livestock

In The Moment ... July 31, 2019 Show 627 Hour 1

The South Dakota Department of Agriculture says even during down times, agriculture continues to thrive.

The 2019 Agricultural Economic Contribution Study shows an economic contribution of $32.5 billion from the state ag industry. And while the number of farms in the state declined by 6% since 2012, livestock inventory is on the rise.

Rick Vallery joins In The Moment. He's the senior advisor for South Dakota's Department of Agriculture. 

In The Moment ... June 17, 2019 Show 597 Hour 1

Forage stocks in South Daktoa are running low. How does the soggy spring impact livestock down the road, and what kind of relief is available for farmers and ranchers from Congress?

U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson explains the bipartisan efforts in Washington to answer the call for South Dakota producers.

In The Moment  ... January 29, 2019 Show 504 Hour 1

Frigid temperatures and dangerous wind chills have added risks for those who must spend time outside.

In South Dakota that includes farmers, ranchers and their livestock. SDPB's Heather Benson is one of those farmers impacted by the late January cold and she joins In The Moment.

South Dakota ranchers and cattle feeders are feeling the pinch as sale prices are falling.

Some in the industry blame country of origin labeling and foreign beef imports, but others say a number of factors can contribute to a drop in prices.

Recent drops in the market mean some ranchers are losing as much as 400 dollars per-head.

Energy and spirits are low that the Mitchell Livestock Auction house.

Officials in sale barns like this say cattle prices are hitting lows not experienced since 2009. This drop comes after a spike in late 2014.

Doctors, veterinarians and ranchers are partnering to fight animal-borne illness. USD’s Sanford School of Medicine aims to open a dialogue between human health care providers, and those who care for animals to protect South Dakotans and livestock against disease.

The Leopold Conservation Award is given each year to a private landowner dedicated to ethical land practices. Cronin Farms won the South Dakota award this year. A farm tour demonstrated what the operation is doing to improve the environment.

Navigable streams and rivers in South Dakota used for kayaking, canoeing, and snowmobiling are considered public highways. But landowners with livestock often put fences across the water. The fences can pose major safety hazards to those paddling or traveling downstream.  To allow access through fenced off portions of streams, a law going into effect July 1st compiles a list of streams requiring gates. 

Meat you buy in the local supermarket may no longer carry a label showing what country it came from following a ruling by the World Trade Organization.

The WTO ruled country of origin labeling hurts the livestock industry in Canada and Mexico.  Officials in the trade organization say if the US wants to continue country of origin labeling,  it has to pay about $1.2 billion dollars in damages to the two countries. The U.S. House repealed COOL, or Country of Origin Labeling, the Senate is likely to follow suit.

Country of Origin Labeling on meat products was first part of the 2002 Farm Bill.   Since taking effect the measure has gained broad support from both consumers and independent cattle producers in places like South Dakota. 

Farmers and ranchers in South Dakota must decide whether to save the money they make from crops and livestock or reinvest it. The growing season is well underway for South Dakota farmers, and ranchers are watching markets as they raise their animals. 

Record commodity prices for corn and soybeans are gone, and that has some farmers keeping their money in the bank instead of spending it on upgrades and new equipment. South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture Lucas Lentsch says growers remain cautious.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated two million people in the United States are infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria each year. Of them, at least 23 thousand die.

South Dakota State University Extension is 100 years old this month and a recent Benchmark Survey shows SDSU Extension remains South Dakotans' trusted source for unbiased, research-based information.  The survey, conducted by a third-party source, includes information gleaned from extensive interviews with 400 South Dakota crop and livestock producers as well as users of one or more of SDSU Extension's five additional key program areas which include community development, food and families, urban/rural initiatives, Native American programs and 4-H Youth development.  A product of the Smith

The freak October blizzard that dumped more than four feet of snow has killed tens of thousands of cattle west of the river. Their carcasses are now tangled in barbed wire fences and emerging from the melting snowdrifts.

But the government shutdown means part of the safety net is gone; the programs normally operated by the USDA and other federal agencies to assist ranchers are shuttered.

South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s Charles Michael Ray caught up with a few ranchers while they were out in the field corralling the surviving animals.

Reports of cow and calf death losses, along with displacements of herds due to drifting of snow over fence lines are still coming in. SDSU Extension Veterinarian, Russ Daly gives a summary of some health issues South Dakota ranchers may see as a result of the blizzard. Prolonged stress placed on animals, especially younger animals, due to weather events results in increased cortisol levels in the animals' bloodstream, which can have profound effects on the immune system.

A record-breaking storm that dumped 4 feet of snow in parts of western South Dakota left ranchers dealing with heavy losses, in some cases perhaps up to half their herds. Silvia Christen, executive director of the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, says early estimates suggest western south Dakota lost at least 5 percent of their cattle. Some individual ranchers reported losses of 20 percent to 50 percent of their livestock.