A discussion was initiated as to where one should look to find out why the value that the producer receives for beef seems to be questioned. It goes without much discussion that this topic is complicated and difficult.

There is a time to set aside the business of life and simply do. Even the best-run business, cattle or otherwise, cannot deny that, in the end, someone else is in control, regardless of who we are, and really does not ask for input.

If Wal-Mart were in the cattle business, it would probably serve as an operating definition of leastcost producer. People might refer to its cowherd enterprise as the model for slashing expenses.

It appears to me that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is getting to the point where they can choose industries that will be winners and losers in this economy. EPA has recently changed their thinking on coarse particulate matter and reduced acceptable levels by 90 percent compared to

Sustainability is a word we’ve been hearing a lot about lately and, most of the time, it’s made in reference #to organic agriculture. Sustainability (is defined) as the ability to continue or carry on. There% is also? a *definition in the dictionary that says "to supply with food, drink, and other necessities of life." There are no references made to—environment or organic agriculture. Ironically, organic agriculture= is using the word to- describe the difference between organic and conventional agriculture.

Most folk in the cattle/ beef industry will be happy to see the end of one of the most challenging years in history. You have to go back to 1973, when President Nixon imposed price controls on beef, to find one as challenging. The market was in uproar the rest of the year.

US Premium Beef (USPB) remains a remarkable model of how beef producers can work with, not against, packers and put more money in their pockets. USPB began operations in 1997 with a minority ownership in then Farmland National Beef and has gone from strength to strength.

The U.S.s shrinking cattle population is becoming a huge concern for the beef industry. The main reason for the declining numbers is lack of profitability. Cattle feeders in particular have lost billions of dollars in equity in the past two years. The main reason for this is high input costs and weak beef demand due to the recession.

Fed cattle processors enjoyed their best August operating margins since 2003. The real story, though, is that they achieved this not at the expense of cattle feeders. In fact, the opposite occurred. Cattle feeders enjoyed a strong and much-needed rally in prices.

Go into any supermarket and youll find that most poultry items are branded with a company name. These include Tyson, Perdue and Pilgrims, which is soon to be majority-owned by JBS. Branded beef is much harder to find. There are niche brands such as Harris, Maverick, Lauras Lean and Coleman.