TheBeefSite Newsletter - 29 June 2011

TheBeefSite Weekly Newsletter

Wednesday 29th June 2011

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Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: Canadian Beef Industry Looks To Exports & Breeding

After nearly 10 years, South Korea has reopened its markets to Canadian beef.

Canada and South Korea will now work to finalise the science based agreement to export Canadian beef, under 30 months of age, back into South Korea - the last key Asian market still imposing a trade ban on Canadian beef.

However, the move has hit a sour note with the US beef industry, which has repeated its call to the government to ratify the free trade agreement with South Korea immediately, before the US beef trade is damaged.

As well as improving overseas markets, the Canadian government is investing in research that will benefit the beef industry by enhancing the quality of beef cattle.

With an investment of C$1.7 million in the Canadian Simmental Association, the three-year project will help cattle breeders identify, select and breed cattle that have higher fertility and mothering ability, growth and feed efficiency, and produce a more desirable beef product.

In the UK, the Welsh government has delayed the long awaited badger cull, angering farming groups. The government has said that it will review the scientfic evidence regarding the eradication of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in Wales.

Evidence from England has shown a 31.5 per cent reduction in confirmed TB herd incidences in English badger culling areas over the four and a half year period after badger culling ended and a reduction of 37 per cent in the six months to March 2011.

In other news, the European Commission has announced that it will implement a zero tolerance policy on non-authorised genetically modified material in feed.

Charlotte Johnston

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 4 new features this week:

Selecting Beef Animals For Feed Efficiency Improves Carcase Traits
Selecting beef animals for improved feed efficiency will also result in larger and leaner carcases, according to Teagasc.

Feed Efficiency In Heifer Development & 1st Lactation
Daryl Strohbehn, Professor Emeritus of Animal Science and Garland Dahlke, Extension Program Specialist, at Iowa Beef Center report on the third year of a study which looks at the relationship between feed efficiency measures during the heifer development stage and measures taken during first lactation in purebred angus.

MAF New Zealand Beef Outlook
International prices of beef rose sharply in the last half of 2010 and early 2011, owing to falling global production and export availability and increasing demand. New Zealand meat production in the year to 30 June 2011 has been reduced by adverse weather in the second half of 2010. Assuming normal climatic conditions, production is expected to recover in the next season; however, beyond 2012 land use change to dairy will constrain production, reports the NZ Ministry of Agriculture.

Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook - June 2011
Red meat exports are booming, according to the latest Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook from the USDA's Economic Research Service.

Company News

Merck Announces New Name for Animal Health Division
NETHERLANDS - Merck's animal health division, formerly known as Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, announced that effective today it will begin using the new name, Merck Animal Health. It will be known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada.

Global Beef Cattle Industry News