Loose Ends...

Since 1954, Osage County, Oklahoma cattlemen have hosted the Ben Johnson Memorial Steer Roping, honoring the late Ben Johnson Sr., highly respected local ranchman, early contest roping backer, and father of longtime western movie actor Ben Johnson Jr.

This year’s festivities begin on Thursday, June 18, in Pawhuska, Okla., with a trade show, and continue Friday with the Osage County Cattlemen’s Association luncheon, evening barbecue and dance. Saturday’s events include a ranch and cattle tour with barbecue picnic, and the OCCA Convention ranch rodeo. The Ben Johnson Memorial roping begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 21.

Further information is available from OCCA at (918) 287-1581.

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The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is part of a small business coalition urging Congress to increase health insurance deductions for the self-employed to 100 percent this year. That would give self-employed Americans, who currently are allowed to deduct only 45 percent of health insurance costs, the same treatment as employees covered under corporate-sponsored health plans. Existing law would not phase in full deductibility until 2007.

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The Texas Animal Health Commission reports that a total of 182,473 head of cattle entered Texas from other states during May, and that 274,759 Texas cattle were shipped to other states. Sheep entering Texas totaled 3880 head, and 3132 head of Texas sheep left the state.

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The Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Foundation — R-CALF — has reportedly achieved nonprofit legal status. The group was formed to combat cattle imports. Organization president Leo McDonnell Jr., Columbus, Mont., pegs the cost of imports to U.S. producers at $100 per calf and says imports are approaching 20 percent of domestic production.

"We can compete with anyone in the world on a level playing field," says McDonnell, "but we can’t compete with subsidized cattle dumped below their cost of production, or produced in countries where human and environmental welfare are suppressed."

McDonnell says the group is also concerned that low-quality beef from foreign sources may aggravate problems with consumer perceptions of U.S. beef.

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USDA’s Economic Research Service forecasts contraction of beef production through 1999, based largely on high levels of heifer slaughter and the large number of heifers on feed. In the short term, that heavy slaughter volume is keeping beef supplies large, but it portends much smaller supplies in the future, ERS points out.

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On June 1, Delta Airlines began offering a variety of new steak menu choices for all coach class passengers on long domestic and international flights; the company estimates that it will serve more than 450,000 steak dinners per month to coach, first class and business class passengers.

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Llano, Texas, auction owner Hatch Smith is set to become president of the Livestock Marketing Association at the group’s annual meeting June 19 in Sedalia, Mo. President-elect for the 1998-99 term will be Jim Schaben, Dunlap, Iowa; vice president will be John Willis, Lake City, Fla.; treasurer will be Patrick K. Goggins, Billings, Mont.; and secretary will be Billy E. Perrin, Tulsa, Okla.

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The Japanese Ministry of Finance reports that U.S. beef exports to that country totaled 42,602 metric tons in April, up from 15,997 metric tons in March and 39,374 last April. January through April beef exports to Japan totaled 100,398 metric tons compared to 87,964 metric tons for the same period last year.

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New research funded by the beef checkoff finds that a type of fat common to beef and other red meats may prevent diabetes, reports the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The study, conducted by Purdue University and Pennsylvania State University, found that conjugated linoleic acid can prevent diabetes in laboratory animals, NCBA, says, "at least in the short term."

Other studies have credited CLA with the prevention of certain cancers, as well as mammary, skin and stomach tumors, and found that it can reduce body fat and increase lean muscle tissue.

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Changes in live cattle futures contracts that become effective with the June listing include: (1.) a change in allowable weight ranges from 1050-1252 pounds to 1100-1300 pounds; (2.) a change in the individual weight range from 1000-1300 pounds to 1050-1350; (3.) animals grading below Select with a YG of 4 or 5 will be allowable with discounts; (4.) YG 1 and 2 cattle will sell at a report-based premium, while YG 4 and 5 will sell with a report-based discount; Standards will also sell at a report-based discount, sub-Standards at a 25 percent discount to Standards, and 900-950 pound carcasses will also sell at a report-based discount; (5.) quality grades will be calculated on a per-head basis; (6.) contract limits will increase to 600 contracts from the first notice day to five days before expiration and 300 within the last five trading days, the last trading day will be the last business day of the month, and the last delivery day will be the seventh business day of the following month.

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The Colorado Cattle Feeders Association is now taking applications for the CCFA 1998 Environmental Stewardship Award. The award recognizes CCFA members and their families for protecting and enhancing the environment and conserving natural resources. This year the award has been expanded to recognize winners in dairy production and pork production. The 1998 award recipients will be recognized at CCFA’s annual convention August 12-14 in Snowmass, Colo. The deadline for applications is June 26. More information about the award and the convention is available from CCFA at (303) 457-2232.

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A rangeland watershed conference to focus on water enhancement on High Plains rangelands is set for June 30 in Amarillo. Topics to be discussed include current and future demands on water supplies in the region; concerns and dilemmas for municipal water supplies; rangeland watershed functions; a discussion of grazing management and the impact of salt cedar infestations, Russian olive, juniper and mesquite on water use and potential solutions.

The conference will begin at 8:45 a.m. at the Amarillo Garden Center, 1400 Streit Drive. The event is sponsored by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service and Texas A&M University System and the Texas Section, Society for Range Management.

More information is available from Dr. Ted McCollum at (806) 359-5401.

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Tyson Foods has recalled 160,000 pounds of chicken supplied to Wendy’s restaurants after three customers found metal fragments in their servings of either breast filets or chicken nuggets.

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