LIVESTOCK

Livestock is a term used to describe various domestic animals raised in agriculture. These animals are raised and maintained to produce products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. Traditionally, poultry and fish were not included in the category due to the fact that fish products were by the FDA, and not by the USDA. But that has changed...

The definition of "livestock" in ยง 395.2, revised to incorporate the statutory changes, now reads as follows:

Livestock means cattle, elk, reindeer, bison, horses, deer, sheep, goats, swine, poultry (including egg-producing poultry), llamas, alpacas, live fish, crawfish, and other animals that are part of a foundation herd (including dairy producing cattle) or offspring; or are purchased as part of a normal operation and not to obtain additional benefits under the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988, as amended.

The Role of Livestock in Agricultural Commodities

Agricultural commodities include plant and animal products and their by-products, such as crops, forestry products, hydroponics, nursery stock, aquaculture, meat, on-farm generated manure, and fish and seafood products. In the farming industry, the term "livestock" is used to define an "agricultural commodity," and defined as any agricultural commodity, non-processed food, feed, fiber, or livestock. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has revised the definition of livestock to include llamas, alpacas, live fish, and crawfish. This means that transporters of these creatures are included within the hours of service exemption for drivers transporting agricultural commodities. This change is in response to the 2018 amendment to the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988 and is currently effective.

Livestock includes:

Livestock Agent

A livestock agent, or livestock commission agent, take on the tasks of buying farm animals for their clients. Generally, agents use their knowledge to advise farmers which livestock to purchase based on their needs and the current state of the market. They find animals that meet the needs of dairy farms, meat and food processing plants, and other general land owners. Their responsibilities sometimes include arranging an auction for a client or a group of farmers in a specific area, and for this reason, a livestock agent needs strong communication, arrangement, negotiation and sales skills. https://marketing.uwagec.org/MngTCMkt/SelMyCow.pdf

Selling Livestock

An agent may also advise a farmer to sell part of their livestock based on their specific needs or trends. For example, why would an owner considering selling his cows? A livestock agent will analyze his unit production cost and cost structure to determine the total unit cost of production. If the unit production is larger than the current and short-run expected price of calves, then an agent will conclude that a farmer is operating at a loss, and will suggest that the farmer should consider downsize by selling. https://www.zippia.com/livestock-commission-agent-jobs/

An agent will ensure that any form of representation made in connection with the sale of your livestock is accurate. In order to legally promote the supply or transfer of ownership, accurate and honest representation must include such things as the proper identity of ...

While some agents specialize in a specific type of livestock, it largely depends on the type of industry in a specific area. According to Zippa, agents that submitted their resumes with hard skills that included hvac (27.4%), while 25.6% included electrical equipment, and 24.5% included leed. These types of hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.

Agents are essentially middle-men between the buyer and the seller. They act as a go-between for the buyer and seller. A livestock agent needs to have an understanding of agriculture, animals and the agricultural markets. Building relationships through strong communication, negotiation, and selling skills are essential, especially if you arrange the auction.

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