Check out these stories to find out what is happening in the BEEF world.
Here are 5 stories from across the United States and globe that could impact your ranch and might even warm your heart a little.
1. Gene-edited beef cattle gets the green light in U.S.A.
U.S. regulators have cleared the way this week for the sale of beef from gene-edited cattle in coming years after the Food and Drug Administration concluded the animals do not raise any safety concerns.
The cattle by Recombinetics are the third genetically altered animals given the green light for human consumption in the U.S.
The cattle reviewed by the FDA had genes altered with a technology called CRISPR to have short, slick coats that let them more easily withstand hot weather. Cattle that aren’t stressed by heat might pack on weight more easily, making for more efficient meat production.
It’s not clear when the beef will be available for sale for home or restaurants but the FDA says it could reach the market in as early as two years.
2. Border problems—with animal health
Low water levels are allowing tick-infested wildlife to easily cross border from Mexico, threatening South Texas cattle.
At 82 years old, longtime rancher Renato Ramirez knows the South Texas borderlands. And on a recent day as he looked across the Rio Grande to Mexico he fretted.
A group of cattle was grazing on the banks, a stone’s throw from him, and he worried they would cross into the United States.
The Rio Grande River is very low right now due to drought conditions. If cows come across, they could bring ticks that could infect herds owned by South Texas ranchers. Cattle fever, a severe and often fatal disease is transmitted by ticks.
Worse, ranchers are seeing deer that are continually crossing the international river and Lake Falcon, which also borders Mexico, infected with the fever ticks that could spread to herds.
“The fever tick comes on the deer because the deer cross back and forth,” said Renato Ramirez, dressed in well-worn cowboy boots, jeans and a jean jacket.
“The fever tick carries that fever that kills the cows and once you got it you got to eradicate the whole herd,” he said as he showed Border Report one of his four ranches in this rural part of South Texas.
“The cattle cross and so they bring in the fever tick,” Ramirez said.
Water levels at Falcon Reservoir on Friday were just 23% of capacity, or 259 feet, according to the Texas Water Development Board.
The water should be about 40 feet higher.
And that means the boundary between Mexico and Texas is closer and it is easier for wildlife to cross.
3. Montana cattle group opposes state giving Colorado wolves for reintroduction
The Montana Stockgrowers Association has asked its state wildlife agency to prevent wolves from being captured and released into Colorado as part of the Centennial State's voter-mandated reintroduction plan.
It's not that the 135-year-old livestock producer organization is supportive of keeping Montana's wolves in the state. Instead, in a letter to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks