FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For
more information contact:
Shauna Hermel, editor, Angus Productions Inc., at 816-383-5200 or shermel@angusjournal.com
BIF Symposium to be Webcast Live
Those who can’t
attend the 44th Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Research Symposium &
Annual Meeting April 18-20 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel
in Houston, Texas, can watch a live webcast hosted by Liveauctions.tv at www.BIFconference.com. To view the
webcast, viewers will need to sign in with a Liveauctions.tv username and
password. If you do not have an account, you can sign up for one at www.BIFconference.com or http://liveauctions.tv.
Sessions will
begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, with keynote speaker Larry Cundiff, retired director of the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC),
discussing the impact of Bos indicus
genetics on the beef industry.
Thursday
morning’s general session begins at 8 a.m. and will focus on different aspects
of fitting cattle to the environment. After the morning break, presenters will
address economically relevant traits for commercial cow-calf production,
addressing longevity, selection tools for temperament, reproduction, and weight
and carcass merit.
The afternoon
will feature concurrent technical sessions of the Emerging Technologies
Committee and joint session of the Cow Herd Efficiency and Selection Decisions
committees. The latter will focus on some of the current industry discussion on
feed efficiency and will be included in the webcast.
Ron Gill will
host a stress-free cattle-handling demonstration Thursday evening at the Fort
Bend County Fairgrounds, beginning at 7 p.m.
Friday’s general
session, which begins at 8 a.m., will address what the National Beef Quality
Audit means to different segments of the beef retail chain. Speakers will
represent the cow-calf, feedlot, beef processor and retail segments. After the
break, presenters will focus on epigenetics and fetal
programming.
Three committees
— Producer Applications; Live Animal Carcass and End Point; and Genetic
Predictions — will host concurrent technical sessions to conclude the
conference program. Angus Productions Inc. (API) will offer live coverage of
the Producer Application session.
The symposium
will include two awards luncheons. Thursday’s luncheon will feature the naming
of the Commercial Producer of the Year, Roy Wallace Scholarship Award winners,
and BIF Ambassador and Continuing Service Award winners. Friday’s luncheon will
feature the naming of the Seedstock Producer of the Year, the Frank Baker Essay
Contest winners, and BIF Pioneer Award winners.
API will provide
comprehensive coverage of the symposium at www.BIFconference.com. Following
the event, visit the newsroom for summaries, PowerPoint presentations,
proceedings papers, audio and videos. Visit the awards page for announcements
of winners, and the photos page for photo galleries from the meeting and
post-symposium tours.
This year’s
meeting is hosted by Texas A&M University (TAMU) AgriLife Extension Animal Science and the American Brahman
Breeders Association (ABBA). Walk-in registrants are welcome. For more information
on the BIF symposium, contact Joe Paschal at j-paschal@tamu.edu
or 361-265-9203, or Chris Shivers at cshivers@brahman.org
or 713-349-0854. For questions regarding the website, contact Shauna Hermel, API editor, at shermel@angusjournal.com or
816-752-0089.
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API is
a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Angus Association.