January 10, 2003

Beef Production, Merchandising To Headline Beef Cattle Improvement Meeting

Two beef industry professionals from the Upper Midwest will headline the program at the 2003 North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association annual meeting Friday, Jan. 24 in Minot.

Entitled "A Look Into The Future of Beef Production and Merchandising," the meeting will take place at the North Dakota State University North Central Research Extension Center in Minot at 7 p.m.

Dan Dorn, supply development director from the Decatur County Feed Yard, Inc., and Paul Berg, associate professor in meats with the NDSU Animal and Range Sciences Department, will give keynote addresses. The meeting is open to all NDBCIA members and the general public.

Dorn will give a presentation on Decatur Beef Alliance and the experiences of Future Beef. He will review the challenges encountered in the management of beef cattle supplies and share his perspective on future opportunities and limitations in the beef business. Berg will review current efforts at enhancing carcass value through local or regional processing facilities. He is currently working on an innovation center concept for beef cattle processing with NDSU.

"This meeting is for anyone involved in the beef industry," says Kris Ringwall, executive secretary of the NDBCIA and NDSU Extension Service beef specialist. "The dynamics of the various enterprises within the industry are undergoing rapid changes. There are many challenges on the horizon. Our speakers will give producers management insights into many segments of the industry that may assist producers with some management decisions."

The event is held in Minot during the annual KMOT Ag Expo. Ringwall invites beef producers attending the Ag Expo to participate in the discussion.

Additionally, a Cow Herd Appraisal Performance Software (CHAPS) training session will be held in the afternoon. CHAPS Records Processing Coordinator Doni Tibor will conduct the session. Individuals needing more information can contact the NDBCIA office in Dickinson at (701) 483-2045 or chaps@ndsuext.nodak.edu .

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Source: Kris Ringwall, (701) 483-2427; kringwal@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu