DRY WINTER GRASS, and not an overabundance of it, is nevertheless serving to keep cows and their fall calves full and in good flesh on this outfit near Fluvanna. This scene is downright lush compared to some other areas of drouthy West Texas, where termites have consumed what the livestock and jackrabbits didn't.

Fat, Feeder Lamb Prices Move Lower
Fat and feeder lamb prices around the country moved a couple of dollars lower in most areas, though there was an occasional higher note on some feeders. Slaughter ewes were also a couple of dollars lower.

Plains Fed Cattle Not Moving Through Midweek; Bids Softer
Plains feedlots held firm against lower bids through midweek, selling not a hoof in the Texas Panhandle or Kansas. After last week's mostly $62 trade, buyers came out offering only $60-61, would-be sellers asking $63-64. The twain had not yet met as of Wednesday afternoon.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Sheep Industry Rolls Out New Lamb Promotion At Convention
Since the repeal of the federal Wool Act, funding for any kind of lamb promotion by the American Sheep Industry Association has been severely scaled back, but ASI members on hand for the group's recent annual convention here heard about a new advertising campaign.

Researcher Wants To See Teeth Used In Beef Quality Grading
It's been 75 years since USDA first established the standards for grading beef, in a 1924 publication that determined the age of a carcass by the color and hardness of its bones.

ITC Expected To Rule On 201 Trade Action Suit In February
The American Sheep Industry Association reports that lamb imports continued to surge in 1998. More than 6.2 million pounds of product were imported from foreign sources during October 1998, at which time year-to-date lamb imports were running at 55.9 million pounds, 22.6 percent ahead of 1997 and 41 percent ahead of 1996 figures.

Early Human Ancestor Likely A Meat-Eater, Scientists Say
Vegetarian activists who insist humans were not intended to eat meat have long had to contend with scientific evidence to the contrary, and their task has just gotten tougher.

Clinton's People Take Offense To Comment By Farm Bureau Head
Bill Clinton's precarious predicament in Washington has spread its influence beyond the banks of the Potomac and begun to infuse what should be unrelated matters. Now the secretary of agriculture is snapping at the president of the nation's largest agricultural organization for what he mistook to be a veiled comment on the President's character.

Bill To Enhance Ag Protection Advanced By Colorado Lawmakers
A bill intended to protect farms and ranches from being sued by people who do not like living near them was approved by a state legislative committee last week.

Wyoming Considers Eliminating Compensation For Grizzly Kills
Ranchers are warning that a proposal to end state compensation for grizzly bear damage could thwart Wyoming's goal of removing the bear from the endangered species list.

Iowa Cattlemen Less Than Happy With Hog Producer Bailout Plan
The Iowa Cattlemen's Association is less than impressed with a hastily announced Clinton administration plan to bail hog farmers out of a market mess.

A Friend With An Unwanted Dog Is A Friend To Be Wary Around
It's not easy to pick friends who will stay with you no matter what kind of situation you get into. I've got one of those kind of friends. The problem is, he figures he does, too.

ITC Approves Canadian Portion Of R-CALF Fair Trade Petition
By a vote of four to two, the United States International Trade Commission on Tuesday determined there is a reasonable indication that cattle producers across the United States are being materially injured by imports of live cattle from Canada which are alleged to have been dumped in the United States and also subsidized by Canada's national and provincial governments.

High Court Declines Beef Checkoff Appeal
The United States Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to hear a constitutional challenge to the 1985 Beef Promotion and Research Act. The request to hear the case, filed by Kansas cattle producer Jerry Goetz, was rejected without comment or dissent.

Justice Dept. To Review Merger Of Cargill, Continental Grain
The U.S. Justice Department is reviewing Cargill Inc.'s plan to buy the worldwide grain operations of Continental Grain Co., a deal that would let Cargill control more than 40 percent of U.S. corn exports.

AFBF Head Offers Optimistic Outlook At New Mexico Meeting
Agriculture is doing a major backslide into the new millennium, but the head of the American Farm Bureau Federation isn't going to panic.

More Wolves On Way In Arizona, But Matchmakers' Efforts Fail
Federal bureaucrats plan to release still more artificially mated "pairs" of wolves into eastern Arizona this winter, though their latest efforts at matchmaking have had a 50 percent failure rate.

Fish Fix Could Cause Floods In New Mexico
Efforts to help officially "endangered" fish could cause flooding and damage property, an agricultural consultant says. Tom Pitts told the San Juan Agriculture Water Users Association last week that one option under discussion would boost springtime flows from Navajo Dam into the San Juan River to 6000 cubic feet per second, even though studies have shown that raising the San Juan to that level would damage property downstream.

Rancher Asks More Horn-Tooting From Colleagues On Environment
Livestock producers, who traditionally take pride in their independence, need to start sharing the news about their environmental achievements, according to a Kearney-area farmer and cattle feeder.

Poll Finds Americans Want Local Eco Rules
A newly-released national environmental survey shows that Americans prefer state and local solutions to environmental problems over federal regulations. The survey, conducted by The Polling Company and released this week by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, demonstrates that Americans are both pro-environment and against centralized federal regulations.

USDA Okays "Organic" Label For Some Meat
Consumers soon will find "organic" meat and poultry products on store shelves. The U.S. Agriculture Department agreed last Thursday to allow the labels while the agency continues work on national standards for all organic foods.

Texans Claim Six Of Eight Titles In Early-Season Rodeo
Texans claimed six of the eight event titles contested at the recent Sandhills Stock Show & Rodeo in Odessa, Texas. Often referred to as one of the PRCA's "big building" rodeos, the Sandhills Rodeo is one of the lucrative indoor, early-season rodeos that can help cowboys and cowgirls break into the new year's world standings.

Wyoming To Require Bangs Vaccinations
Ranchers statewide must begin vaccinating calves against brucellosis under temporary rules approved by the Wyoming Livestock Board. The decision expands part of a yearlong, six-county program of testing and inoculating livestock against the disease.

Pork Payment Protest Turns To Arson In DC
Cattle industry organizations have come out to one degree or another in opposition to the Clinton administration's plan to bail out floundering pork producers with a $50 million direct payment, but they may be a little uncomfortable with some of the company that stance has given them.

Upward Price Surge In Feeder Cattle Intact Again Last Week
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-4 higher across the country last week, calves sometimes $5-6 up. The substantially larger offerings met with unbridled optimism from buyers, and the recent upswing in prices continued.

Texas Fed Cattle Prices Move Higher In Wednesday Trading
Slaughter steers and heifers closed mostly $1 higher in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlot trading last week. Trade and movement of fed cattle was at a standstill except for Wednesday, when all of the week's movement occurred.

U.S. Meat Production 4.5% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 938.8 million pounds, 2.3 percent more than a week earlier and 4.5 percent more than a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was down 5.2 percent at 1.948 billion pounds. The comparison includes one fewer day in 1999.

Domestic Wool Slow, Aussie Wools Higher
Domestic wool trading was extremely slow last week, demand from most interests light. Seller interest was also light but improving as shearing season approaches.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Feeders Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba last week, slaughter cows $3-4 lower, bulls $2-3 lower, pairs and bred stock cows strong. Receipts totaled 4594 head at the three sales.

Kansas Direct Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers sold $2-3 higher in Kansas direct trade last week, heifers $1-4 higher. Weather in southwest Kansas was mild with temperatures in the low 60s for the high, lows in the teens, and little moisture. Sales were confirmed on 7901 head.

Angelo Feeder Lambs Steady, Cattle Higher
Feeder lambs sold steady in a light test this week, slaughter lambs weak to $2 lower, slaughter ewes $3-5 lower. Receipts totaled 10,462 head and included around 55 percent slaughter ewes, 15 percent lambs and 30 percent goats.

1998 Corn, Soybean Harvests Were Huge
Favorable weather helped produce record soybean and large corn crops last year, but a drouth followed by fierce storms hurt cotton production, the U.S. Agriculture Department reported last week.

Abilene Feeder Cattle Trends Highly Mixed
Feeder steers sold $2-4 lower except weights over 700 pounds $1-2 higher, heifers under 600 pounds steady to $2 higher, 600-700 pounds $2 lower, over 700 pounds steady, slaughter cows $1-2 lower, stock cows and pairs steady. Receipts totaled 2462 head.

Llano Feeder Steer Trends Up And Down
Lightweight feeder steers sold $2-3 lower, heavyweights $1-2 higher, feeder heifers fully steady, slaughter cows steady to $2 higher. Receipts totaled 891 head.

Most Fredericksburg Cattle Prices
Feeder steers and heifers sold $2-3 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $1-2 higher. Receipts totaled 2111 head.

Milano Feeder Cattle Prices Termed Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly $2 higher, instances $3 higher, slaughter cows steady. Receipts totaled 1508 head.

Colorado City Feeder Cattle Trade Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-5 higher, slaughter cows steady to $1 lower, bulls steady, bred stock cows and pairs steady. Receipts totaled 1533 head.

Graham Heavyweight Feeder Cattle Higher
Feeder steers sold mostly steady, weights over 600 pounds $1-2 higher, heifers steady, weights over 500 pounds $1 higher, slaughter cows $1-1.50 lower, pairs steady, bred stock cows fully steady to $10 higher. Receipts totaled 2048 head.

Most Giddings Feeder Cattle Trade Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady with weights under 500 pounds weak to $1 lower, slaughter cows 50 cents to $1 lower, bulls steady. Bred young cows brought $420-495 per head. Receipts totaled 949 head.

Cuero Feeder Steers, Heifers Sell Mixed
Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady, some better kinds a little higher, lower grades a little lower, slaughter cows lower. Receipts totaled 2021 head.

Lastovica Angus Bull Sale Averages $1856
Lastovica Angus Farm's bull sale here averaged $1856 on 56 head.

Coming Up...
January 23 — Profit Maker Bull Sale, Abilene Auction, Abilene, Texas. January 23 — Special Cow Sale, Clovis Livestock Auction, Clovis, New Mexico.