CattleNetwork Top Stories: Estate Taxes, Weak Oil Demand, Cargill Invests In Beef Facility

U.S. Cattlemen's Association Supports Effort To Reduce Estate Taxes
The U.S. Cattlemen's Association (USCA) today commended the current effort to reduce estate taxes by increasing the exemption to $5,000,000 and reducing the highest estate tax rate to 35%. In November of 2009, USCA passed policy which supported raising the unified credit to $5,000,000, adjusting it for inflation thereafter and reducing the estate tax rate from 45% to 35%. The federal estate tax is scheduled to return on January 1, 2011, imposing a levy of up to 55% on estates valued at more than $1 million.

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Weak U.S. Oil Demand?
In analyzing the outlook for oil prices, soft U.S. oil market conditions are sometimes cited as capping price pressures. Unlike regions outside the United States, including other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) areas, U.S. inventories are still high, despite recent declines, and oil demand is characterized, by some, as remaining weak.

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Be Thankful For Staying Busy
Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. For those within agriculture, it brought feelings of ambiguity, since the blessings have been obscured by hardship. The dairy industry has had a particularly tough time the past couple of years.

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Cargill Invests $8 Million In Fresno Beef Facility
Cargill invested $8 million at its Fresno beef production facility for recently completed projects to expand its already extensive food safety efforts, and to renovate and expand some packaging lines.

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How High Will Land Prices Go?
A wave of farmland sales bringing $8,000 per acre and higher rolled across Iowa last month, prompting farmers, realtors and lenders to ask: "How high will land prices go?"

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1. Packer margins jump higher, feeding margins bleak
2. New animal identification rules aid disease traceability
3. Oklahoma producers have access to new OQBN tool
4. Survey reveals most Americans in favor of COOL
5. Oil ends higher on weaker dollar, supplies weigh
6. Purdue's beef evaluation program receives 10,000th bull

1. Michigan hay buyers should plan purchases early
2. U.S. cattle placements rise in April as feed costs subside
3. Ag markets were mixed to start the new week
4. Corn planting pace turns from record slow to record fast
5. Drought losses in Oklahoma top $400 million for 2012
6. New animal identification rules aid disease traceability

1. Tyson selects panel to monitor animal welfare program
2. BeefTalk: How do we get the next generation to raise beef?
3. 2014 Farm Bill: Are we near an agreement?
4. Farm bill and immigration reform action needed
5. Boxed beef hits record highs, cattle weak to lower