It’s The Ranch It Up Radio Show! Join Jeff Tigger Erhardt, Rebecca Wanner AKA BEC and their crew as they find out the pro’s and con’s of implanting your calves with products from Merck Animal Health. Plus updates on cattle trade with China and Mexico, market outlooks, cattle and hay for sale and lots more that you will only hear on this all new episode of The Ranch It Up Radio Show. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcasting app or on the Ranch It Up Radio Show YouTube Channel.

Why To Implant Calves, New World Screwworm & Cattle Trade Updates

Season 5, EPISODE 237

For Cow Calf Producers, Implants Have A Clear Advantage

There’s a perception that non-implanted calves garner a higher premium on sale day than their implanted counterparts. However, data consistently shows no difference in sale price between implanted and non-implanted calves.

Why Use Ralgro From Merck Animal Health

RALGRO® (zeranol implants) increases weaning weight by 23 pounds on average compared to non-implanted calves, according to Merck Animal Health. With results like that, it’s easy to see how cattle implants at the cow-calf level can result in a favorable payday.

U.S.–China Trade War Eases with Major Tariff Reductions on Meat Exports

In a significant development for U.S. agriculture, the ongoing U.S.–China trade war eased this week following a new 90-day tariff reduction agreement. The deal brings temporary relief to U.S. meat exporters who have faced steep trade barriers in the Chinese market.

Under the agreement, U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods will drop from 145% to 30%, while China’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products, including meat, will fall from 125% to 10%. The reductions officially took effect on Wednesday, May 14th, signaling progress as both nations continue trade negotiations.

China, the world’s largest beef importer, remains a critical market for U.S. meat. In 2024 alone, U.S. exports to China included nearly $1.6 billion in beef, $1.1 billion in pork, and $490 million in poultry meat and products.

This temporary tariff relief offers a much-needed boost to American meat producers and exporters while long-term trade talks continue.

REFERENCE: https://www.meatingplace.com/Industry/News/Details/119098

USDA Closes U.S. Border to Livestock Imports Amid Northward Spread of New World Screwworm (NWS)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has once again closed the southern border to live cattle, horses, and bison imports due to the ongoing detection and rapid spread of New World Screwworm or NWS, in southern Mexico. This latest decision follows continued reports of the parasite advancing further north than previously observed—up to 700 miles from the U.S. border.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the immediate suspension of livestock imports through U.S. ports of entry along the southern border. This action comes after the border had temporarily reopened in early February following enhanced inspections and biosecurity protocols. The border was initially closed in November of the previous year due to similar concerns.

The New World Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) poses a significant threat to livestock health and U.S. agriculture. Though eradicated from the United States in 1966, NWS has reemerged in remote areas of southern Mexico, including on farms with limited cattle movement. The pest’s resurgence is being treated with high urgency by both U.S. and Mexican officials.

To combat the spread, USDA-APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) is working closely with Mexican authorities to increase the release of sterile screwworm flies, the primary method for controlling the pest. This sterile fly technique had successfully helped maintain a barrier zone in southern Mexico and later extended into Panama, serving as a buffer for decades.

However, over the past two years, the screwworm has advanced through Central America and back into Mexico, creating an escalating threat to U.S. livestock industries. USDA-APHIS and Mexican counterparts will continue aggressive surveillance, monitoring, and mitigation efforts to stop the spread.

The border will remain closed until USDA determines that the risk has been sufficiently mitigated and disease metrics improve.

The decision to suspend cattle imports from Mexico has led to a downward revision in projected U.S. beef production for 2025 and 2026, according to the agency’s latest WAZ-de Report, World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates. The report cites tighter cattle supplies and reduced slaughter volumes tied to the import halt as key drivers behind the lower forecasts.

Beef exports are also forecast lower as limited domestic supplies are expected to reduce U.S. competitiveness abroad.

REFERENCES: https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/05/11/secretary-rollins-suspends-live-animal-imports-through-ports-entry-along-southern-border-effective?fbclid=IwY2xjawKPVd9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFnSTZKb0drdmZrMHljT1FxAR7e2x8HtRiDZs98QWN1PDmQTaR0AO-kmNeXdaKtu2ePiEc23ZL9xL00qQdsKw_aem_7hZgLJMQrGBj9H5hPuhMdg

https://www.meatingplace.com/Industry/News/Details/119106

https://www.meatingplace.com/Industry/News/Details/119109

Featured Experts in the Cattle Industry

Brandon Nuttelman, PhD– Merck Animal Health

https://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/species/cattle/products/cattle-implants

Follow on Facebook: @MerckAnimalHealth

Mark Vanzee – Livestock, Equine, & Auction Time Expert
https://www.auctiontime.com/
https://www.livestockmarket.com/
https://www.equinemarket.com/
Follow on Facebook: @LivestockMkt | @EquineMkt | @AuctionTime

Kirk Donsbach – Financial Analyst at StoneX
https://www.stonex.com/
Follow on Facebook: @StoneXGroupInc

Shaye Wanner – Host of Casual Cattle Conversation
https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/
Follow on Facebook: @cattleconvos

Contact Us with Questions or Concerns

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Discover the Heart of Rural America with Tigger & BEC

Ranching, farming, and the Western lifestyle are at the heart of everything we do. Tigger & BEC bring you exclusive insights from the world of working ranches, cattle farming, and sustainable beef production.

Learn more about Jeff ‘Tigger’ Erhardt & Rebecca Wanner (BEC) and their mission to promote the Western way of life at Tigger and BEC.

https://tiggerandbec.com/