Written by Kay Ledbetter, 806-547-0002,  skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu 

With continued drought and changing cattle markets, this year’s theme of the annual Capital Farm Credit Hemphill County Texas A&M AgriLife Beef Conference is more relevant than ever, said Andy Holloway, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for Hemphill County.

Beef cattle and market numbers have been greatly affected by drought, high input costs and inflation. The Capital Farm Credit Hemphill County Texas A&M AgrILife Beef Conference will address the numbers and what they mean for cattle producers. (Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)

The conference, themed “It’s All About the Numbers,” is set for April 25-26 in the Jones Pavilion, 1101 N. Sixth St., Canadian. Registration is $150 per person, and spouse tickets can be purchased for $125 if attending together. 

Participants can register online at www.hemphillcotxbeef.com, by calling 806-323-9114 or stopping by the AgriLife Extension office at 10965 Exhibition Center Road, Canadian. 

Holloway said there are three critical issues facing beef cattle producers – drought, extremely high input costs and inflation, and beef cattle markets – that make this an important event for producers to attend.

“The numbers we are talking about start with this lingering drought, which is continuing forced cattle slaughter and rapidly declining cow numbers,” Holloway said. “Secondly, input costs like protein, fuel, interest rates, etc., have increased dramatically in just a year’s time, forcing beef cattle producers to rethink their budgets and business plans.  

“And finally, it’s the numbers involved in the zooming beef cattle markets,” he said. “How high is too high and how much higher can producers realistically expect? What are the numbers in the market that represent opportunities?” 

Keynote, conference speakers

The Hemphill County Ag Committee will bring in Willie Robertson from the television show Duck Dynasty as the keynote speaker on April 25.

Robertson is best known as the CEO of Duck Commander on A&E’s Duck Dynasty. He is a businessman, outdoorsman, hunter, speaker and author. Duck Commander is the brand of their duck call, as well as apparel, hunting gear, wine, foods, spices and more.

Robertson has expanded the family company from a living room operation to a multi-million-dollar enterprise and into a premiere destination for all things outdoors, including Buck Commander, Fin Commander, Strut Commander and Duck Commander Family Foods.

Additionally, Holloway said the conference will offer 12 sessions on everything from cattle markets to weather conditions to the future of the cattle business, 85 agribusiness trade show vendors and three beef meals.

The topics and speakers for April 25 will be:

— What Are the Numbers Saying, Troy Applehans, cow/calf and stocker market analyst, Cattle Fax, Centennial, Colorado.
— It’s All About the Numbers, Dan Basse, president of Ag Resources Co., Chicago.
— Selection for Profit, Lee Leachman, CEO of Leachman Cattle of Colorado, Ft. Collins.
— Can a Young American Start Their Own Cattle Business in the 21st Century?, Josh Worthington, owner, Worthington Angus, Dadeville, Missouri.
— Forecast for the Rest of 2023: Will There Be El Niño and What That Could Mean?, Brian Bledsoe, chief meteorologist/climatologist for KKTV news, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
— The Beef Female of the Future, Tom Brink, CEO, Red Angus Association, Cimarron, Kansas.

Topics and speakers for April 26 will be:

— The Business of Beef: Your Finance Partner, Travis Thorne, market president, Capital Farm Credit Plains region, Bryson.
— What’s the Future for the Cow Business from the Prospective of the Nation’s Leading Cow Harvesting Company, Trevor Caviness, president, Caviness Beef, Hereford.
— Range Soil Health Using Grazing Practices and New Technology, Adam Isaacs, rancher, Hemphill County.
— The War is on to Kill Cedars and Junipers, Jason Abraham, rancher, Hemphill County.
— Producer-Owned Beef, Monte Cluck, CEO of Dean Cluck Feedyard and general partner of Dean Cluck Cattle Co., Gruver.
— Beef, It’s What’s for Dinner, Ty Lawrence, Ph.D., animal professor, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, and Dan Hale, Ph.D., professor and AgriLife Extension associate director for agriculture and natural resources, Bryan-College Station.

For more information, contact Holloway at 806-323-9114 or andy.holloway@ag.tamu.edu, or Christa Perry at christa.perry@ag.tamu.edu.