Dr. Darrell Ueckert, Joe Petersen and Keith Schaffer with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station as well as Dr. Allan McGinty, Extension Range Specialist and Dennis Wilde, Professional Engineer, director of operations of Texas Department of Transportation, San Angelo District, were honored at the recent annual Texas Transportation Conference. They were honored for making the Top 10 Research Findings-Innovations Awards list for their highway-right-of-way mesquite control cooperative research project that's been conducted for several years by the scientists.

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American Breeders Service will partner with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service on a four-day artificial insemination and palpation school here December 7-10. Morning sessions involve in-depth classroom instruction and discussion led by ABS personnel and Texas A&M Extension specialists. Topics will include cow and heifer management, nutrition, sire selection, and estrous cycle management. Participants will spend the remainder of the school with hands-on training sessions using live cattle.

Pre-registration and a $150 deposit are required by Dec. 1. Cost for the course is $250 for AI or $550 for both AI and palpation. Persons who have previously taken AI may register for palpation for $300. Pre-registration or more information is available from Max Payne at (806) 744-0613; Rt. 7, Box 909, Lubbock, TX 79401 or e-mail:mpayne@odsy.net.

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Last week's U.S.-China trade agreement is being touted by beef industry observers for its potential to improve access to China's consumer market. The agreement calls for a gradual reduction over five years in China's tariffs on U.S. beef. Current levies are 45 percent on beef and 23 percent on variety meats; those are to drop to about 12 percent by the end of the process. In addition, exporters are supposed to gain direct access to Chinese wholesale and retail outlets rather than being funneled through limited points as they are today. The agreement is expected to make China one of the major export markets for U.S. beef.

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Details remain sketchy, but signup began Monday for the federal Livestock Assistance Program, part of $200 million in agriculture disaster assistance approved in the ag appropriation bill. More information is available from local federal Farm Service Administration offices.