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12 CapitalPress.com April 14, 2017 Subscribe to our weekly dairy or livestock email newsletter at CapitalPress.com/newsletters Documenting grazing results through monitoring Dairy/Livestock U.S. meat exports maintain strong pace By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press By DOUG WARNOCK For the Capital Press L osing their U.S. Forest Service grazing permits was a fear expressed by Washington ranchers as re- ported in the March 31 issue of the Capital Press. This sit- uation illustrates the need for livestock managers to doc- ument rangeland trends and overall range health through their own monitoring pro- gram. The article mentioned that monitoring was taking place, but some of the permit- tees were not involved in that process. Monitoring pays. It is a valuable management tool and a means of documenting the outcome of the current management. How does a livestock man- ager get a monitoring pro- gram started? Monitoring can be very extensive or quite simple, but getting useful information is the key. To get started, the manager needs to determine what information will be the most useful. Exactly what specific things need to be evaluated? A person with con- siderable experience in range- land monitoring can be very helpful with this. Talk to a Natural Resources Conserva- tion Service range specialist or an extension range special- ist to help you get started. A variety of monitoring programs is available. Some require a significant amount of time and if the manager can’t allocate that much time, it may be necessary to hire an experienced person or firm to do the monitoring. That decision must be made by the individual manager. The important element is that the monitoring program se- lected provides information that will be the most useful in making management de- cisions and documenting the results of the management being applied. The most simple moni- toring system is to establish permanent photo points and take photos every year. These photos, coupled with written observations, give a basic re- cord of what is taking place. The monitoring program you choose should assess the U.S. meat exports, Jan.-Feb. Quantity (Metric tons) Greener Pastures Doug Warnock four ecosystem processes, i.e. the water cycle, mineral cycle, the composition and trends of the plant community and the solar energy flow. The solar energy flow is a measurement of how well the plants are uti- lizing sunlight to produce plant growth and development. Grazing cages are useful. They prevent grazing in a small area so that at the end of the growing season one can clip and weigh the forage pro- duced and calculate the year’s production, as well as deter- mine how much forage was removed by grazing that year. A 4-foot-square wire cage with a wire top can be made from livestock panels. It must be staked down so that animals can’t move it. The grazing cage should be relocated at the end of the growing season, so that only one year’s growth and utilization is measured. An all-weather rain gauge is a useful tool. Some of the newer rain gauges are made of material that will not freeze and break. Just knowing whether the accumulated pre- cipitation is above average, average or below average is helpful in evaluating changes that have occurred. Additional kinds of mea- surements and evaluations can be made to provide a more comprehensive assessment of trends and general rangeland health. A practical monitoring program allows the manager to track what is happening and to make good decisions based on the condition and health of the plant communities in that land base. If you, as a rangeland manager, do not already have a monitoring program, this spring is a good time to estab- lish one. See your rangeland specialist. Doug Warnock, retired from Washington State Uni- versity Extension, lives on a ranch in the Touchet River Valley where he writes about and teaches grazing manage- ment. He can be contacted at dwarnockgreenerpastures@ gmail.com. February exports of U.S. beef and pork were well above last year’s levels, add- ing to a strong start for 2017 shipments. Pork exports, at 197,025 metric tons, were up 15 per- cent year over year, posting the strongest February volume on record. The value of those exports was up 17 percent to $486.7 million, according to the U.S. Meat Export Feder- ation. February beef exports were up 9 percent year over year, at 90,417 metric tons, with value up 16 percent to $508.5 million. February exports account- ed for 27.6 percent of U.S. pork production, up from 23.8 percent year over year, and 12.6 percent of U.S. beef production, which held steady with year-earlier lev- els. Those exports added an average value of $51.94 per hog slaughtered in the U.S. and $276.96 per head of fed cattle slaughtered. Those val- ues are up 18 percent and 13 percent, respectively, year over year. “With trade deficits being 2016 2017 Percent change 165,504 338,423 1,801 189,905 399,692 1,060 14.7% 18.1 -41.1 Item* 2016 2017 Percent change Beef Pork Lamb and mutton 875.1 819.1 2.81 1,024 995.3 2.68 17% 21.5 -4.3 Item* Beef Pork Lamb and mutton Value (Millions of dollars) *All items include variety meats. Source: USDA (data compiled by U.S. Meat Export Federation) a hot topic of conversation, especially with countries such as Mexico, China and Japan, it’s important to high- light the sectors in which U.S. products are competi- tive throughout the world and exports are thriving,” Philip Seng, USMEF president and CEO, said in a press release accompanying the latest ex- port numbers. Red meat is certainly in that category, he said. For the first two months of the year, pork exports were up 18 percent in vol- ume and 22 percent in value at 399.692 metric tons and $995.3 million. Beef exports Capital Press graphic were up 13 percent in volume and 17 percent in value at 186,905 metric tons and $102 billion. Japan led U.S. beef pur- chases in both volume and value for January-February — accounting for 46,276 metric tons, up 41 percent year over year — and $259.6 million in value, a 44 percent increase. Mexico topped the list of pork purchases in volume at 137,396 metric tons, up 27 percent, but was second to Japan in value at $244.7 million. Exports to Japan, at 63,775 metric tons, up 10 percent, were about half those to Mexico but valued at $256.1 million, a 14 percent increase. Chilled beef to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan con- tinue to drive export growth in 2017, with a 60 percent in- crease in Japan, a 95 percent increase in Korea and a 12 percent increase in Taiwan, USMEF reported. Total beef exports to those countries on a volume basis were up 41 percent in Japan, 23 percent in South Korea and 28 percent in Taiwan. The value of those exports in- creased 44 percent in Japan, 31 percent in South Korea and 25 percent in Taiwan for a total of $462.5 million. Beef exports within North America are also off to a sol- id start in 2017, with Mexico increasing 14 percent in vol- ume in January-February and trade with Canada rebound- ing for an 11 percent increase year over year. The value of those exports increased 3 percent in Mexi- co and 18 percent in Canada for a total of $270.9 million. The picture in Hong Kong is not as pretty, with beef im- ports down 21 percent in vol- ume and 12 percent in value. For more details, visit: www.usmef.org Spot butter price hovers near $2; benchmark milk price drops day, hitting 82 1/2-cents per pound. By LEE MIELKE For the Capital Press Dairy Markets C ash block cheese closed the first Friday of April at $1.46 per pound, down 6 cents, reversing three weeks of gains, but is 4 cents above a year ago. The barrels finished at $1.4350, down 3 1/2-cents on the week and 1 3/4-cents above a year ago. Three cars of block traded hands on the week and a whopping 40 of barrel. The blocks were un- changed Monday and Tues- day, while the barrels lost three-quarters-cent Monday and held Tuesday at $1.4275. Dairy Market News re- ports that milk is readily available for cheese produc- ers in the Midwest and spot milk prices were running $1.50 to $5 under class. Cheese production in the Benchmark drops $1.07 Lee Mielke West is also strong as milk continues to be readily avail- able. Inventories are increas- ing while domestic demand is “a little lackluster” and “ex- ports have been a little slow to develop.” CME butter closed Friday at $2.0975 per pound, down a penny on the week and 2 1/4-cents below a year ago. It dropped 2 cents Mon- day, under 16 loads trading hands, and dipped to $2.0775, the lowest spot price since Dec. 9, 2016. While some see it flirting with the $2 level, it regained a penny and a quar- ter Tuesday, inching to $2.09. Open-outcry for butter ended Friday at the CME and joined nonfat dry milk in electronic trading Monday. Some Central region but- ter producers report produc- tion is lighter than in previous weeks while others continue at the same level. Demand for Western but- ter is still good as the spring holidays approach but buyers are trying not to take on more butter than immediate needs. Grade A CME nonfat dry milk, after holding all week at 80 cents per pound, inched up a penny Friday to close at 81 cents, 12 cents above a year ago. The powder was un- changed Monday but gained a penny and a half Tues- The March Federal order Class III benchmark milk price dropped to $15.81 per hundredweight (cwt.), down $1.07 from February but $2.07 above March 2016. It is the lowest Class III price since October 2016 and equates to $1.36 per gallon, down from $1.45 in Febru- ary and compares to $1.18 a year ago. The First Quarter Class III price average stands at $16.49, up from $13.75 at this time a year ago and $15.73 in 2015. Monday’s Class III futures settlements portended an April price of $15.10; May, $15.02; and June, $15.18, with a peak of $16.42 in Sep- tember. The March Class IV price is $14.32, down $1.27 from February, $1.58 above a year ago, and the lowest since No- vember 2016. The First Quar- ter Class IV average stands at $15.37, up from $13.18 a year ago and $13.62 in 2015. California Class I down California’s May Class I milk price is $16.65 per cwt. for the north and $16.92 for the south. They are down 11 and 12 cents, respectively, from April. Both are $1.81 above May 2016, but are the lowest Class I prices since November 2016. The five month average for the north stands at $17.79, up from $15.67 at this time a year ago and compares to $17.45 in 2015. The southern average, at $18.06, is up from $15.94 a year ago and $17.72 in 2015. Milk output to rise The Agriculture Depart- ment lowered its 2017 milk production forecast in its lat- est World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report as “reductions in milk per cow offset increases in milk cow numbers.” 2017 production and mar- ketings were projected at 217.3 billion and 216.3 bil- lion pounds, respectively, down 200 million pounds from last month. If realized, 2017 production would be up 4.9 billion pounds, or 2.3 per- cent, from 2016. Dairy product price fore- casts for cheese, butter, non- fat dry milk and whey were lowered as both domestic and international supplies are large. As a result Class III and Class IV price forecasts were reduced. The Class III milk price is projected to range from $16.10 to $16.60 per cwt., down from the $16.60- $17.20 expected a month ago, and compares to $14.87 in 2016 and $15.80 in 2015. The Class IV price fore- cast is expected to average $14.30-$14.90, down from $14.85-$15.55 predicted last month, and compares to $13.77 in 2016 and $14.35 in 2015. WE SPECIALIZE IN BULK BAGS! BAGS: • Seed Bags • Fertilizer Bags • Feed Bags • Potato Bags • Printed Bags • Plain Bags • Bulk Bags • Totes • Woven Polypropylene • Bopp • Polyethylene • Pocket Bags • Roll Stock & More! HAY PRESS SUPPORT: • Hay Sleeves • Strap • Totes • Printed or Plain • Stretch Film (ALL GAUGES) WAREHOUSE PACKAGING: • Stretch Film • Pallet Sheets • Pallet Covers LOCATIONS: Albany, Oregon (MAIN OFFICE) Ellensburg, Washington CONTACT INFORMATION: Phone: 855-928-3856 Fax: 541-497-6262 info@westernpackaging.com ....................................................... 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