THE AAA IS RUMINATING ON THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDING A METHANE- RELATED EXPECTED PROGENY DIFFERENCE (EPD) TO THEIR GROWING LIST OF EPDS.
Use all the tools available. Comprehensive Cattle Risk Management Brokerage | LRP and PRF Insurance Consulting and Technology | Education
climate driver. Also, cattle methane emissions are declining with smaller herd sizes, and the quest to vilify our livestock is overblown. From a political standpoint, opposing AAA members complain that the association’s board of directors’ decision to accept the Bezos grant was made without broad member consultation. Some members feel the board is prioritizing money over their interest. Social media has erupted with On Sept. 30, the Trump administration directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to drop climate change language, citing its original inclusion as a scare tactic for the general public. Such terms as “global warming” and “methane mitigation” and vilification of livestock are to be ousted. One outspoken critic to methane EPD development and the Bezos grant is South Dakota veterinarian Jim Stan- gle. His practical take on these matters is refreshing and grounds us. In a Bison, S.D. Courier article he wrote that EPDs are useful and important, but he believes we already have plenty of traits in our EPD toolbox. He listed some that he considers not very important, such as shedding (“What are they [cattle] … poodles?” he asked) and hoof angle. Even the more useful traits like birth weight and weaning weight, for example, are not as impactful as moth- ering ability, for which there is no EPD. He emphasized that the first and most important thing a cow must do is to reproduce at regular intervals and raise a calf. Longevity is tied to this trait, as well. Stangle addressed the Angus Association/Bezos issue. He pointed out that,“Cows don’t produce methane, rumen bac- teria do! They are in the guts of cows, sheep, goats, deer, an- telope, dogs, cats, humans, grasshoppers, termites. They are in the newborn calf before they are born, or as soon as they pass through the birth canal. Destroying bacteria would be literally impossible, they are in every organ. Reproduction is 80 to 90 percent of the value of animals. plenty of negative feedback. A Practical Perspective “There is no amount of good from reduced reproduction than can be made up by methane reduction,” he wrote. “Paradoxically, any reduction in reproduction would mean more replacement heifers and more bulls and thus more methane.” There’s the conundrum. What’s your opinion?
cihedging.com | 312.596.7755
Commodity & Ingredient Hedging, LLC | CIH Trading, LLC | CIH Insurance Services, LLC There is a risk of loss in futures and options trading. CIH is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
27
CALF News
www.calfnews.net
December 2025 | January 2026
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs