO
News
increased beef tonnage this year. It
is hard for any individual cattle
feeder to follow the advice “keep
current with the markets and sell
when the cattle are ready.” But the
reason for this is to keep addition
al carcass weight per animal, and
the increased fat the heavier catde
bring with them, off the market so
it might recover more quickly.
• Total meat supplies also
increasing—Poultry supplies are
increasing as well as beef—
although output of pork only
increased modestly compared to a
year ago. However, there is
expected to be more growth in
pork supplies over the next few
years. Competition between the
moats wilt continue to intensify.
• Slow growth expected for
beef demand —True demand for
beef increased markedly from
1987 through 1991, but has
increased only at a modest pace
the last few years. Fortunately,
export demand for U.S. beef has
increased since the 1980 s and
should continue to increase by
5-10 percent annually through the
mid- to late-1990s (more on
exports later).
• Outlook for industry
profits—Historically, profitability
for cattle feeders is greatest in the
initial stages of expansion of the
nation’s cow herd, and of course
cattle feeders are the first to suffer
losses in a down-trend market.
Cow-calf producers are the last to
feel the pressures of a lower
trending market and also last to
benefit from dp-trend markets.
The kind of cycles that we’ve
seen over the last 50 years will
probably continue although some
restrictions by lending agencies
had thought to “even out” some of
these cycles. As indicated, the
other major cost in cattle feeding,
besides the purchase of the calf, is
feed cost —which hopefully this
year will allow cattle feeders to
recoup some of the losses suffered
over the last year.
• Export situation looks
Holly & Heidi Rennlnger
AQHA Junior Western Pleasure; 1
John Kleintop, Jr, 2 Robert Sneed, 3 Lea
Miller
Novice Amateur Western Pleasure: 1
Tammy Long, 2 Stephan & Chns Wame, 3
Wanda Griffie
Amateur Western Pleasure: 1 Crystal
Zeller 2 John Kleintop, Jr, 3 James & Linda
Weber
AQHA Western Riding: 1 ZltaCodi, 2
Susan Yohn, 3 Richard Miller
Novice Youth Western Pleasure; 1
Floyd Sholder, Jr, 2 Charles Bowers, 3
Bethann Zendt
Youth Activity Western Pleasure • 13 A
Under: 1 John Kleintop, Jr; 2. Jon & Alycia
bright—There are several coun
tries which might double imports
of U.S beef products in 1994.
Although exports do have an
effect—it’s limited—because'
only about 6% of the U.S beef
production is exported. One bright
spot on the export front is the good
possibility that the European
Union (EU), which has effectively
closed their markets to U.S. beef
imports by banning beef produced
with growth promotants, may
enter into more discussion. NCA
has petitioned Secretary of Agri
culture Espy through 25 Senators
for discussion of the EU on the
U.S. beef import ban. The General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(GATT) offers such an opportuni
ty. There is also renewed use of
information that shows that the
use of implanted growth promot
ants in cattle is unquestionably
safe from a public health
standpoint
Beef promotion/advertising
more important than ever:
Nationally, internationally, as
well as within Pennsylvania—
there’s more effort being exerted
to increase meat demand and con
sumption. The Pennsylvania Beef
Council has initiated several prog
rams which should stimulate beef
purchases.
The Beef Industry Council
and Cattle-Fax reported that
advertising of beef by retailers has
increased about eight percent
compared to 1993. This increased
advertising was encouraged by the
national beef organizations. Beef
promotion programs can’t solve
all the market problems. We need
to remember that we don’t know
where beef prices would be with
out these programs.
Good news—steak and ham
burger: Steak is still the highest
ranked food according to recent
surveys. More than 80 percent of
American families own bar
becues, and meat is the major item
used in barbecuing. Recent Beef
Industry Council surveys show
that 70 percent of Americans eat at
fast-food restaurants —and ham
burger is by far the leading food
served at these restaurants.
Legislative items watched
closely: Both on the national and
state levels, there are many legi
slative issues and initiatives that
need to be addressed. There’s so
many that they cannot all be listed,
but regardless of the segment of
the beef industry in which you are
involved—the National and Pen
nsylvania Cattlemen’s Associa
tions are monitoring and attempt
ing to gain legislation (or interpre
tations of existing legislation)
which will benefit every segment
of the cattle industry—from con
ception through the consumer.
It’s been a busy summer:
There’s been a lot of activity—the
Field Days and Ag Progress Days
—and we want to express thanks
to all the volunteers who played a
big role this summer in making
these activities successful. Plan
ning continues for next year.
Breeds
Hawk, 3 Denise Howard
Youth Activity Western Pleasure: 1
Holly 4 Heidi Rennlnger, 2. Richard Miller; 3
Bethann Zendt
AQHA Senior Western Pleasure: 1
Laurel Topper; 2 James 4 Linda Weber; 3
Wanda Gtrifle
Youth Activity All-Around Champion
and Reserve Champion: Champion, Jon 4
Alycla Hawk; Reserve Champion, Amy
Burdick
Amateur All-Around Champion and
Reserve Champion: Champion, E Ketcham,
Open All-Around Champion and
Reaarve Champion: Champion, Susan Yohn,
Reserve Champion, Maty Beth Kuznik.
Entries Due
For Beef Project
WEST SALEM, Ohio Cat
tle producers who want to experi
ence retained ownership and col
lect carcass data are invited to
enter the 1995 Certified Angus
Beef (CAB) Program Value Dis
covery Project. Entry forms are
available from Terra Thorpe, the
Project’s coordinator, at (303)
980-6393. Entries are due
November 1.
Each entry must consist of five
or six steers, which were worn
between December 1, 1993, and
April 30, 1994. Steers weighing
between 550 and 850 pounds
must arrive at Decatur County
Feed Yard, Oberlin, Kan.,
December 5-7. All steers must be
sired by registered Angus bulls
and be predominantly black (at
least 51 percent of the hair coat is
black.)
The CAB Program, in cooper
ation with the American Angus
Association, will also sponsor a
Junior Division of the Project. As
cattle producers of the future,
junior members can get a head
start on preparing for value-based
marketing by participating in the
Value Discovery Project and
learning more about their cattle.
Christmas Tree
Pest Course Set
GETTYSBURG (Adams
Co.) A Christmas Tree Pest
Control Short Course will be held
at the Days Inn Penn State in
State College on March 13 and
14.
The course will be given by
personnel from the departments
of entomology, horticulture, and
plant pathology of the College of
Agricultural Sciences, The Penn
sylvania State University, Ohio
State University, and the Pennsyl
vania Department of Agriculture.
Instructors will include the fol
lowing: Dr. Paul Heller, professor
of entomology, Penn State; Dr.
James Hilton, associate professor
of agriculture engineering, Penn
State; Kerry Hoffman, pesticide
education coordinator, Penn
State; Dr. Larry Kuhns, professor
of ornamental I ,4)orticulture, Penn
State; Rayanne Lehman, ento-
MAILBOX MARKET
FOR SALE
Seeburg L 5325 jukebox
$250 080, nee.ds tune-up,
15 species of pheasants &
bobwhite quail. Lane. Co.
717-626-1788.
Miller delta weld 450 mig,
weld sale 300/500 amps,
weld sale 250 3 PH, 2500 A
TLB 8.0. York Co.
717-792-9892 aft. 3
Burial lots 3 plots, 4 lots
ea, 1 8 lots, Lane area,
reasonable offer excepted
Lane. Co. 717-733-8971.
Reg. angus bull proven
breeder, 4 yrs. old $llOO.
Adams Co. 717-359-5834.
Rear air lift truck axle, valve
included, ready for installa
tion, good cond. Lane. Co.
717-336-7434.
1200 used 1 jjal. nursery
pots 5p ea., $60,300- 2 gal.
pots 10c ea„ $3O. Perry-
Co. 717-536-3265 after 6
PM,
1980 GMC Brig. SA PS 10
spd., RR PTO Detroit 30
ton equip trailer inspected,
$6500 Dau Co
717-921-8980/8590
Torpedo space heaters
kero 650,000 BTU like new,
drain oil burners pot type
80,000 BTU. Middlesex Co.
908-297-1247.
Only members of the National
Junior Angus Association, whose
birthdates are from January 1.
1973, through December 31,
1984, may enter the junior com
petition. A junior may enter as
many individual lots of three or
four steers as desired, and a state
may enter as many state group
lots of six to eight steers as
desired. State entries must con
tain entries of three to eight
junior.
More than $15,000 in prize
money and premiums will be
awarded in the categories of feed
lot performance, retail yield, car
cass value, and acceptance into
the CAB Program.
The CAB Program was estab
lished in 1978 by the American
Angus Association to provide
consumers with a consistent, high
quality beef product excelling in
tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.
During fiscal ‘93 more than
125 million pounds of Certified
Angus Beef™ product were sold
to consumers in restaurant and
retail outlets worldwide. This
amount is expected to reach 165
million pounds during fiscal
1994, a 31.5 percent increase and
program record.
mologist, Pennsylvania Depart
ment of Agriculture; Dr. Crarg
Weidensaul, professor of forest
pathology, Ohio State University;
and Nancy Wenner, senior
research assistant, plant patholo
gy, Penn Stale.
The course will consist ol lec
tures, discussion sessions, and
hands-on laboratory work, and
will emphasize the diagnosis and
control of the common weed,
insect, and disease problems
affecting Christmas tree produc
tion in the Northeast.
Course enrollment will be lim
ited to the first 100 who register.
For additional information and a
registration form, write to;
Christmas Tree Short Course,
Penn State, 306 Agricultural
Administration Building, Univer
sity Park, PA 16802-2601, (814)
865-8301.
IH 110 3 beater 16' forage
wagon, Wetmore PTO grin
der blower, 20' 9" silo pipe
galv., 16' feeder on 4 wheel
wagon Adams Co
717-359-4383.
Nl 313 1 row corn picker
$950 717-463-3277.
Male pygmy goats, good
stud gray/black. Lane. Co.
717-786-1150 no Sunday
calls.
Nylon corn husking gloves
$ll doz., also 639 Cole
man kero, lanterns, $51.95
ea. Frank Sensenlg, 330
Akron Rd.. Ephrata, Pa.
17522.
Approx. 3000 to 4000 bales
of mixed hay. Armstrong
Co. 412-354-3495.
800 gal. Girton D-4 w/5 HP
dub compressor, very good
cond. Cumb. Co.
717-776-7692.
12” Rockwell jointer excel,
cond., 3 HP, 3 PH $1950,
Buffalo #lB metal workers
heavy duty drill press,
$4OO, other tools. Dau. Co
717-921-3328.
Exotic pets for excellent
alternative income, African
Pygmy hedgehogs,
chinchillas, egyptian
duprasi, great pets, breed
ers avail., buy quality off
farm. 717-865-4473.