An international treaty on climate change is helping reduce livestock odor in places separated by thousands of miles.

The Kyoto Protocol, first put forth in 1997, helps industrialized countries battle global warming. To help fulfill provisions of the treaty, companies are working on a variety of projects in the developing world.

The accord, which the U.S. refuses to ratify, seeks to lower overall greenhouse-gas emissions by industrialized countries in the years 2008-2012 to levels at least 5 percent below 1990 levels.

One way industrialized countries can meet their reduction targets is to back environmental projects in developing regions.

Source: The Repository/ Los Angeles Times/ Marla Dickerson, Feb. 14, 2006
Source URL: http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=269337&Category=5

In Missouri, cattle rustling is big business and Gov. Matt Blunt aims to put an end to it. The state has had more than 80 reported thefts involving hundreds of cattle over the past year, in addition to stolen cattle trailers, vehicles and farm equipment.

Blunt outlined his plan to put an end to the thievery that includes several initiatives.

Source: Kansas City infoZine, Feb. 18, 2006
Source URL: http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/13069/

Oklahoma lawmakers are discussing a measure to shelter agriculture and food producers from lawsuits filed by obese consumers. The bill has been approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives Judiciary Committee and will next go to the entire House.

The bill would create the “Commonsense Consumption Act” to shield food makers, distributors, carriers, sellers, advertisers and others against “frivolous lawsuits.”

Source: Insurance Journal/ Oklahoma House of Representatives, Feb. 10, 2006
Source URL: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2006/02/10/65263.htm

Cheese, butter and nonfat dry milk prices have all declined during the past month. The only price that is holding is dry whey at around 34 cents per pound. Barrel cheddar cheese on the CME fell
6.5 cents per pound from January 31st to $1.145 per pound on February 17th and down 19.5 cents since January 1st. The 40-pound block cheddar cheese price fell 7.5 cents per pound from January 31st to $1.1650 per pound on February 17th and down 20.25 cents per pound since January 1st. CME butter is at $1.17 per pound. At these prices the February Class III price will drop to around $12.10 per hundredweight with the March Class III price around $11.15 per hundredweight. If it wasn’t for favorable dry whey prices, the Class III price would be below $11.00. The Class III price was above $14.00 for six months during 2005 and averaged $14.05 for the year. The last time the Class III price was below $12.00 was February 2004 at $11.89.

Source: University of Wisconsin/ Bob Cropp, Feb. 20, 2006
Source URL: http://www.aae.wisc.edu/future/OUTLOOK/cropp_Feb_06.pdf

The crystal ball with the clearest view of the future of agriculture is under the stewardship of USDA’s Chief Economist Keith Collins. He brought it out, dusted it off, and peered in last Thursday, all for the benefit of those attending USDA’s Annual Outlook Conference. Unrestrained by politics and serving a bushel of Agriculture Secretaries back to the early 1990’s, Collins’ crystal ball held none of the haze that can sometimes cloud economic forecasts. Here’s what he said that will impact you:

Source: Farmgate/ Stu Ellis/ University of Illinois, Feb. 20, 2006
Source URL: http://www.farmgate.uiuc.edu/archive/2006/02/and_you_though.html

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) rich fraction, collected components between I kDa and 30 kDa, was fractionated from bovine colostral whey using an ultrafiltration membrane. IGF-I was confirmed in the collected IGF-I rich fraction by both SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.

Our results indicate that the administration of IGF-I rich fraction obtained from bovine colostral whey enhances both innate and acquired immunity for ICR male mice.

Source: Effect of IGF-I rich fraction from bovine colostral whey on murine immunity. Asian - Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 19 (2): 297-304, 2006. Hwang, K.A.; Ha, W.K.; Yang, H.J.; Lee, S.W.

Reproductive efficiency of dairy cattle causes great frustration and potential lost income for dairy producers. Even under optimal conditions, the reproductive process is less than perfect because of multiple factors involved in producing a live calf. To manage the complexities of the estrous cycle, understanding of many interrelated physiological functions is critical. Further, reproductive efficiency involves the successful management of not only the cows, but also the people who milk, feed, house, inseminate and care for them. Although the benefits of improving reproduction are apparent, specific causes of poor reproductive performance are difficult to identify and resolve. To improve reproductive efficiency, the limiting factors must be identified. To maximize the chances of a renewed pregnancy for every heifer or cow that calves into the herd, a number of important time-dependent components of the reproductive cycle must be managed. It is critical to understand each component of the estrous cycle and annual reproductive cycle, and to determine where limited time and resources should be concentrated. Maximal reproductive efficiency requires management of the calving interval, which consists of three major components: 1) the voluntary waiting period; 2) the active AI breeding period; and 3) gestation – including the dry period.

Source: University of Minnesota/ Cliff Lamb, Carl Dahlen, and Jamie Larson, February 2006
Source URL: http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairydays06/pdfs/Lamb_ReproductiveManagement.pdf

Financing capital investments, such as livestock facilities, are generally funded by one or a combination of three forms: using cash reserves to purchase, leasing, or financing with borrowed money. Each of these have both advantages and disadvantages to be considered by the business manager. After a brief discussion of the pros and cons, several computer programs will be listed at the end of the article that should be most helpful in making an informed decision about the various financing alternatives.

Using cash to purchase a building may seem to be without cost, in that no interest expense is realized by the business. However, it ties up a relatively large amount of capital, perhaps exhausting liquid working capital, or the rainy day fund. For many types of farm businesses, 25% of a years expense ought to be available in this fund. Furthermore, how does interest rates of various lenders compare with the businesses ROE, rate of Return on Equity?

Source: Ohio State University/ Ohio Ag Manager/ Donald J. Breece, February 2006
Source URL: http://ohioagmanager.osu.edu/news/index.php#4

Getting away from the dairy once in a while is a problem for many dairy producers, especially single operator units. Sometimes getting away is voluntary for a vacation, a family event, or just a day away to do something for yourself. Sometimes getting away is involuntary, such as illness, injury or family emergency. You probably don’t take the voluntary one unless you are fully prepared with fill in help. At least then you have them prepared as well.

The question needs to be asked, though, "How well are you and your farm prepared for the involuntary absence?"

Source: University of Minnesota/ Chuck Schwartau, February 2006
Source URL: http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairydays06/pdfs/Schwartau_OrganizingYourWorkforce.pdf

A Purdue University study found that as farmers approach late middle age, they are less likely to plant corn that produces Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a protein that kills corn rootworms and European corn borer insects that feed on plant tissues.

The 2004 study was based on surveys and discussions with about 1,000 Indiana farmers who grew at least 200 acres of corn. Researchers also found that farmers experienced in biotech crops are more likely to plant Bt corn hybrids, while some growers are less inclined to use Bt varieties because they find planting parts of their fields in non-Bt "refuge" corn a hassle.

Source: Purdue University/ News Release/ Steve Leer, Feb. 17, 2006
Source URL: http://news.uns.purdue.edu/html3month/2006/060217.Alexander.btcorn.html