Interesting story about the feeder market.

[KSanburg]

Some friends of mine took there calves to the local auction today, I stopped by this afternoon to visit with them and found them a little disappointed. The sale hadn't went as good as they would have liked, there calves averaged 772 lbs. and they fetched $1.31, which by all rights isn't bad But a couple of weeks ago the same cattle were $.15 higher.

But they were telling me that a buyer they had visited with was telling them that Russia had cut off any meat from USA because of the feedlots use of zilpaterol hydrochloride better known as Zilmax.

I wasn't there to here the whole story but I have no reason to not believe the story as it was told to me and what the buyer had heard that was telling the story could be 4th or 5th hand. I did not know that Zilmax had become so main stream in cattle feeding that it would become an issue, and if it has been deemed safe by FDA why would it be a problem? And since when did Russia become enough of an export market that it would effect the beef markets to such a large degree?

The whole story sounds kind of fishy to me but I was wondering if any of you had heard any similar stories.

 

[hamburgman]

That did just happen, there was an email blast about that a friend got.  The whole thing sounds like a trade protection barrier to me since Russia is trying to grow their cattle herd.  Zilmax is a raptoamine that is basically a Paylean for cattle.  It is fed to a huge percentage of the cattle that go to slaughter.  It will be interesting to see how this is handled.  Of course Vilsack will be visiting and trying to fix things, but he isn't liked by a pretty large percentage of people who is supposed to represent and apparently isn't trustworthy.  I also wonder if the WTO steps in on something like this.

 

[nate53]

http://www.porknetwork.com/pork-news/Russia-consumer-safety-watchdog-sees-long-US-meat-ban-190684111.html

 

[knabe]

Use continentals or Herefords or low marbling angus.

 

[KSanburg]

Surly the FDA protocol and withdrawl time should satisfy any question about drug residue that the Russians might have. No doubt they are working to stimulate their own beef industry and how better than to control supply for the demand.

Hummm, I guess no one has given our government the memo on that one!