are currently very nice premiums for feeder cattle and live cattle on the futures markets. August feeders are at $163.50 and the February live cattle contract is at $133.70, with April at $137.10. The futures markets are offering good hedges and producers ought to take a look at locking down CROW.

As far as the heifers go, we have a 96 percent pregnancy rate, but only 85 percent are predicted to calve by June 15. Some would say feelings have limited value when culling cows or replacement heifers. However, there always is that gut twinge when sending a well-grown, well-haired heifer to market.

It’s startling to realize that the U.S. has lost 14.5 million cattle since 1996. The beef industry has adjusted to the loss of these millions of cattle, notably by improving productivity per animal, better red meat yields and record heavy carcass weights for steers and heifers.

The bull’s genes were measured and presented as data at the time of sale. By utilizing that data, bulls may be sorted and selected with considerable accuracy. However, the data does not stop with the purchase of the bull. Breed associations constantly are updating their databases and fine-tuning the expected prog eny.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has a lot to be proud of in 2012. We continue to be the trusted leader and definitive voice serving the U.S. beef industry. We continue to successfully represent cattlemen and women in Washington, D.C., making sure that rural America’s voice is heard loud and clear.

The so called fiscal cliff is set to occur early this week and it doesn’t appear that our leaders in Washington, D.C., are too concerned about the issue. There was a little noise made last Thursday. But it’s becoming apparent that we’ll take that ride over the cliff and it is probably CROW.

We’re just about to close out another year and beef production is only 388 million pounds short of last year’s beef production numbers. Ironically, we did it processing 1.2 million fewer cattle passing through packing plants. Carcass weights were much larger than normal.

My grandparents scratched out a living in the dairy business when they first came here from the Azores and my parents carried on that tradition. But today in my home state and nationwide, cattlemen, dairymen and livestock producers are facing the perfect storm of shrinking corn supplies and soaring feed prices.

Although most cows are with calf, reviewing cow herd reproduction dates is important. Typically, 85 percent or more of all cows should be calved within 42 days of the calving season.

The fiscal cliff is getting closer and closer and in my humble opinion, this government is going to run off the edge with smiles on their faces. This president isn’t concerned about raising more revenue as much as he is sticking high income earners with a knife.