Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Jim Oltjen will take over as Chair and Scott Fausti will take over as Secretary for 2015-2016. Jim Oltjen will begin planning the 2016 W-3177 annual meeting. Discussions indicate meeting in early June in Denver, CO. Possibly meet with NCBA and USMEF. Will begin discussions regarding renewal at the 2016 W-3177 annual meeting.

This year’s meeting was in conjunction with the 2015 Reciprocal Meat Conference. This was an objective of W-3177’s original proposal. W-3177 sponsored a Concurrent Technical Session titled “Implications of Growing Social Interest in How Meat is Produced in the U.S.” Speakers included: Ted Schroeder – “Economic Implications of Growing Social Interest in How Meat is Produced in the U.S.”; Gary Smith – “Pre-Harvest Implications of Growing Social Interest in How Meat is Produced in the U.S.” Eric Berg – “Post Harvest Implications of Growing Social Interest In How Meat s Produced in the U.S.” Approximately 285 people attended the Concurrent Technical Session.

Measures to access the additional costs of not using steroidal implants, ionophores, or beta-agonists in beef production have shown additional costs in both economic and environmental terms.  Also, the ability to provide value-added products by beef producers is limited by the lack of local slaughter facilities. Further, the value of animal identification throughout the beef industry segments allows different marketing claims and schemes, and potentially allows smaller producers to share in additional returns for adhering to prescribed protocols.  Finally, third party verification has been added to the California feedlot quality assurance program, and its value is yet to be tested.

In the event of an FMD outbreak, implementing an emergency vaccination program could result in significant savings to producers, consumers and the government. We conclude there are two main drivers of economic impacts related to emergency vaccination: the size of a vaccination zone and how fast can an emergency vaccination program begin.

Researchers investigated the effect of packer oligopsony market power on fed cattle grid premium and discount levels. Empirical evidence suggest that when packers margins allow packers to exert influence over market conditions the average premium/discount per head declines by fifty cents per cwt. Furthermore, empirical evidence indicates that the primary area where pricing pressure is focused is on the grid discount system.

The committee members have been engaged in disseminating of the research output in various venues to help our stakeholders. For example, quality assurance training for both the feedlot and cow-calf sectors has been one way to communicate the results of the additional costs of not using implants, ionophores or beta-agonists. A webinar with USDA-APHIS personnel and radio interview with the KSU ag. radio station was conducted to report the economic impacts of an emergency vaccination program in the event of a foot-and-mouth disease. At the Cattle Raisers Convention and Expo results concerning what consumers think about animal welfare was discussed to ranchers/producers.

1. M. Lyte, J. F. Legako, J. N. Martin, L. Thompson, K. Surowiec, and J. C. Brooks. 2016. Volatile compound characterization of modified atmosphere packaged ground beef held under temperature abuse. Food Control. 59: 1-6.
2. F. Legako, T. T. N. Dinh, M. F. Miller, and J C. Brooks. 2015 Effects of USDA beef quality grade and cooking on fatty acid composition of neutral and polar lipid fractions. Meat Sci. 100: 246-255.
3. F. Legako, J. C. Brooks, T. G. O'Quinn, T. D. J. Hagan, R. Polkinghorne, L. J. Farmer, and M. F. Miller. 2015. Consumer palatability scores and volatile beef flavor compounds of five USDA quality grades and four muscles. Meat Sci. 100: 291-300.
4. H. Corbin, T. G. O’Quinn, A. J. Garmyn, J. F. Legako, M. R. Hunt. T. T. N. Dinh, R. J. Rathmann, and M. F. Miller. 2015. Sensory evaluation of tender beef strip loin steaks of varying marbling levels and quality treatments. Meat Sci. 100: 24-31.
5. R. Hunt, A. J. Garmyn, T. G. O’Quinn, C. H. Corbin, J. F. Legako, R. J. Rathmann, J. C. Brooks, M. F. Miller. 2014. Consumer assessment of beef palatability from four beef muscles from USDA Choice and Select graded carcasses. Meat Sci. 98: 1-8.
6. Fausti, S.W., Wang, Z., Qasmi, B.A., and Diersen, M.A., "Risk and Marketing Behavior: Pricing Fed Cattle on a Grid", Agricultural Economics Vol. 45, 2014: pp. 601–612.
7. T. Tonsor and L. Schulz. “Economic Considerations Related to U.S. Beef Herd Expansion.” Journal of Animal Science. Forthcoming. (LINK)
8. Lister, G., G.T. Tonsor, M. Brix, T.C. Schroeder, and C. Yang. “Food Values Applied to Livestock Products.” Journal of Food Products Marketing. Forthcoming
9. Tonsor, G.T. and T.C. Schroeder. (2015). “Market Impacts of E. Coli Vaccination in U.S. Feedlot Cattle.” Agricultural and Food Economics. 3:7. (LINK)
10. Tonsor, G.T., T.C. Schroeder, J. Mintert. (2014). “Using Expert Knowledge to Guide Commodity Promotion and Research Program Investments.” Journal of Agribusiness. 31:19-32.
11. Pruitt, J.R. G.T. Tonsor, and K. Brooks. (2014). "End User Preferences for USDA Market Information." Food Policy. 47:24-33. (LINK)
12. Lusk, J.L., T.C. Schroeder, and G.T. Tonsor. (2014). "Distinguishing Beliefs from Preferences in Food Choice." European Review of Agricultural Economics. 41:627-655. (LINK).
13. Klain, T.J., J.L. Lusk, G.T. Tonsor, and T.C. Schroeder. (2014). "Valuing Information: The Case of Country of Origin Labeling." Agricultural Economics. 45:635-648. (LINK).
14. Tonsor, G.T., T.C. Schroeder, and J. Parcell. 2015. Economic Impacts of 2009 and 2013 U.S. Country-of-Origin Labeling on U.S. Beef and Pork Markets. Project No. AG-3142-P-14-0054 R0. Final Report submitted to the Office of the Chief Economist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, January 26, 2015. (LINK; See Appendix A)
15. Tonsor, G.T. and T.C. Schroeder. "E.Coli Vaccination in U.S. Feedlot Cattle: Market Impacts." Kansas State University, AM-GTT-2015.1. February 2015. (LINK)
16. Mollohan and Tonsor, G.T. "Premiums and Discounts on Calves and Yearlings." Kansas State University, AM-GTT-2014.1. December 2014. (LINK)
17. Farney, C. Reinhardt, G.T. Tonsor, J. Petersilie, and S. Johnson. "Beef Cow-Calf Management Options When Pasture is Limited." Kansas State University, MF-3114, August 2014. (LINK)
18. Pendell, D.L., T.L. Marsh, K.H. Coble, J.L. Lusk, and S. Szmania. “Economic Assessment of FMDv Releases from the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility.” PLoS ONE 10(6): e0129134. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0129134.
19. Schroeder, T.C., D.L. Pendell, M. Sanderson, and S. McReynolds^a. 2015. “Economic Impact of Alternative FMD Emergency Vaccination Strategies in the Midwestern United States.” Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 47:47–76. doi:1017/aae.2014.5
20. Murphy, R.G.L.^a, S.T. Howard^a, D.R. Woerner, D.L. Pendell, C.L. Dixon^a, T.L. Desimone^a, M.D. Green, J.L. Igo^a, J.D. Tatum, and K.E. Belk. 2015. “Definition, willingness-to-pay and ranking of quality attributes of pork as defined by importers in Asia and Mexico.”  Journal of Animal Science 93:433–441. doi:10.2527/jas.2014-8102
21. Oltjen, J.W., R.D. Sainz, L.B. Barioni, D.P. Lanna and T.Z. Albertini. Evolution of parameter changes for beef cattle growth in the Davis Growth Model over 40 years.  Animal Production Science 54(12):52.
22. Oltjen, J.W. 2014. Criterios para la correcta determinacion del punto de terminacion de los animals en el confinamiento:  Ventajasa y desventajas del confinamiento, desde el punto de vista del dueno del confinamiento y del dueno de los animals. Proceedings Praderas Y forrajes-XXII Congreso Internacional de Transferencia de Tecnologia agropecuaria CEA 2014,Asuncion, Paraguay 3-4 November 2014, pp. 41-52.
23. Forero, L.C., J.W. Stackhouse, J.W. Oltjen, C. Kellar and A. Stackhouse.  2015.  Iphone beef cattle inventory application.  Society for Range Management 68^th Annual Meeting Proceedings, Sacramento, CA, p. 124.