Members in the News: Ortega, Mooney, Michler, Palma, Hurt, Grebitus, and Davis

David Ortega, Michigan State University African Swine Fever Continues To Devastate China’s Pork Supply, But U.S. Farmers Are Unlikely To Fill The Need By: Forbes - August 6, 2019 If China does end up increasing its pork imports, it’s unlikely it would turn to the U.S. at this point. David Ortega, PhD, an agricultural economist at Michigan State University who has researched Chinese consumer pork preferences, says a sizable portion of U.S. pork is ineligible for export to China. “The Chinese currently prohibit imports of pork that have been given ractopamine, [a feed additive and growth additive] used readily in U.S. pork production,” says Ortega. (Continued...) Read more on: Forbes Daniel Mooney, Colorado State University Yes, there’s a premium for BQA-certified cattle By: Beef Magazine - July 31, 2019 The answer is yes. $2.71 per cwt, plus or minus about 90 cents, when compared to non-BQA lots with otherwise similar sale, cattle, and value-added characteristics, says Daniel Mooney, CSU Extension ag economist. Ahola and Mooney presented research that verifies the premium during a BQA Producer Forum at the Summer Meeting. To arrive at that figure, the CSU team looked at data from Western Video Market for nine western states from 2010 to 2017. It is a retrospective look with prices adjusted for inflation to a 2017 baseline, says Mooney, and there was a lot of noise to sort through to find a solid number. (Continued...) Read more on: Beef Magazine and High Plains Journal Jeffrey Michler, University of Arizona Episode 193: Going global with farming methods By: NPR - July 31, 2019 A University of Arizona agriculture scientist is trying to find out why a popular way to grow crops in the United States is not as effective in a part of the world where it is needed most. Jeff Michler is studying conservation agriculture in Zimbabwe. It is a technique that calls for farmers to use mulch and other remains from a previous year's harvest to feed the soil. The method has worked in North America and Brazil for 30 years. But Michler says its ineffectiveness in some sub-Saharan nations in Africa is a mystery. (Continued...) Listen on: NPR Marco Palma, Texas A&M University Cheaters cheat even if they don’t have to, says Aggie coauthor of study By: The Eagle - August 2, 2019 A Texas A&M agricultural economics professor recently coauthored a multifaceted study and experiment that found cheating for fiscal gain is less about circumstance and more about character. His study also found that people may be more prone to generosity toward strangers in times of economic scarcity. Marco Palma, director of the Human Behavior Lab at Texas A&M University and professor in the department of agricultural economics, said Thursday that he and a colleague found evidence that, contrary to conventional wisdom, cheating is more likely caused by an individual’s propensity to cheat than via external factors.  “In our context, cheating means misreporting something to obtain a financial benefit, either for themselves or for others,” Palma said. (Continued...) Read more on: The Eagle Chris Hurt, Purdue University Beef herd expansion near end? Written by Chris Hurt: Wisconsin State Farmer - August 5, 2019 Looking back a decade or so, the high feed price era from 2007 to 2013 caused downsizing of the beef industry. Beef cow numbers reached a low in 2014 which resulted in record high finished cattle prices near $148 per live hundredweight in 2015. Record high calf prices then stimulated expansion of the breeding herd. As an example, Kentucky 500 to 550 pound calves were $236 per hundredweight in 2015. From the low point in 2014, beef cow numbers have expanded by nine percent. Total cow numbers including dairy cows are up seven percent. Commercial beef production has increased by 11 percent a combination of seven percent more cows and a four percent increase in beef output per cow. (Continued...) Read more on: Wisconsin State Farmer Carola Grebitus, Arizona State University George Davis, Virginia Tech By: CBS Radio Network - July 8, 2019 A study finds less required math results in greater comprehension when it comes to nutrition labels… Study coauthor Dr. Carola Grebitus says the displayed calorie figures is much larger. “But it’s a lot easier to catch how many food calories the food product really has and also how many servings are in a container” An Arizona State University Study finds next year’s new nutrition labels on food packaging will be easier to read for those with fewer math skills. Study coauthor, professor George Davis says the updated labels make it easier to understand calorie content, added sugar, and specially portion sizes. No link available CBS Radio Network

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*Articles in response to the AAEA Communicating Out Strategy Press Releases highlighting: Government Relations, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, Choices Magazine, General Media, and/or 2019 AAEA Annual Meeting in Atlanta.