NOT AS BARREN as it would appear from this photo taken at a watering, West Texas is still woefully out of tune climatically with the El Niño-drenched country to either side of it. Last weekend’s storm front scattered a little rain across parts of the region, but these ewes and baby lambs west of San Angelo are still awaiting the sort of significant moisture that will make a green spring.

Texas Feeder Lamb Prices Make Recovery
Feeder lambs in Texas made substantial price advances to recover most of the previous week’s losses. Midwest feeders suffered a little loss, due at least in part to the severe weather conditions there.

Plains Fed Cattle Trade Quiet; Bids Up $1, But Sellers Want $2
Plains fed cattle trade was mostly quiet at midweek as both sides fought over the last dollar. After early bids of $60-61 failed to attract takers, packers upped the ante to $62 Wednesday. That was supposed to buy a lot of cattle, but many sellers smelled a stronger futures board and opted to hold for $63. At midday, battle lines were drawn over the difference.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Northern Ireland Is Counting On Traceback To Lift Beef Ban
The importance of having a traceback system in the beef industry was driven home by one of those who knows best from past experience. Derek Shaw, of Shaw Farms Limited in Northern Ireland, provided an overview of the current "mad cow" crisis affecting Britain and in particular his homeland of Northern Ireland at the recent International Livestock Congress here.

Rancher Takes Action Against Cedar Using Elevated Chain
Sam Daube was born and raised in the tallgrass prairie region of the Arbuckle Mountains in Southeastern Oklahoma. Over the years, he’s watched cedar destroy the once vast expanses of open prairie. Daube realized more than two decades ago that he would have to intervene in a serious manner if he planned to save his ranch for future generations.

New Feedlot Proposal From EPA No Big Deal To Texas Feeders
Proposed environmental regulations should not mean changes at feedyards in Texas, Oklahoma or New Mexico, say spokesmen for the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.

Simplot Beefing Infrastructure To Increase Feedlot Capacity
The J.R. Simplot Co. plans to build a more than $4 million rail transfer station for feed grain west of Mountain Home as part of a major expansion of the Simplot Livestock feedlot north of Grand View.

Editorial
Market Association And NCBA At Odds Again Over Checkoff
The Livestock Marketing Association and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association are head-to-head again over the beef checkoff. The latest wrinkle in the battle is a move by LMA to trigger a producer referendum on the beef checkoff program.

Mormon Ranch Hailed As Model For Forest Service By GAO
If the Forest Service needs a model for self-sufficiency that excels at protecting land and wildlife, it should study a Mormon church-run ranch, congressional researchers say.

Sponsor Of Texas Ag Libel Law Says Judge’s Position Correct
There were groans in the beef industry when U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson threw out the 1995 Texas False Disparagement of Perishable Foods Products Act as a cause of action in the lawsuit brought by cattlemen against television talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

Texas Tobacco Suit Jackpot For Lawyers
Far be it from us to dump on lawyers, even greedy ones, but a mailing this week from a coalition of business and legal reform groups has put the attorneys’ share of the Texas tobacco settlement into new perspective.

Espy "Gratuities" Trial Postponed
The trial for former Clinton administration Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy on charges he took illegal gratuities from companies he regulated — and then tried to cover it up — has been postponed until two related appeals are decided.

Beef Industry Must Focus On Developing Meal Solutions
The five most common ways of making a dinner are opening a bag, a can, a box, a carton or the phone book — and that phone book is by far the most common today.

Fed Up, Westerner Seeks Rural Unity
A self-professed ombudsman for rural Americans says they must unite to protect their way of life from remote environmental lobbyists in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere seeking to create an "eco-utopia that doesn't exist."

Superior Livestock Video Sale Offering Totals 30,000 Cattle
Superior Livestock Auction offered more than 30,000 feeder cattle and brood stock at their regularly scheduled video auction. Consignments were from 20 states and Mexico, delivery mostly current through June.

Angelo Feeder Lambs Higher, Cattle Steady
Newcrop feeder lambs sold $3-7 higher this week, oldcrops firm to $3 higher, slaughter lambs steady and slaughter ewes firm to $2 higher. Receipts totaled 7052 head.

Colorado City Feeder Cattle Trade Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady, bred stock cows $50-100 higher, pairs $100-150 higher.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Feeders Higher
Lightweight feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $1 higher in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba last week, heavyweights steady to $1.50 higher, lightweight heifers steady to $2 higher, heavyweights steady, slaughter cows lower, bulls steady, stock cows and pairs steady.

Graham Yearlings Sell Steady, Calves Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady on yearlings and steady to $2 lower on calves, slaughter cows and bulls steady, bred stock cows $10-20 higher, pairs steady.

Olney Feeder Steers, Heifers Trade Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $2-3 higher, all classes in good demand. Receipts totaled 980 head.

Letters To The Editor

Coming Up...
March 9-12 — Agri-Concepts Low Cost Cow/Calf Production School, Tucson, Arizona. March 14 — Wehrmann Angus Performance Brand Bull Sale, at the farm, New Market, Viriginia. March 14 — Spring Replacement Special, Meridian Livestock Commission Company, Meridian, Texas.