On Monday, a six year old Friesian dairy cow from Hokkaido province in Japan was confirmed infected with BSE in the fourth case detected in Japan since last September, health ministry officials said.

This recent case is the first since November last year. It comes at a time when Japanese public confidence in beef was well into recovery since last year's three cases and the devastating collapse of their beef consumption and prices. It is likely to set back both once again.

Australian cattle producers, already suffering drastically reduced market prices from a combination of last year's discoveries and a current East coast drought, should brace themselves for further immediate and negative market repercussions.

The fact that all four cows were born from March to April 1996 may provide Japanese authorities with a further control focus. The timing and reaction of official response to this latest discovery will effect the already shattered confidence of Japenese consumers and hence the extent of damage to the market.

Keep up with BSE developments in Japan as they happen and any time by clicking the "Japan BSE Link" on our home page and some other pages.

Quota allocation has no legs says Truss (17/4/02)

Today, Federal Primary Industry Minister Warren Truss articulated his position on U.S. quota allocation. In short, the minister said the proposal to allocate quota has no legs as far as he is concerned. Cattlefacts believes the decision is long overdue but nevertheless a good one that should have positive effects on cattle prices.

As I outlined in a previous newsletter, any quota allocation would have been anti-competitive. It would virtually kill competition by handing individual buyers a fixed "certainty of supply". The effect would be to raise export prices and depress cattle prices at the same time. In effect, widening processor margins at the expense of cattlemen returns.

It is encouraging to see the Minister himself understood the anti-competitive nature of a 'quota allocation'. The position he took today was contrary to recommendations by the RMAC (Red Meat Advisory Council) and MLA, for a complicated allocation formula. Warren Truss said his preferred position was one of "non- intervention in commercial process".

It may be understood why the RMAC with its competing interests would push for an allocation but not find a consensus position. However, I believe the MLA's backing of the proposal with a complicated formula was astounding to say the least.

I have to ask, what is a so-called "producer organisation" doing by promoting complicated 'allocation' formulas to the Minister, when it should have been simply fighting against allocation on principle. If not a fundamental market principle then the principle of protecting cattlemen's interests, rather than squandering them. Is it a case of don't know or don't care? Either way it's lamentable. But then, who will notice!

Warren Truss said that current exports to the US were running below last year's levels. If this continued, exceeding quota this year was unlikely anyway.

Ideally, the Minister should have made his preference for 'no allocation' clear at the outset, several months ago. The ensuing defacto certainty of some form of allocation just handed buyers another bullet to shoot down cattle prices, and cattlemen another reason to feel vulnerable. Hopefully, this recent announcement has put an end to uncertainty and the market can move on.

Processors should now be keener to compete for export cattle categories. The Minister's announcement can only be good for cattle prices. Its positive effects may help to mitigate the continuing price falls fostered by looming drought in many regions.

Now in your email: Cattletrades & Events (08/4/02) 

Here's a great new bonus for all Cattlefacts users. In each edition of our new format 'Registered Guests email newsletter' you will see the latest 10 listings from CattleTRADER and EventsCALENDAR. Clicking on any of the items will drag in the complete details. If you are just interested in these entries this is a real convenience. If you plan to make an entry in either of these free services, you will receive the maximum exposure because of this email distribution. Everyone wins. It's another good reason to use Cattlefacts progressive web services.

Forget your password- find it quick (08/4/02) 

Forgetting your username or password on the Cattlefacts web site is no longer a problem. Our newly installed "Password finder" will find it for you instantly and email it to you within seconds.  "Password Finder" lives on the bottom of our home page, and at the top of our newsletter emails, so it's always accessible. All you need tell it is the email address you used when you registered as a guest on our web site. If you like, try out Password Finder here just for the hell of it to see how convenient it is. Newly registered guests will still receive our handy visual password aids in the mail (ie, fridge magnet and phone sticker)

Changed email address- no problems:
If you've changed mail address since you first registered on the site plus you've forgotton your password, then "Password finder" can help put it right with no fuss. Just enter your old email address in "password Finder". When you receive your username and password by email (within seconds/minutes) log on with them. After logging on, you get a 'logon confirmation' screen and from it choose the option to 'Edit your registration details'. Probably all you will need to change in your registration details is your email address. Once that's done, you will have recovered your password and be on our email list again in the one move. And all without the hassle of retyping a whole registration again. That's pretty neat.

New Members save 72% of cost (08/4/02)

There's growing interest in the type of private cattle market intelligence that Cattlefacts provides for its "Members" mainly because its forward looking, timely and accurate. But like all private enterprise that operates without subsidy from the 'river of levy gold', our membership fees are necessary and cost can be an issue. Well, here's an issue buster. It's the best deal cattlemen can get to join Cattlefacts. It happens this time every year during our annual Membership drive, but it only lasts for three months. Membership is only available to cattlemen. It carries a 72% discount for the next 16 months intelligence. It's tax deductible and the information is totally independent.

New "Web interactive email" (08/4/02) 

Cattlefacts is trialing a new email format that promises to offer you greater convenience. The so-called "web interactive email" is basically a web page delivered within an email. It will give you more information in a smaller space, is easier to read and is total interactive. Your time is valuable so the Idea is to first show you a "Linked" index of the email's contents. Then you can click-on to items that interest you. Clicking any index item takes you to a summary paragraph of the article, from there you can read on if you choose.

Most email clients these days can handle the new format and those that can't will be only an upgrade away. More of these types of emails are appearing in my mail box because of the simple convenience they offer the reader. It's what we believe will be the preferred presentation method for email newsletters within two to three years. The main reason is its ability to transform the lifeless textual experience of emails into the instant get-results, see-results experience of the web, and to be simpler and more rewarding for you to use.

If by chance you couldn't read our new format in your email client, we'd like to know and may be able to assist you. Click here if you CAN'T READ the new email format

We'd like to get your feedback and would appreciate your taking a few seconds to click one of the survey options below.  If you like, you can use the email that pops up to include a comment on any problems you see in this format. Alternately just send the email on its way blank.

Please tell us if you like this format
Click if you LIKE this format
Click if you DON'T LIKE this format

You get more Info in "Web interactive emails" (08/4/02)

Basically most of us are as lazy as we can get away with. That's just the human condition. "Web interactive email" helps us all to be lazier than otherwise in our information resourcing and to feel good about it. It allows us to be more selective in what we spend our time reading in emails. Technologists would call it achieving efficiency, either way it works.

On of the advantages of this new email format is that web-like links within the email allow you to 'pull in' much more information than can practically be contained in a plain text email. For example, click the EventCALENDAR or CattleTRADER links in the 'Regulars' index of the email to see a list of their latest entries. Then if you Click any of the entries you will see all its details. This scheme allows you to 'pull in' a wide range of potentially interesting information at will and by choice. It delivers information to you rather than you having to go out to the web and hunt for it.

The potential convenience to you of this form of interactive information is enormous. As a further example, pressing any of our standard 'service' links in the index of the email (eg, Logon, Cattletrader, EventsCalendar etc) immediately opens that service for you. This saves you having to go out of your email and start the service if you need it immediately, or while you're thinking of it. As this format develops I think you will be pleasantly surprised at it power to service your interests quickly and well.

New "Event Calendar" for free promo (14/3/02)

If you have an event you want to promote to cattlemen, eg. annual bull sales, field days, meetings, property auction and many others, our new Events Calendar is what you are looking for. It's FREE, easy to use and should widen your publicity and attendance at no cost.

You can enter all your important information in Events Calendar and classify it by selecting from a list of popular event types and cattle breeds (if that's appropriate). Classification gives visitors the convenience to search for events by breed or event type or month and makes for a rapid, powerful and targeted search of events. When visitors view your event details they get a direct link to your email and the option to print out the details.

Event Calendar should become a popular specialist tool for all types of cattle industry events. Breed societies, organisations and agents who would like to link their site to Event Calendar for greater coverage of their events are invited to phone or email their enquiries. (New: Over 1,000 readers are sent notification of your entry by email.)

Buying or selling cattle? See CattleTRADER (14/3/02)

When you are in the cattle market, either buying or selling, have a look at "CattleTRADER". This trader gets a lot of attention and from time to time there are some good deals and variety plus some large parcels of commercial stock for sale. Take a look at Cattletrader and you could find cattle that interest you. Or, it's a great place to list stock you are trying to sell or buy. It's FREE too.

Registered guests on Cattlefacts remember to Logon before you make a listing. If you do, the program will always type in all your contact details for you. It's easier and saves time.
(New: Over 1,000 readers are sent notification of your entry by email.)

If you have forgotton your Username or Password try our new Password Finder:

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