Duane A. Lienemann,
UNL Extension Educator,
Webster County
May 13, 2011 Edition We are in the middle of May. I know that brings us to the end of school for another year, most cattle are in their pastures or soon will be, wheat is closing in on boot stage, and usually a high percentage of planting is done. But my mind is on a simple question for this weekend……Charburgers or Steak? Actually it is a question that many other people are asking as the weather warms and people begin firing up their grills. I have to admit, mine has been fired up a couple of times already. This is a great time to enjoy the high-quality beef for which our state is known. Actually this is perfect timing because May is National Beef Month! This unique celebration, which began more than 40 years ago, honors the cattle producers and food marketers who produce and bring to the marketplace high quality and nutritious beef.
While celebrating National Beef Month in itself may not seem to be a big deal and if I had my way, every day would be beef day. At the very least I think we all should stop for a moment and think about the importance of the bovine species to our state. While it seems that animal agriculture is being denigrated on many fronts and even here in Nebraska, one must realize that they are biting the hand that feeds them. The Nebraska cattle industry is the state’s single largest industry and it is the engine that powers the state’s economy.
Cash receipts from farm marketing contributed over $15.3 billion to Nebraska’s economy in 2009 and 5 percent of the U.S. total economy. Livestock products account for about 2/3 of Nebraska's farm income and drum roll please….beef cattle are the most important source by far. As a matter of fact Nebraska ranks #3 among the states in total livestock receipts. The multiplied impact of the $7.5 billion in cattle sales each year is more than $12 billion to Nebraska’s economy. Cattle-related employment means income for businesses up and down every main street in towns and cities across the state. As goes the economics of beef cattle production, so go the other economies in Nebraska.
Beef is also a huge contributor to Nebraska and US global exports. Why is that important? Every dollar in agricultural exports generates $1.36 in economic activities such as transportation, financing, warehousing, and production. Nebraska’s $4.8 billion in agricultural exports translate into an additional $6.5 billion in additional economic activity. The top three agricultural exports in value are soybeans and products, feed grains and products, and live animals and meat, of which beef is an important component. So, beef contributes mightily to our export formula in Nebraska.
It may interest you that in 2010 Nebraska ranked number one nationally in commercial red meat production, with 7,144,800,000 lbs; commercial cattle slaughter with 6,950,300 head which represents 20.3% of the United States' commercial cattle harvest; and in commercial cattle slaughter, live weight – 9,124,450,000 lbs. In addition Nebraska beef ranks 2nd in the nation in all cattle on feed as of Jan. 1, 2011 with 2,550,000 head and comprised 21.9% of the cattle on feed across the United States. Another bit of trivia - we as Nebraskan’s have the top three beef cow counties in the U.S.
For the purists, Nebraska had 1.83 million head of cows on hand January 1, 2011, with a calf crop totaling 1.66 million head. That puts Nebraska ranking 3rd in the nation in all cattle and calves with a grand total of 6,200,000 head. If you compare that to the almost 1.8 million people that live in Nebraska you will see that there are almost 4 head of beef for every human being in this state. It is easy to argue that this truly is the Beef State.
Nebraska's prominence in our nation's cattle industry is due, in part, to the rich natural resources in the state and to the willingness of the producer to adapt to change. The cattle industry is an industry of constant change. Cattle producers are responsive to the demands of consumers around the world. By using more productive genetics, planned crossbreeding systems, better health programs, and computerized record keeping, today's producer can provide both the breeder and the feeder with cattle to meet both industry and consumer demands.
Nebraska wouldn’t be the beef supplier for U.S. and international consumers without Nebraska’s cattle producing families who make their living from the land and have a strong incentive to protect their animals and the environment. Caring for our animals is a family tradition and 97 percent of America’s cattle farms and ranches are family run.
Nebraskans living in the state’s top livestock producing counties enjoy higher levels of personal income than those living in other non-metropolitan counties. This confirms that there is a strong connection between thriving livestock production and a thriving local economy. From feed grains to veterinary services, from insurance to supplies, from financial services to employee paychecks, dollars from livestock production tend to stay local, helping drive economic vitality and create greater wealth in that community.
I am proud that Webster and Adams Counties in this area are both designated as Nebraska Livestock Friendly Counties. Livestock production is intrinsically linked to economic development. Communities that recognize this– and encourage the development of responsible livestock production – are improving their prospects for the future as well as helping the entire Nebraska economy and budget. Nebraska is the Beef State. Please join me this month celebrating. It doesn’t really matter if it is that burger or steak sending out that aroma – just join me in celebrating National Beef Month!
The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: www.webster.unl.edu/home
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