The Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course will feature a New Mexico State University economist who will address the future of the cattle industry and economic trends during the Aug. 6 general session in College Station.

Dr. Lowell Catlett, a Regents professor, dean and chief administrative officer in the university’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, will provide insights and an outlook on the agriculture industry, specifically beef-cattle production, plus the overall current state of the economy.

The short course is coordinated by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and scheduled for Aug. 6-8 on the Texas A&M University campus.

“Dr. Catlett is a noted, national speaker who provides varied and upbeat presentations,” said Dr. Jason Cleere, AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist and conference coordinator. “His latest focus is the economy and what we can expect for agriculture and beef cattle markets in the future.”

Meanwhile, the cattleman’s college portion of the short course provides participants with an opportunity to choose workshops based on their level of production experience and the needs of their ranch, Cleere said.

“These 22 concurrent workshops will feature information on introductory cattle production, management practices in the areas of forage, nutrition and reproduction, record keeping, Brush Busters, cattle handling, landowner issues and much more,” he said.  “Our goal is to provide participants with information that will help them improve the efficiency and, ultimately, the profitability of their cattle operations.”

In addition to classroom instruction on Aug. 6-7, participants can attend one of the popular demonstrations on the morning of Aug. 8.

“There will be demonstrations on chute-side calf working, cattle behavior, penning, selection and brush-busting,” Cleere said. “These provide an opportunity for ranchers to see beef cattle production practices put to use.”

Participants can receive a Texas Department of Agriculture private pesticide applicator’s license during the short course and can earn at least seven pesticide continuing education units if they are already licensed, Cleere added.

An industry trade show will be held during the event, featuring more than 120 agricultural businesses and service exhibits.

Registration is $160 per person and includes educational materials, a copy of the 600-page Beef Cattle Short Course proceedings, trade show admittance, admission to the Aggie prime rib dinner, lunches, breakfasts and daily refreshments.

Registration information and a tentative schedule was mailed to previous participants in May and can also be found on the short course website at http://beef.tamu.edu.

Producers can register online at http://beef.tamu.edu or contact Cleere’s office at 979-845-6931.