NEW YEAR'S RESOLVE, if not a resolution, seemed apparent through at least half of the year's first week as Plains feedlots resisted lower bids and held fat cattle trade to a crawl. Whether that sort of resolve can last until everyone learns to write the correct year on their checks remains to be seen.

Lambs Find Mixed Trade In New Year
The lamb trade came into the new year with highly mixed trends around the country, though midweek sales were on the high side. Feeder lambs were as much as $5 higher in the Midwest, but San Angelo prices were considerably below the last reported sale.

Plains Fed Cattle Trading Stalled Again At Midweek
With the exception of Nebraska, Plains feedlot operators at midweek were holding fast to demands for stronger money. The Texas Cattle Feeders Association counted precisely no cash cattle moving in their trade area through Wednesday afternoon. Roughly 28,300 formula deals were confirmed on a showlist of 80,439 head. Bids were $58-59 with a few rumored to $60, asking prices mostly $62.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Argentine Rancher Has A Plan To Survive In Tough Business
Brush management and good range management principles are the keys to success at Tatu, a 46,000 acre ranch situated in central Argentina in the Province of Cordoba.

NCBA Head Defends Organization In Meeting With NM Producers
When the president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association conducteda town hall meeting here recently, he probably heard more than he wanted to hear.

Cattle Feeder Offers Advice To N.M. Cow-Calf Operators
Cattle feeders are looking for a few good cattle. Charlie Christopher with AzTx Cattle Company says the most important things he looks for when buying cattle for his customers are healthy calves, quality calves and uniform calves.

Idaho Congresswoman Outlines ESA Abuses Before NM Stockmen
Idaho Congresswoman Helen Chenoweth places reform of the federal Endangered Species Act high on her agenda for 1999.

Cattle Feeders See Better Year In 1999, But With Some Caveats
An economist with the Texas Cattle Feeders Association says there are greener pastures ahead for the cattle business — he hopes. "The outlook for 1999? I think it will be a better year than 1998," says TCFA economist Jim Gill. "At least, I certainly hope so."

Analyst's Beef Price Forecast For 1999 Not Very Encouragings
Consumer preferences for less expensive meats like pork and chicken will push cattle production down again in 1999, a market analyst told the Kansas Livestock Association last month.

Cattle Feeders Association Lists Top Stories For 1998
To describe 1998 as a challenging year for cattle feeders would be an understatement, says Texas Cattle Feeders Association president and CEO Richard McDonald.

Clinton/Babbitt Gestapo Sees Subjects In West, Not Citizens
When Attorney General Janet Reno announced she would not seek appointment of an Independent Counsel to investigate President Clinton's alleged campaign-financing abuses, she gave a simple answer. President Clinton lacked criminal intent; that is, he had no intent, at the time of the alleged criminal activity, to commit the elements of the crime.

Stiff Congressional Opposition Grows Toward "Warming"
The United States Senate is unlikely to acquiesce to the historic 1997 global warming treaty anytime soon, and other major countries will not sign on without America.

Ag Economist Insists Imports No Big Deal In Cattle Market
U.S. cattle prices take a hit from imports, but the picture is not nearly as grim as some portray it, an agricultural economist says. And when the value of exports is factored in, America's cattle and beef industry is ahead of the game, Gary Brester told an audience at a recent producers' seminar here.

Export Leader Backs Continued Efforts In Troubled Countries
When a person emerges from a time of trouble, he likely will be loyal to friends who stuck by him during the hard times. Phil Seng of Denver, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, understands that. That's why federation officials are continuing business ties and meat promotions in countries like Japan and Korea that are experiencing economic problems.

Judge Declines To Intercede In Scheme To Introduce Lynx
A federal judge refused last Thursday to block the artificial introduction of the lynx in Colorado, ruling that the federal government had no power over state wildlife officials.

Freedom To Farm Not To Blame For Ag Woes, Author Contends
Dire straits on the nation's farms set the stage for the 1998 elections, when many Democrats vowed to try to change the two year-old "Freedom to Farm" law, saying the safety net it cast was full of holes.

Drouth Making Lenders Leery Of Dealing With Ag Borrowers
Helping farmers file for bankruptcy is a booming business in West Texas. Since early November, bankruptcy attorney Gary Condra has barely been able to see over the pile of papers mounting on his desk. Sadly, each sheet represents a farmer, his family and the land that has sustained them for years.

Wyoming Board To End Bangs Testing Program
The Wyoming Livestock Board will halt the brucellosis testing program for cattle in northwestern Wyoming.

New Kansas Cattlemen Group Picks Officers
A breakaway cattlemen's group has elected a temporary board and settled on its main objectives, the first steps toward establishing itself as an alternative to the Kansas Livestock Association.

Ty Murray Steps Into History With Seventh All-Around Win
Records are made to be broken. While Ty Murray was streaking to a record seventh world all-around title at the 1998 National Finals Rodeo, several other NFR contestants were staking their own claims in the rodeo record books.

Texas Fed Cattle Prices Moved Higher For Last Week Of
Slaughter steers and heifers closed $2 higher last week in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlot trading.

Cattle On Feed Down 3 Percent In Seven Main Feeding States
(Editor's note: The following report was released after Livestock Weekly published its last edition for 1998; it is old news now, but still relevant.) Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter Dec. 1 in the seven leading feeding states totaled 9.41 million head, down three percent from a year earlier but five percent above Dec. 1, 1996.

1998 Mexican Cattle Imports Up 9 Percent
Feeder cattle imports from Mexico totaled 708,847 head in 1998, nine percent more than the 651,619 head imported the previous year. Texas imported 493,260 head, New Mexico 37,865 head, and 177,722 came in through Arizona.

U.S. Meat Production 3.4% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 746.8 million pounds, 17 percent more than a week earlier and 3.4 percent above a year ago.

Pork Output Record High For Fifth Month
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 3.73 billion pounds in November, up eight percent from the 3.45 billion pounds produced in November 1997. November 1998 had one more weekday and one fewer Saturday than a year ago.

Kansas Feeder Cattle Too Sparse For Test
Feeder steer and heifer movement was too limited for a test in Kansas direct trade last week. Receipts totaled 3039 head. Weather was mild with highs in the 60s and lows in the teens.

Red Meat In Storage Up 7% From Year Ago
Total red meat supplies in freezers on November 30 at 792.8 million pounds were up seven percent from November 1997, but down slightly from October 1998.

Abilene Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady, slaughter cows $2-3 higher, bulls steady, stock cows $10-20 higher, pairs steady. Receipts totaled 1612 head.

Junction Lambs Up, Stock Angoras Lower
Feeder lambs sold $3-5 higher, slaughter lambs steady, bucks mostly steady; stock Angora nannies $5 lower, slaughter steady; slaughter Spanish goats steady to $4 higher, stock nannies steady. Receipts totaled 5500 head.

Angelo Lamb Trade Active, Supply Short
Trading was fairly active in the first sheep sale of the new year, though no trends could be determined because of the previous two-week to the holiday shutdown. Receipts totaled 7457 head, about 50 percent ewes and 35 percent goats.

Milano Opens New Year Trade On Active Note
Trading was active and demand good, no price comparison available because of the recent holiday closure. Receipts totaled 833 head.

Most Graham Cattle Prices Termed Higher
Feeder steers sold steady to $2 higher, heifers $2 higher, slaughter cows $2-3 higher, bulls $2 higher. Receipts totaled 1321 head.

Giddings Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady, slaughter cows $2-3 higher, bulls several dollars higher, topping at $51. Bred stock cows brought $360-505 per head. Receipts totaled 361 head.

Most Llano Cattle Prices Termed Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $4 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $2-3 higher. Receipts totaled 381 head.

Hog, Sheep Exports To Mexico Brisk
Slaughter livestock exports to Mexico through Texas ports were rather brisk the first couple of days of this week.

Colorado City Cattle Scarce As Year Opens
No trend comparison was available on receipts of 710 head.

Wool Markets Quiet At Home And Abroad
Domestic wool trading was at a complete standstill during the recent holiday period. Demand as well as seller interest remains light to very light.

Letters To The Editor

Loose Ends

Coming Up...
January 8 — Superior Livestock Auction’s Video Sale, Superior Offices and Studio, Fort Worth, Texas. January 9 — Comanche Trace Auction, Kerrville, Texas. January 9 — Lastovica Angus Farm Bull Sale, Milano Livestock Exchange, Milano, Texas.