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Texas producers urged to consider anthrax vaccination
This is the time of year when livestock producers in certain parts of Texas should be on the lookout for anthrax in their animals, the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) said Friday.
The TAHC said among the anthrax cases confirmed this summer are a cow in Crockett County, one whitetail deer in Kinney County and one whitetail deer in Uvalde County.
Although anthrax can occur anywhere, the TAHC noted, “in Texas, cases most often are confined to a triangular area bounded by the towns of Uvalde, Ozona and Eagle Pass. This area includes portions of Crockett, Val Verde, Sutton, Edwards, Kinney and Maverick Counties.”
Anthrax cases are not unusual, “especially at this time of year,” said Dr. Dee Ellis, TAHC executive director and state veterinarian. “This is peak season for anthrax to resurface and affect livestock and deer. Ranchers and livestock owners should be aware of recent anthrax confirmations in their area and consider vaccinating their livestock to protect against the disease.”
New rules for horses sold to Canadian processing plants sent to members
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has announced new rules, effective July 31, 2010 for all equine, including imported horses, sold to Canadian equine food processing plants.
Beginning July 31, Canadian processing plants must have complete records of each horse, including a written and picture identification, along with a comprehensive record of illness and medical treatment administered to the animal for six months prior to slaughter. Horses sold through markets which may go to a Canadian food processing plant must have this information, provided by the owner, in the CFIA’s “Equine Information Document” (EID). This information must be provided to the buyer before the animal can move to a Canadian plant.
Comprehensive information about the new rules was sent, via e-mail or FAX, to all LMA members this week. The information is available above by clicking on Horse Slaughter. Questions can be directed to Vice President for Government and Industry Affairs Nancy Robinson, 800-821-2048; nrobinson@lmaweb.com.
‘The Cattleman’ July issue spotlights Texas, Oklahoma markets
Oklahoma and Texas member markets are well-represented in the July “Annual Market Issue” of The Cattleman magazine, published by the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association – and with good reason, notes Editor Ellen Brisendine. “Auction market owners and employees deserve a note of thanks for their advice, help and problem-solving. The auction market segment of the beef industry is vital to discovering value and to moving cattle along the production chain…we hope you’ll patronize these good supporters of your magazine and your partners in commerce.”
The issue contains membership rosters for the LMA of Texas, and the Oklahoma LMA. Feature stories include:
…A lengthy profile of the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City, host market for the 2010 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship. President Rob Fisher is heavily quoted about the history of the market, as only its fifth president in its 100 years of existence. As for the market’s future? Tom Gilliam, who started working there in 1959, and is now president of Stockman-Oklahoma Livestock Marketing, Inc., Apache, Okla., thinks the market will always be there. “It’s about the people that you’ve got there. They really care, and they want to do the job…I see them going on forever, as long as young people are willing to come in and work at it.”
Fisher agrees with that forecast. “I’ve been in business out here for a long time…I’ve spent most of my life here; my kids are all here in business, and I was planning on being here for a long time.”
…“Pooling for Premiums” is an article aimed at small producers, providing advice on how to work with markets to “pool” their cattle with other producers’ cattle to create more marketable larger lots. Member Greg Goudeau, Navasota, Texas, and Region Executive Officer Jesse Carver are extensively quoted, agreeing that good communication between the producer and the market operator are needed to make cattle pooling successful.
Clay Mathis to head King Ranch Institute
Clay P. Mathis has been named director of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management (KRIRM) at Texas A&M University – Kingsville. KRIRM is the world’s only M.S. degree program in ranch management. Its mission, according to a KRIRM release, is to train ranch managers to apply a systems approach and critical thinking to the multidisciplinary aspects of ranch management. KKIRM also works “to establish a free flow of information” between the private sector and the university to ensure the Institute addresses challenges in the ranching industry, the release said.
Mathis had most recently been a professor at New Mexico State University and Extension livestock specialist.
GIPSA posting market tariffs on website
For the first time, USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration is posting livestock markets’ tariffs on its website. These are the markets’ rates and charges for services, and other information, as filed with GIPSA. GIPSA’s listing of tariffs can be found at http://archive.gipsa.usda.gov/psp_tariff/default.aspx. Users can search by state for the tariffs of specific businesses. |
