Does Information on Relative Risks Change Consumers' Concerns about Growth Hormones? 

Jayson Lusk, Oklahoma State University food and agricultural economist, writes in a recent issue of BEEF Magazine:

Consumers often express concern about the use of growth promotants in animal agriculture. In the beef industry, various growth hormones are administered to cattle to improve and speed the rate of growth (and some would say, improve the sustainability of beef production). Upwards of 90% or more of feedlot cattle in large feedyards are given hormone implants.

Some consumers are fearful about the safety effects.   For example, the EU has banned imports of hormone-treated cattle from the US for over 20 years (a policy which probably has more to do with protectionism than actual safety concerns). Other people have argued that these are the cause of decreasing puberty age of girls (which the data doesn't support).

As a result, many in the beef industry have have tried to communicate the fact that the risks from hormones are small to non-existent, and are much smaller than the risks from hormones in everyday foods. The normal comparison is between how much estrogen is in a hamburger from an implanted steer or heifer vs. the amount of estrogen in other foods like soybean oil or cabbage. Examples of such discussions appear at BeefMyths.org, US Meat Export Federation, the NCBA, and extension facts sheets from Michigan State University, University of Nebraska, University of Georgia, and many others.

Circulating on the web a while back were some discussions of using some visual strategies to communicate the relative risks from estrogen used in cattle implants. For example, here is one blog discussing the use of M&Ms to convey the risks.

Click here to read the rest of this article.  

Recently-Released Ag Movies Accurately Reflect Farm Life, Oklahoma Ag Secretary Says 

On hand at Wednesday night's preview of the documentary "The Great American Wheat Harvest" was Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese. He told Oklahoma Farm Report's Ron Hays that he thought the movie was an accurate portrayal of the peaks and pitfalls experienced by Oklahoma agricultural producers.

"I thought tonight was a very good depiction of the life of a family working together to accomplish a goal which is production in agriculture. It was fun."

He said Oklahomans are familiar with agriculture-at least on the surface-but movies like this one and "Farmland" previewed Tuesday for Oklahoma agricultural leaders will help present a deeper look at the people that feed this country and the world.

"A lot of us, we see the custom harvesters running through the country. They come and they go pretty quickly. But, by the time you go across the entire nation, it's a livelihood. So, to get a more in-depth glimpse at their lives was great."

You can read the rest of this story and hear my interview with Jim Reese on our website by clicking here.

62 Export Promotion Groups Get MAP and FMD Monies to Help Sell US Farm Products Overseas

More than 60 U.S. agricultural organizations focusing on expanding exports - including groups like the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) and US Wheat Associates - were awarded funds this past week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). The funding, made available through the 2014 Farm Bill, was announced by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

"Now that Congress has passed the Farm Bill, USDA is moving quickly to implement our trade promotion programs to help open and expand opportunities for farmers, ranchers and small businesses and build on the past five years of record agricultural exports," said Vilsack. "These programs are an important investment in rural America. Every dollar we invest in trade promotion provides $35 in economic benefits."

A total of 62 organizations and cooperatives have been designated to receive a collective $171.9 million in Market Access Program (MAP) funds to focus on consumer promotion, including brand promotion.  

Cotton Council International secured the most funds out of the MAP program, with $15,423,937 going to promote US cotton globally.  The second most money handed out from MAP for this fiscal year went to the US Meat Export Federation- receiving $14,073,511.  The US Wheat Associates picked up $5.9 million dollars to help keep their offices open around the world to provide technical help to millers and bakers that helps encourage them to use US wheat on an ongoing basis.

Twenty four million dollars also were allocated to a total of 22 organizations to help further export sales efforts around the world- this also for fiscal year 2014. 

Click here for the complete listing of groups getting MAP money (the link to the FMD list seems to be broken this morning.)

Pork Checkoff Updates Youth PQA Plus® Program

New online certification tool offers broader appeal to young learners

Consumers want to know how their food is produced. Through its Youth Pork Quality Assurance Plus® program (PQA), the National Pork Board will make training available to young producers so they can continue to earn the trust of consumers through transparency and training. Recent changes to Youth PQA Plus include an online training, testing, and certification option to accompany the current in-person process. Delivered to students in the form of an engaging, interactive online learning module, the new online option allows participants to learn, test, and become certified in Youth PQA Plus. For youth age 12 and under, there is a parent log-in for security as well.

Youth PQA Plus is one part of the pork industry's We Care initiative, which reflects the ongoing commitment to responsible farming and fosters continuous improvement. Youth PQA Plus consists of two main elements: food safety and animal well-being training. The new online certification option for Youth PQA Plus was made available on April 15, 2014. Because it is interactive, it engages students, making learning fun.

Click here for more of this story.  

From Breeders to Custom Cutters: Trying to Lower the Risks in a Risky Business

Farming is a risky business, but crop insurance and government disaster programs help mitigate that risk for producers. Custom cutters who play a critical role in harvesting most of that grain face the same risks--and more-without the protection of a safety net.

Speaking at Wednesday's preview of "The Great American Wheat Harvest, a documentary about life and business of custom harvesters, Dr. Brett Carver, a wheat breeder at Oklahoma State University, told radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays he gained a new respect for custom cutters and, in a way, wheat breeders are trying to lower the risk inherent in the agriculture industry.

"From the research standpoint, it's kind of the foundation of our industry, but tonight it was more about getting that crop out of the field and into a safe place. Boy, it just reminded me, and I knew this, and I'm sure a lot of people know this in our own circle, but outside of agriculture it's hard to realize just how vulnerable our crop can be. And I try to make that point in research to try and reduce that vulnerability to reduce that risk in agriculture. We do what we can from a research standpoint to do that.

"There's so many other risks involved and watching that show made me appreciate that in a positive way."

Click here to read more of this story.

 

FSA Now Ready, Willing and Able to Work With Producers on Disaster Assistance

Farmers and ranchers can now sign up for USDA disaster assistance programs restored by the 2014 farm bill. That includes the livestock forage disaster program, the livestock indemnity program as well as ELAP, the emergency assistance program for livestock, honeybees and farm raised fish.

Kristina Butts, executive director of legislative affairs with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association in Washington, D. C., says the USDA has been working diligently since the passage of the bill to get the disaster programs up and running. 

"It's good news. Our legislative conference was going on here in Washington just last week and quite a few of our producers actually joined NCBA staff for a meeting with the Farm Service Agency and their administrator, talking about these programs, what it means for cattle producers and thanking them for the time we know they've invested in trying to get these programs up and going."

FSA employees have been undergoing training in the specifics of the three disaster programs which apply for 2012, 2013 and, now, into 2014. Butts says it is imperative that producers have their records in order when beginning the application process.

Kristina joins me on the latest Beef Buzz.  Click here to listen in or to read more of this story.

This N That:  Rainfall Totals- Ft Cobb Wins Easter Weekend Rain Derby; Superior Results and Right to Farm Vote 

One Oklahoma Mesonet stations officially topped an inch of rainfall over this just concluded Easter holiday weekend- Ft. Cobb has 1.2 inches of rain as of early this Monday morning- with several other locations recording more than three quarters of an inch of the wet stuff.  

Based on rainfall estimates of the National Weather Service in locations away from the Mesonet stations- southern Harmon and Jackson counties also got more than a inch of rainfall- helping one of the most parched areas of the state- the Mesonet stations in those counties received .65 inches of rain in Hollis and .57 inch of rain in Altus.  

Of note- Boise City also hit the rain jackpot with .87 inches of rain in our westernmost county in the state.

Click here for the real time Mesonet map showing rainfall over the past three days.

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Superior Livestock had their regular every other Friday satellite and web based cattle auction this past Friday- 37,300 were sold from ranches that stretch across 26 states.

Yearlings sold steady to $2-5 higher than their last auction. Calves and weaned calves were steady. Grazing fleshed weaned calves sold $5-10 higher.   

Click here for the complete auction report.  To learn more about Superior Livestock- click here or call 1-800-422-2117.

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We expect the Oklahoma Senate will take up the so called "Right to Farm" measure (HJR2006) early this week as they return from their districts after the Easter Holiday weekend.  

Click here for our coverage from last week of this effort by Oklahoma Farm Groups to get this language on the ballot for voters to consider this fall as an amendment to our constitution.   

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