Thursday, June 26, 1997

Stenholm to be honored by cooperatives in Abilene Saturday

By J.T. Smith / Abilene Reporter-News

U.S. Rep. Charles Stenholm will be honored for his years of support and leadership on behalf of farmer-owned cooperatives during a luncheon Saturday at Briarstone Manor in Abilene.

The 17th District congressman from Ericksdahl has been a steady advocate for American agriculture and a common-sense approach to government during his service in the House of Representatives.

Stenholm is the ranking minority member of the U.S. House Agricultuere Committee.

Luncheon sponsors are Farmland Industries, Associated Milk Producers, Inc., Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council, CoBank, and Texas Rural Electrics.

Beef supplies should be ample for consumers this summer

Summer is officially here - and for many that means cooking a lot of beef, including outdoor grilling.

Beef should remain a good buy throughout the summer.

Cattle-Fax predicts available beef supplies will reamin large well into the third quarter of 1997.

Beef production is expected to decline late in the year, and prices will increase accordingly at that time.

But before this occurs, some good buys will give beef a competitive edge on pork this summer and fall.

Brucellosis eradication by 1999?

USDA made its goal to eradicate brucellosis from cattle herds in the United States by Dec. 31, 1998.

But having the nation's herds completely clean of the reproductive disease in 1999 and beyond may be a tough timetable.

The current rate of brucellosis reduction simply will not allow that goal to be met by then, says the Livestock Conservation Institute.

Considering this, the Southern Animal Health Association met with USDA officials and developed an emergency action plan for the final phase of the Brucellosis Eradication Program.

The plan includes rapid depopulation of all known infected herds (which number less than 30), and increased intensity in surveillance to indentify remaining infection.

Brucellosis often causes female cattle to abort.

Resolving beef and poultry inspection would have impact

Kansas State University reports there would be a 7 percent cost reduction over time in beef processing if beef were inspected on a level playing field with poultry.

Consumers would benefit. So would cattlemen.

The K-State research found retail beef prices would decline by 5.7 percentm retail beef consumption would increase by 3.9 percent, and live cattle prices would rise by 2.4 percent.

The study found that using an equal inspection system for meat would result in reductions in retail pork and poultry consumption - and decreases in live hog and wholesale broiler prices.