OVERTON – The new Texas Cooperative Extension beef cattle specialist here said he expects to be “good fit” for East Texas.
Dr. Jason Banta’s first day on the job was Aug. 1., and already he’s getting calls from producers and Extension agents.
Banta grew up in Central Texas south of Waco, where his family maintained a small herd of commercial beef cows, as many East Texas producers do, he said. Also, his primary interest is in cow-calf, which are the dominate type of beef operation in East Texas, he said.
“I think I can relate really well to many of the cow-calf producers here,” he said.
Banta’s job may not be an easy one. In addition to competitive forces which may mandate more efficient beef production, a host of political and regulatory issue face East Texas beef producers in the 21st century, including:
- Animal ID, a proposed system that would be used track animals via electronic ear tags in case of a disease outbreak;
- Closure of the Canadian border for imports of cattle into the U.S.; and
- Alternative feeds in light of the current East Texas drought.
“There are a lot of big questions (about many of these issues), how they are going to affect producers, that nobody has the answers to right now,” he said.
Banta earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science form Texas A&M University at College Station in 1999. His master’s degree, was also in animal science, is from West Texas A&M University at Canyon.
This summer he earned a doctorate from the Oklahoma State University at Stillwater, where his work concerned the effects of oilseed supplements on beef cattle.
While going to school, he worked as graduate teaching and research assistant, an Extension assistant in Amarillo and a veterinary technician.
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