Ag official says registering cattle can help profits

By The Associated Press | Tuesday, January 01, 2008

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A state agriculture official says ranchers willing to spend a little money to certify their cattle will get more back on their investment when they sell.

Enrolling calves in the South Dakota Certified Enrolled Cattle Program usually costs from $5 to $6 per animal, which includes costs for the licensing fee, enrollment fee and buying the tags.

Bryce Baker, a South Dakota Department of Agriculture livestock development specialist, said many packers are currently offering $15 to $25 a head for premiums on some cattle.

"With a little bit of investment, you can pick up a little more money in the long run," he said.

Baker will be speak at informational meetings in January, sharing information on capturing premiums, the enrolled cattle program and the USDA Process Verified Program.

Dr. Susan Reenders of the South Dakota Animal Industry Board will discuss the National Animal Identification System and its impact on South Dakota. Her talk will also include updates on the state's progress with voluntary premises enrollment.

South Dakota Extension educators will hold training sessions in Beef Quality Assurance, a national program that provides guidelines for beef cattle production.

"The main part of the (local sessions) is for producers to get their BQA certification," Baker said. "It's also going to be a good program for producer education and just making sure they're handling their cattle how they should. Assuring confidence with the consumer seems to be as important as ever right now."

Sessions are planned for Huron on Jan. 14 and in Redfield on Jan. 23. Both will run from 1 to 4 p.m.

The first part of the sessions with talks from Baker and Reenders are free. Cost of the BQA training which follows is $25.