F&R LivestockResource
Fall 2017 | Volume 1, Issue 1
Your direct source for livestock news and information Published by Farmers & Ranchers Livestock, Salina, Kansas
In this Issue: 1 Where You Fit
Assimilating industry signals into actual beef production presents the age-old dilemma. Reports like National Beef Quality Audits have helped bridge the gap between consumers, packers and producers.
7 Value Differentiation is Here to Stay
Saying “they’re worth more” isn’t good enough anymore. Transparency and value-added programs that require documentation have strengthened the “worth more” argument.
10 Market Makers Beef Connecting Producers
Internet cattle listing sites aren’t new. MarketMakersBeef.com is a new concept in marketing cattle with added value. Within the new website, sellers have many selection tools to document the inputs on a particular group of cattle.
13 Cattle Prices Remain Stronger Longer
Odds favor cattle prices continuing at higher year-over-year levels through the remainder of the year, despite increasing cattle numbers.
17 Trading Up
In any market, one of the most straightforward means of increasing herd productivity and revenue might be one so easily taken for granted—selecting early breeding heifers.
19 Consumers are Driving Packer Changes
Tyson Foods, one of the nation’s largest meat purveyors, expands its product line to offer consumers new choices in a diverse marketplace.
22 American Royal, K-State Olathe Concludes High ‘Steaks’ Contest “Steak is very much a part of the culture in the Midwest and Kansas City,” Marianne Swaney-Steuve said. The American Royal Steak Contest is an annual, nationwide competition that identifies the tastiest steak in the country.
Where You Fit by Wes Ishmael
“Just tell us what you want. What’s the target?” That request was made decades ago to a noted executive from one of the major beef packers. The requestor, visibly frustrated, was one of a group of seedstock producers. If memory serves, the central theme of the meeting was the dog-eared debate about whether carcass quality or yield pays more over the long haul. “The target is the same as it has been for at least the past 30 years,” was the reply from the packer man, who was also visibly frustrated. “We want Choice, Yield Grade 2 cattle.” Period.
Certainly, lots of things are different these days, everything from instrument grading, to the creation of new beef cuts and convenience products, to more precise valuation of cattle for specific value attributes, at least as part of branded and value-added programs. In the great scheme of things, achieving the aforementioned target would please more packers than not—a level of quality that should reduce unsatisfactory eating experiences and enough carcass yield to make worthwhile providing the experience, notwithstanding the fact that the current yield grading system is plumb outdated. Continued on page 4 ________________________________________
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