U.S. lawmakers are seeking increased oversight of the beef sector as concerns about anticompetitive behavior increase after the pandemic and a cyberattack on a major meat company, JBS USA.
Agriculture officials are meanwhile pushing for more processing capacity and ranchers are opening new slaughterhouses after plant shutdowns highlighted the industry’s reliance on large facilities run by four main processors.
Read More
On a hot summer day, people often dress in light clothing, drink more water than normal, and seek shade to minimize the impacts on the body from heat and humidity. Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute experts said cattle need many of those same strategies for maximum performance over the summer.
Talking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast, veterinarians Bob Larson, Brian Lubbers, and Brad White and nutritionist Phillip Lancaster agreed that providing plenty of water and shade are two keys to success in keeping cattle comfortable.
Read More
March was a record-breaking month for U.S. beef and pork exports. The U.S. Meat Export Federation released a report compiled from USDA data that the exports continued the momentum in April.
"Looking back at April 2020, it was a difficult month for red meat exports as we began to see COVID-related supply chain interruptions and foodservice demand took a major hit in many key markets," said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. "While it is no surprise that exports performed much better in April 2021, we are pleased to see that global demand continued to build on the broad-based growth achieved in March."
Read More
Recently introduced legislation would create greater price discovery and transparency within the cattle market, while giving producers more tools and useful information. The Farm Bureau-backed Optimizing the Cattle Market Act of 2021 would direct USDA to create a cattle formula contracts library and increase the reporting window for “cattle committed” from seven to 14 days.
The bill would also require USDA, in consultation with the department’s chief economist, to establish mandated minimums for regional negotiated cash and negotiated grid live cattle trade.
Read More
Four Cowgirls and two Cowboys from the McNeese State University rodeo team have qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo and will head to Casper, Wyoming, to compete June 13-19.
The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) crowns both individual event and team champions. Over 400 students from more than 100 universities and colleges representing 11 regions will compete at this year’s competition.
Read More
June is the month where we in the cow/calf business need to make some marketing decisions for our calf crop. Do we sell our Fallborn calves this month or next or do we hold on to them until midSeptember? Our Spring-born calves have some flexibility. We can sell them in August/September (no later than early October) or we can put them on ryegrass and sell them next year (better talk to your tax person before you do this).
Read More
A notorious Russia-linked hacking group is behind the cyberattack against JBS SA, according to four people familiar with the assault who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The cyber gang goes by the name REvil or Sodinokibi.
While it’s unclear if all of REvil’s hackers operate in Russia, the group’s public face, a user on the dark web cybercrime forum XSS who goes by the name “Unknown,” exclusively publishes in Russian. REvil typically uses a darkweb blog called “Happy Blog” to name victims when they decline to engage in ransom negotiations. REvil has yet to post a blog item dedicated to JBS.
Read More
President Biden will meet President Vladimir Putin as planned on June 16 “as a vital part of defending America’s interests,” said a White House spokeswoman on Tuesday, after holding Russia culpable for the ransomware attack that crippled meatpacker JBS. “The White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals.”
JBS, the world’s largest meat processor, was hit by the attack in North America and Australia, but it said “the vast majority of our beef, pork, poultry, and prepared foods plants will be operational” on Wednesday, given the progress of its cyber-security teams. “Our systems are coming back online, and we are not sparing any resources to fight this threat,” said Andre Nogueira, chief executive of JBS USA.
Read More