“The Industry’s Largest Weekly Circulation” The National Livestock Weekly May 23, 2011 • Vol. 90, No. 33 website: www.wlj.net • email: [email protected] • [email protected] • [email protected] A Crow Publication INSIDE WLJ Outbreak hits horses as event season starts WWOLFOLF KKILL—AnILL uncollared young male wolf from the Imnaha pack was An outbreak of a new, highly- have recently traveled, are being where they are going; Traceback closely with state officials, and trapped and euthanized last week by contagious strain of Equine Her- encouraged to contact their vet- is a vital part of disease control,” Washington State University Oregon Department of Fish and pes Virus, known as EHV-1 is erinarian. said Colorado’s State Veterinarian and Colorado State University Wildlife staff. The action occurred on causing concern among horse “We are considering all of our Keith Roehr, last week. (CSU) have already placed quar- a private property with livestock owners and veterinarians across options for protecting Colorado’s Utah state veterinarian Bruce antines on their veterinary hos- operations, where wolves had killed North America. The disease is horse industry. At this point, we do King said last Tuesday that he is pitals to prevent the disease livestock in late April 2011. PPageage 5 believed to have been spread by a not believe it’s necessary to stop recommending “that all events from being transmitted to other DDISASTERISASTER FFUNDS—DespiteUNDS horse from Canada, which was horses from entering the state, but involving horses, mules and burros horses as they diagnose and demands to cut farm programs, competing at the National Cutting we need to be able to know where be canceled in Utah.” treat cases of the disease. the chairs of Senate and House Horse Association (NCHA) West- those horses are coming from and Veterinarians are working See EHV-1 on page 6 agriculture committees say recent ern National Championship com- natural disasters around the coun- petition, held April 28-May 8 in try show the need for continuing strong support for farmers in the Ogden, UT. Since that time, doz- 2012 farm bill. PPageage 7 ens of cases have been detected as the disease spreads rapidly FFORBESORBES TTRIBUTE—SalRIBUTE Forbes through the equine population. deservedly earned a reputation as a NCHA said last week that it was beef industry performance legend, being one of the early proponents of seeking a voluntary moratorium performance testing. She was one of on events for the near term. the founders of the Red Angus “We do strongly urge all show Association of America and Beckton producers to consider the possible Stock Farm was the foundation herd horse health risks of conducting of the Red Angus breed. PPageage 8 an event this weekend,” the Fort EEXPORTSXPORTS AACCELERATE—ExportsCCELERATE Worth, TX-based groups said on of U.S. beef and pork continued on its website after the outbreak was a record-setting pace in March, traced to the Ogden event. with beef posting a 65 percent gain In an effort to halt the spread in value versus year-ago levels and of the disease, which can also be pork showing an impressive 40 transmitted to camelids, mules percent increase, according to sta- tistics compiled by the U.S. Meat and burros, officials across much Export Federation. PPageage 1144 of the country are going one step further by recommending that IINDEXNDEX equine events be cancelled. Al- Beef Bits . Page - 3 ready dozens of events have been Sale Reports . Page- 9 scrubbed, just as the event and Markets . Page - 10 sale season was getting under Classifieds . Page - 12 Sale Calendar . Page - 15 way. Owners of horses which attend- Photo courtesy of BLM. Weekly Comprehensive ed the event in Ogden, or which have been exposed to horses that Weekly ComprehensiveCutout Value Cutout Value 200 190 BLM extends deadline for eco-sanctuary proposals 180 170 For those who had hoped to and BLM land have been extended excess horses from the range and that the number of horses on the 160 submit a wild horse eco-sanctuary from May 24 to June 21. offering them for adoption. How- range must be further reduced by plan to the government, but ran The solicitation for sanctuary ever, as adoption numbers plum- about 10,000 horses—approxi- 150 out of time: do not despair. The proposals is part of BLM’s newly meted over the past decade, it has mately 25 percent—to 26,600, in 140 Bureau of Land Management revised vision of wild horse and become necessary to place un- order to achieve the Appropriate 130 J FMA MJ J AS OND (BLM) announced May 12 that it burro management, which seeks adopted horses in long- and short- Management Level (AML) at 2011 2010 3 yr avg is giving applicants a few more to remedy the problem of grow- term holding facilities at consider- which horses will not damage weeks to put the finishing touches ing horse populations while si- able taxpayer expense. Currently, rangeland health. on their proposals for wild horse multaneously quelling the con- the BLM estimates that 41,200 The BLM is charged by law to Weekly Beefy Production management facilities that also cerns of wild horse activists, wild horses and burros are being maintain horse populations at 560 cater to tourists and horse enthu- many of whom object to the gath- maintained by taxpayer dollars in AML for the benefit of the range, siasts. Proposals for sanctuaries ering of horses. corrals and pastures, while 38,400 to maintain a balance with other 520 on private and non-BLM land has The agency has long struggled roam free on BLM rangeland. multiple uses such as grazing and been extended from May 14 to to address expanding horse pop- Although horses in holding now wildlife, and for the welfare of the 480 June 7, while proposals for sanc- ulations—which double about outnumber horses roaming on the horses themselves. tuaries on a combination of private every four years—by removing range, the BLM has made clear See Horses on page 16 440 400 Ethanol policy has little impact 360 Fed cattle slide to $108-109 J FMA MJ J AS OND 5 yr avg 2010 2011 on land use change, study finds Fed cattle traded sharply lower difficulty getting asking prices for again last week with trade in the beef products and have resorted Corn growers and ethanol producers last week trumpeted a southern Plains reported at $108 to discounting in an effort to keep new study on indirect land use change (ILUC), saying it settled live and $172 dressed, prices which volumes up. Last Thursday, at the debate over whether or not increased ethanol production is were down $4 from the prior week’s mid-day, Choice boxed beef was resulting in land conversion for corn. The debate over whether sales. In the North, live cattle $1.82 lower at $175.57 while Se- LIVE STEERS DRESSED STEERS CME FEEDER acreage is being shifted from other uses to corn crop production traded at $109 live and $175-176 lect was up 24 cents to trade at $108.13 $175.72 $128.58 is often cited as a reason to limit the use of ethanol in the WEEK ENDING: 5-19-11 dressed, which was $8-9 lower $172.64. The discounts, particu- United States, particularly among environmentalists who argue than the prior week levels. larly in the end meats, had re- that ILUC offsets the benefits that otherwise might be gained Continued liquidation of con- portedly spurred some buying by increased ethanol use. tract positions by hedge funds interest last week. Movement The study, conducted by Michigan State University (MSU), and weaker-than-expected de- was moderate with 158 fabricated examined changes in arable land use in the United States be- mand combined to take a toll on loads and 48 trim and grind loads tween 2002 and 2007, the latest data available, and determined fed cattle prices last week. Ana- trading through mid-day. two possible interpretations of the date. According to the re- lyst Troy Vetterkind said last Demand for ground beef ahead searchers, the “results may be interpreted in at least two differ- week that although it was too of the Memorial Day holiday has ent ways: 1) biofuel production in the United States through early to call the trend for the reportedly been good, which has 2007 probably has not induced any indirect land use change, week ahead, it appeared there helped the grind products and cow and 2) this empirical approach may not be sensitive enough to may be some near-term support prices hold steady. Last Thursday, detect indirect land use change from the historical data.” developing after a steep two-week mid-day prices on the 90 percent However, it is important to note that the data was assembled slide in the market. lean were reported at $197.88, up from crop years which did not include the commodity price spike “Next week may be a little too $1 from a week earlier, while the of 2008 or data from this year, which could have drastic impacts on early to call, however, there did 50 percent trim was up more than the outcome of future analysis. Other studies have shown similar seem to be a slightly better de- $9 from the prior Thursday at results, indicating that growth in corn acreage to meet rising de- mand tone to the cash beef mar- $113.68. The cow beef cutout stood mand from ethanol use and other sectors has come primarily from ket for first of June delivery and at $159.02, slightly higher than a other crop acreage being shifted to corn plantings.