NEWS

From May 1 through May 15, the Beef Checkoff is partnering with Nash Finch for the Grocery Wholesaler Beef Roundup promotion. Nash Finch’s 47 corporate stores in eight states – Econofoods, Sunmart, Family Fresh Market, and Pick n’ Save – will be launching the checkoff’s Slice-n-Save program as part of the promotion. The merchandising program will feature three sub-primal Angus Pride cuts:  boneless beef ribeye, boneless beef top loin strip, and boneless beef top sirloin. Also as part of the promotion, cattle farmers from Iowa will be featured on posters, recipe brochures, and slice-n-save on-pack labels.

A potentially burdensome new recordkeeping requirement facing farmers, ranchers and other small business owners was repealed last week when President Obama signed legislation H.R. 4, which ends the “1099 requirement” included in the federal health-reform package.

AgriLabs, KMG and AllFlex jointly awarded iPads as part of a product promotion at the recent National Cattleman's Beef Association (NCBA) Convention in Denver, Colorado.

The Pfizer Animal Genetics laboratory in Kalamazoo, Michigan, recently received the Illumina CSPro certification for GoldenGate Bovine 3K Beadchip. The Illumina CSPro certification for the GoldenGate platform is the second certification Pfizer Animal Genetics has received from Illumina in 2011.

A UC Davis research team has been awarded $2.6 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to carry out research aimed at reducing the incidence of bovine respiratory disease, or pneumonia, which is the leading cause of death in beef and dairy cattle.