Letter of Recommendation

“Beef 2007-08”
It is with great excitement that I read about the up coming “Beef 2007-08”
APHIS project. It has been 10 years since the last gathering and computation
of the data necessary to provide beef producers with a current snapshot of
the industry. We are now managing with data that is more than 10 years old.
This data provides a good bench mark for reference but does not supply the
information necessary to make current management decisions. How many of
us are still making breeding decisions using EPD’s for bulls that are more
than 10 years old? Then why I ask would we ever use data on the national
cow herd that is more than 10 years old? If the opportunity presents itself I
would strongly encourage you to participate in the up coming Beef survey to
help the industry manage with current information.
Daniel M. Kniffen, Penn State University