Plains Slaughter Cattle Trade Stymied Once Again At Midweek
Plains fed cattle trade remained at a standstill again through midweek as packers declined to bid and instead floated rumors of Saturday plant closings.

Feeder Lamb Prices Mixed, Others Steady
Feeder lamb trends ranged from weak in San Angelo to steady in most areas and higher in a few others. Slaughter lambs, where quoted, held generally steady. Slaughter ewes slipped in San Angelo but sold steady in the Midwest.

Texas Slaughter Goat Prices Higher In Most Market Areas
Slaughter goats sold higher in most Texas markets this week, Goldthwaite reporting a surge of $10-15, Lometa $10-20 and Hamilton $3-6.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Steven Mafrige Accepts Change But Still Respects Tradition
"Keep your head on a swivel." That’s what Steven Mafrige heard time and time again from his instructors at the TCU Ranch Management Program. And that advice continues to echo through his head as he works hard today to find ways to show a profit on his family’s South Texas ranching operation.

Senator Reviews Washington Scene For Wyoming Stockmen
The senior Senator from Wyoming told the Wyoming Stock Growers recently that while progress has been made concerning mandatory price reporting and country of origin labeling, he questions a ban on packer ownership.

Attorney In Captive Supply Case Seeks Cattlemen's Help
David Domina says that when he was growing up after World War II, he heard that one of the catch phrases of the war was "Take the war to Tokyo" or "Take the war to Berlin."

Water District Faces Request To Reconsider Pumping Permits
The Panhandle Ground Water Conservation District is expected to deny the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority's request this week for a rehearing on Boone Pickens and Mesa Water's pumping permits that were issued May 15.

House Committee Okays Reform Bill For Endangered Species Act
A Congressional committee approved a bill this month to reform the Endangered Species Act.

Another $275 Million Available For Added EQIP Program Funding
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman has announced the availability of an additional $275 million in funds for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Farmland Reports Third Quarter Net Losses of $189.5 Million
Farmland Industries reported a net loss of $189.5 million for its fiscal third quarter ended May 31, which included $127.5 million in pre-tax restructuring and reorganization charges and losses from discontinued operations.

"Solar Chainsaw" Backers Say Science Lacking In Forest Plans
The Forest Guardians and a coalition of environmental activist groups are petitioning the U.S. Forest Service to develop formal drouth policies, but in the wake of devastating wildfires across the nation during these dry times, one U.S. Congressman from Arizona questions whether these groups have too much time on their hands.

Ecos Demand Access To Montana Bison Data
Three radical environmental groups want access to the state's records on bison management.

Toxic Sludge Deemed Beneficial For Fish
When are the terms "toxic" and "beneficial" interchangeable? When a government agency has its tail in a crack over doing what it fines mere citizens and companies for doing, it appears.

Court Grants Stay On Beef Checkoff
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit last week granted a request for stay of the June 21 decision by a district court in South Dakota that would have ceased collection of assessments under the beef checkoff program. The stay allows the program to continue collecting $1 per head on all cattle sold while an appeal of the original ruling is pending.

Federal Grazing Bill Goes Before Congress
Congress is expected to vote on a public lands grazing bill this week. Jason Campbell, executive director of the Public Lands Council, says the Senate and House versions of the bill are worded differently, but appear similar in content.

Committee Okays $4.5M For Livestock Study
The full House Appropriations Committee has marked up the FY03 spending bill for USDA, giving full funding to FSIS and allocating $4.5 million for a study of meat and poultry industry business models.

House Votes To Split USDA/APHIS Functions
The House Agriculture Committee has voted to move U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors at U.S. ports of entry and the USDA research facilities at Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York state to the proposed Homeland Security Department. Other APHIS functions would remain at USDA.

Slaughter Cattle Trade Mostly Lower Across Country Last Week
Slaughter cattle across the country traded $2 lower dressed basis last week, $1-2 lower live in the north.

Nation’s Feeder Cattle Prices Steady To $1 Higher Last Week
Compared to the previous holiday-shortened week, feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady to $1 higher across the country last week, most of the advance seen on yearling cattle weighing more than 700 pounds.

Feeder Prices Steady To $1 Up In Angelo Special Sale Monday
Steers and heifers sold fully steady to $1 higher Monday in the season’s third special feeder cattle sale at Producers Livestock Auction.

U.S. Meat Production 2.9% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection for the week ending July 13 was estimated at 886.5 million pounds, 16 percent more than the holiday-shortened previous week and 2.9 percent above the same period last year. Year-to-date red meat production remains 3.1 percent above last year’s figure at 24.3 billion pounds.

Angelo Feeder Lambs Weaker, Fats Steady
Feeder lambs were weak, slaughter lambs steady, slaughter ewes weak to instances $1-2 lower; nanny and kid goats were weak to $5 lower. Two day receipts totaled 13,736 head, around 40 percent slaughter ewes, 15 percent slaughter lambs, 10 percent feeder lambs and the balance goats.

Llano Feeders Sell Steady To $2 Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 higher, cows and bulls $2 lower. Receipts totaled 659 head.

Abilene Feeder Cattle Steady To $1 Higher
Feeder steers and heifers were steady to $1 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady, stock cows and pairs $10-20 higher. Receipts totaled 1158 head.

Goldthwaite Sheep, Goats Much Higher
Slaughter lambs were $8-10 higher compared to two weeks ago; stock and feeder goats $8-10 higher, slaughter goats $10-15 higher. Receipts totaled 1995 head.

Junction Lamb Prices Steady To $2-4 Higher
Lambs sold steady to $2-4 higher, ewes steady to $1 lower; Angora goats were mostly $2-5 higher, Spanish kids steady on most choice kinds, lower quality $1-2 lower, Spanish nannies and muttons $1-3 lower.

Kansas Direct Feeder Cattle Steady, $1 Up
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $1 higher, most of the trades taking place over the weekend and in the early part of last week.

Lometa Sheep, Goat Prices $10-20 Up
All sheep and goat classes were $10 to $20 higher on an active market. Receipts totaled 1263 head.

Fredericksburg Lambs And Goats Sell Steady
Feeder and slaughter lambs sold steady on receipts of 2508 head.

Special Goat Sale Deemed A Success
Fifty-four Angora bucks sold for an average of $583 at the recent 15^th annual Haby, Lockhart, Ross and Speck Sale. Twenty-four nannies averaged $426.

Wool Trade Shut Down Everywhere Last Week
Domestic wool trading was at a complete standstill following the holiday-shortened week. Demand was light to moderate for very light available supplies.

Fredericksburg Feeder Price Steady, Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to strong, slaughter cows and bulls steady. Lambs sold steady. Receipts totaled 697 head.

EMerge CattleinfoNet Offers 6000 Cattle
The eMerge/CattleinfoNet Internet auction offered 6000 feeder cattle. Consignments were from Louisiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Texas, Kansas, Wyoming, Utah and Idaho, delivery current to November. Feeder cattle weighing more than 600 pounds made up 65 percent of the supply, and 67 percent were steers.

Letter To The Editor

Coming Up...
July 20 — Bobby Edmond Horse Sales Special Summer Riding Horse Sale, Amarillo Livestock Auction, Amarillo, Texas. July 25 — Premium Weaned Stocker and Feeder Sale, Jordan Cattle Auction, San Saba, Texas. July 26-28 — Summer Catalog Horse Sale, Talpa Texas Horse Center, Talpa, Texas.