Page 11 - CFAN_Mar2014

cattle
FEATURE |

FLORIDA

RANCHING

by the Numbers

QA
&

with Industry Experts on the latest

USDA Cattle Inventory Report
CFAN: FLORIDA’S TOTAL HERD DECREASED BY
TWO PERCENT. ARE THERE UNIQUE REASONS

BEHIND FLORIDA’S DECREASES?

THE USDA’S National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) released the Cattle Inventory Report on January Quincey: In Florida, the rising cost of land is a major
31; unable to release a mid-year report in 2013 due to government furloughs, the latest report confirmed the fact factor that has contributed to the smaller herd. If you go

that the US’s—and Florida’s—Beef Cattle Herd is smaller than it has been since the early 1960s. Weighing in back to 2005 through 2008 or so, many ranchers thought
on the report—and the effects here in Florida—are Don Quincey, president of Quincey Cattle Co./ past Florida they’d do something else with the property because land

Cattlemen’s Association president; and Bridget Carlisle, UF/IFAS Polk County Extension livestock agent.
was so expensive. Many Florida ranchers liquidated their
stock, which has led to a smaller herd today.

Carlisle: Florida did not experience as much of a CENTRAL FLORIDA AG NEWS (CFAN): THE USDA experiencing a severe drought, and many have had to

downfall in forage supplies due to the weather as other CATTLE INVENTORY SHOWS LOW BEEF CATTLE liquidate their herds.

parts of the southeast. However, the shortage of feeder NUMBERS THAT HAVEN’T BEEN SEEN IN A WHILE.
cattle drove prices up, making the decision to sell rather WHY ARE THE NUMBERS SO LOW?
Bridget Carlisle: A major contributor to the decrease

than retain calves much more desirable in Florida.
Don Quincey: Nation-wide, heavy cattle states (like in inventory is weather conditions, particularly the
Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, and California) have been
drought and short forage supply in the southeast.

continued on PAGE 36

A FARMER’S GUIDE FOR CALCULATING PLANT LOSS, PART III

IN THE FINAL INSTALLMENT
fertilizer,soil,orliners,notifytheproducer persons show up, the better
of your guide to calculating plant loss, of them immediately.
chance you have to have the

I’d like to remind growers that this is just STEP 14: Ascertain whether or not you problem solved.

one element of the detailed process of have changed your growing practices. If STEP 17: As always,
collecting evidence and information for a you haven’t, this increases the likelihood keep in mind the stan-
by MIKE MARTIN
case. If you have any questions about this of some outside event causing plant injury.
dard plant loss formula,
process, I’m at your disposal.
STEP 15: Be forewarned that your which is: The value of

husbandry practices will be claimed by the plants to be raised, less
STEP 18: Calculations based on
STEP 12: Notify your CPA or anyone your opponents as the cause.
salvage, and less any costs you would have destruction of citrus trees or plants which

else responsible for ascertaining the STEP 16: In summary, have your field incurred in their growing and marketing, have continuing value must be projected
inventory of your plants to segregate the or nursery visited immediately by anyone but did not as a result of the injury.
into the future. You will need help from a

injured plants so they may be compared who has the scientific, financial, or legal professional.

to any unaffected plants of yours, or expertise to aid you with the problem.
unaffected plants of someone else.
The investigation of plant injury and the BIO: Michael Martin of Martin Law Office in Lakeland specializes in agriculture and environmental
legal representation. A native of Polk County, Mike attended college at Sewanee in Tennessee, before
STEP 13: If your crop is insured, notify ascertainment of the value of the plants obtaining a doctorate in law from the University of Florida and has tried numerous cases nationwide
your agent immediately. If you believe injured is no different from any other
since that time. Mike also serves as the director of the FFA Foundation and is the author of the novel,
there may be a problem with chemical,
investigation. The sooner knowledgeable
The Crestfallen Rose.

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