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Thirty-five cattle producers and industry professionals graduated on May 9, 2016 from a Louisiana Master Cattleman course hosted by the LSU AgCenter in Delhi, Louisiana.
The Louisiana Master Cattleman Program is a commodity-specific program designed to help beef producers become more profitable and environmentally sustainable, said Jason Holmes, LSU AgCenter agent in Union Parish and regional livestock specialist. The program, which covers all aspects of beef production, began in 2004.
"Our hope for these graduating individuals is they increase farm profitability while becoming proficient in beef cattle best management practices," said Holmes, who organized the class.
Participants must complete 30 hours of classroom instruction on topics including animal health, beef quality assurance, pasture agronomy, weed management, ruminant nutrition, cattle handling, economics and marketing, reproduction, breeding and selection, and end product. Upon graduation, participants are named Master Cattle Producers. Master Cattleman classes are hosted around the state by local LSU AgCenter extension agents.
"Our graduates exemplify the commitment our livestock producers have toward producing an economical, safe and acceptable red meat product for consumers," Holmes said.
The Louisiana beef industry in 2014 was valued at $894.8 million, with 433,050 cows and 7,379 producers, according to the LSU AgCenter's Ag Summary.
The new graduates include Kenney Bufkin, Stacy Burns, Milly McIntyre, and Roy McIntyre, all from Delhi, and Francis "Vic" Jordan, Eileen Jordan, and Rex Morgan from Rayville.
The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture
