The Public Lands Council (PLC) and National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NC- BA) met with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Chief of Staff Carole Jett last week. The meeting focused on priority issues for the beef industry and livestock ranchers on federal lands, including trade, animal identification, and conservation.

Barring any unforeseen weather factors, the coming growing season should be favorable for alfalfa, according to Dr. Bruce Anderson, professor of agronomy at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. Conditions are good for a pretty favorable growing season so far, Anderson said.

The Ranch Hand Rodeo weekend certainly lived up to its reputation as Winnemucca's biggest event. Four very competitive events joined with the already hot Ranch Hand Rodeo from Feb.

The Japanese government said March 27 it would once again allow beef shipments from a plant owned by JBS/Swift &Co. in Grand Island, NE. The plant has been banned since October 2008 after it shipped nine boxes of variety meats to Japan without the proper documentation to prove that the product originated from cattle 20 months of age or younger.

Russia imported 39,000 metric tons of beef in January and February, down 40 percent on the year, the Russian National Meat Association said recently. Pork imports during the period fell by 31 percent on the year to 53,000 metric tons, and poultry imports fell by 18 percent to 92,000 metric tons.

The Senate Budget Committee chairman said last Tuesday he will not propose cuts in U.S. crop subsidies for fiscal 2010 despite White House proposals to pare down payments to big farmers.

With key global markets experiencing sluggish consumer spending, volatile currencies and persistent economic uncertainty, many analysts have been predicting a downturn for U.S. beef and pork exports. The January export results, however, defied those expectations as beef muscle cut exports jumped 13 percent in volume (43,949 metric tons or 96.

The U.S. is more than able to continue supplying global customers with necessary feed ingredients, according to the U.S Grains Council (USGC), the leading organization for export market development for barley, corn, sorghum and co-products.

Farmers and ranchers who hold water right permits and licenses could lose access to the state?s rivers and creeks this year if current drought conditions do not improve, the California State Water Resources Control Board warned.

The Environmental Defense Fund, National Association of Conservation Districts, Partnership of Rangeland Trusts, the Nature Conservancy, and World Wildlife Fund joined the Public Lands Council (PLC), the National Cattlemen?s Beef Association, and...