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Livestock and Forages News Articles
Articles published in Arkansas Cattle Business
Animal Science: Today and Tomorrow - May 2006
Arkansas Beef Audit
The Arkansas Beef Council and the University of Arkansas Division of
Agriculture conducted the Arkansas Beef Audit. The Arkansas Beef Audit's
objective was to determine the current strengths, weaknesses, and future
opportunities and threats for five segments of the Arkansas cattle industry. The
segments included small cow-calf (≤ 50 cows), large cow-calf (≥ 50 cows) stocker
cattle, purebred cattle and support industries. With the information gained,
educational needs for each segment were identified.
A survey was used to determine the current strengths, weaknesses, and future
opportunities and threats for the five segments of the Arkansas cattle industry.
To determine the survey questions for each segment, an Arkansas beef audit
leadership conference was held in September 2005. Key leaders from each industry
segment were assembled to list and prioritize the current strengths and
weaknesses and future opportunities and threats for their respective industries.
After a general session, the participants were divided into their respective
groups. Each group had a facilitator and recorder. The facilitator used the
nominal group technique. This allowed individual judgments to be effectively
pooled and used in situations in which uncertainty or disagreement existed about
the nature of a problem and possible solution. This technique was helpful in
identifying problems, exploring solutions, and establishing priorities. Each
segment identified current strengths and weaknesses and future opportunities and
threats for their respective industries and voted to prioritize each category.
The prioritized current strengths and weaknesses and future opportunities and
threats were used to make surveys specifically for each segment of the beef
industry. In addition to the industry-specific questions, supplementary
questions common to all industry segments were added. Once the survey was
completed, test surveys were mailed in November 2005 to beef leaders in each
industry segment to establish survey clarity. The leaders asked to test the
survey did not participate in the development of the survey questions from the
Leadership Conference. When the test surveys were returned, changes were made to
improve the survey.
To develop a master mailing list for each industry segment, Arkansas county
Extension agents were asked to submit 10 names and addresses representing each
industry segment. Sixty-six out of 75 counties (88%) submitted names and
addresses. The overall survey database included 621, 504, 242, 287, and 278
names and addresses for the small cow-calf, large cow-calf, stocker cattle,
purebred cattle, and support industries, respectively. From each category, 100
names and addresses were randomly selected to receive a survey.
In December 2005, four days prior to mailing the survey and a stamped,
self-addressed envelope, a letter was sent to introduce and explain the purpose
of the survey. Two weeks following the mailing of the survey, reminder postcards
were mailed. A second survey was mailed 26 days following the reminder
postcards. Each survey was coded so that reminder postcards and second surveys
were not mailed to any individual who already returned a survey. The response
rate was 74%, 70%, 64%, 70%, and 54% for the small cow-calf, large cow-calf,
stocker cattle, purebred cattle, and support industries, respectively. Overall,
the response rate was 66%.
On behalf of the Arkansas Beef Council and the Division of Agriculture, we
would like to thank everyone who participated with the Leadership Conference,
reviewed a test survey, and/or received and returned a survey. Over the next
several months, we will report the results of the Arkansas Beef Audit. You
can also expect to see new kinds of programs as we act on the recommendations
made by producers who responded to the survey.
BSE in Alabama
Speaking of issues, another mad cow was found, this time in Alabama. It has
not been possible to track the cow’s past history. That is not good news for
marketing beef and just further confirms that source verification is going to be
necessary in the industry, either mandated by government or necessary to avoid
price discounts.
On the positive side, worldwide statistics on BSE (mad cow disease) are
promising. The number of cows dying of BSE were 1,646 in 2003, 878 in 2004, and
down to 474 in 2005. This compares to thousands at the peak of the BSE outbreak
in the United Kingdom during the 1990s. The United States has had three
confirmed cases from cows, one shipped in from Canada, one born in Texas, and
the Alabama cow that came from points unknown. Most importantly, human deaths
have dropped from 18 in 2003, to 9 in 2004, to 5 in 2005, almost all in the UK.
These numbers, while tragic to the victims and their families, are a great
relief because they show that human deaths have peaked and cattle BSE cases
should be virtually eliminated in a few years.
However, misinformation and sensationalism about mad cow disease will not go
away. Avian influenza, which is projected to make it to this country, will
continue to keep meat safety in the spotlight.
By: Dr. Keith Lusby and Dr. Tom Troxel
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