1993 Montana Agricultural Statistics General 7 



Experiment Station with Montana State University range and beef cattle specialists as 

 well as a visit to the MSU Cattle Nutrition Center and Feedlot. Other stops in the 

 Gallatin Valley included a guided tour of the American Simmental Association 

 headquarters and a demonstration at the Montana Embryo Transplant Center. The 

 trade delegation's introduction to Montana's livestock industry culminated in a ranch 

 tour of commercial and seedstock operations in the Columbus area and meetings in 

 which they learned about performance testing and Montana's seedstock export business. 



Efforts aimed at the domestic market began this year with a cooperative project 

 between the Montana Department of Agriculture and the Montana Stockgrowers 

 Association at the National Western Stock Show in Denver. A booth was manned by 

 Marketing Program staff as well as members of the MSGA Seedstock Committee. The 

 promotion featured the Montana 1992-93 Cattle Directory , published by the Montana 

 Stockgrowers Association. A yearly publication, the directory consists of a membership 

 listing of both seedstock and commercial producers. The 1993-94 edition lists 310 

 commercial producers, including the number of calves and delivery dates available for 

 each. 349 seedstock producers are listed representing 21 breeds. In addition, 196 

 producers are listed that have commercial replacement females for sale. Results of the 

 promotion were positive, with requests for information regarding specific breeds and 

 categories of cattle compiled by the Montana Department of Agriculture and distributed 

 to the Montana Stockgrowers Association. 



Agriculture is Montana's #1 industry contributing nearly 2 billion dollars per 

 year to the state's economy. Cash receipts from marketing of livestock provides 51.6% 

 of that figure, v^dth cattle and calves yielding the largest share of earnings. 

 Building a livestock market promotion project that will continue and grow vnxh that 

 sector of agriculture is a significant part of the Marketing Program's blueprint for the 

 future. 



Plans are in place which include further domestic promotion at livestock shows 

 and events in the U.S. Additional cooperative projects with the Montana Stockgrowers 

 Association such as production of a promotional video featuring Montana seedstock and 

 commercial cattle are being developed as well. 



Montana's agricultural industry is becoming increasingly tied to the global 

 market place. Assisting producers in promoting Montana's premier cattle to fast- 

 growing foreign markets such as Mexico and the People's Republic of China is also part 

 of the Montana Department of Agriculture's marketing plan. 



Leo Giacometto, Director of the Montana Department of Agriculture states that, 

 "Surviving and prospering today is more complicated than ever, and Montana is 

 fortunate when it comes to agriculture and the top quality producers that care for and 

 manage the land in our state to it's fullest potential. The Montana Department of 

 Agriculture is dedicated to assisting our livestock producers in their continuing pursuit 

 of market promotion and development." 



