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Month: December 2011

Connealy ranch

A blog-iversary

Hits of 2011

Exactly 365 days ago, I sat down at my desk and scribbled out my rough thoughts on how our Supply Development team could make our dream of hosting our own blog a reality. What would we talk about? Who would write it? But most importantly… who would READ it?!

It was nerve-wracking to push “publish” on our first post, hoping at least one poor soul would stumble upon our new site and read. Now one year, 158 posts and nearly 15,000 views later, it’s a pleasure to wish the Black Ink blog a happy blog-iversary. Thank you to all you wonderful readers out there — we’ve loved hearing your comments, sharing your ideas and learning about the blogging world!

To celebrate, I dug through our readership statistics and re-enjoyed what your clicks told us were the top 11 Black Ink Blog posts of 2011, our first year of blogging. Here they are:

11. The grill’s best friend: Jen Gillespie explains how the three c’s of beef buying – cut, color and consistency — can make your steaks a grill’s best friend.

10. Crushing Meat Myths: The American Meat Institutes’ Janet Riley joined us on a Kansas field day to help arm cattlemen with the tools they need to promote the beef business.

9. Focus on Cattlemen: The www.cabcattle.com website turns its attention to you, providing the management, genetic, nutrition, health and marketing information cattlemen need to align themselves with the world’s largest branded beef company.

8. Myths of a consumer variety, courtesy of one bad article: Miranda’s Parenting magazine hit a nerve, and she sets the record strait on a Mythbuster Monday.

7. Tour of California cattle country: Travel up and down the scenic California coastline with Anthony and Laura, as they visit the 2011 CAB Seedstock Commitment to Excellence award winners.

6. Are you a beef expert? We all fashion ourselves an expert of some sort, but are you a beef expert? Readers took our beefy quiz to find out.

5. Ghost yards: Gary had a bit of an erie experience in Oklahoma driving past this “ghost yard…” He discusses what is takes to make it in the feeding business.

4. Memorial Day: scenes of our beautiful America: Perhaps its their access to all those spacious skies and amber waves of grain, but we thinks agriculturalists are pretty patriotic. We celebrates Memorial Day with an ode to our beautiful country.

3. Wordless Wednesday: scenic feedyards? You heard us… scenic feedyards. There’s nothing prettier than a line of black beauties at the bunk of a CAB-licensed feedyard (in our humble opinion).

2. Let’s work together!  Gary reminds us to let the consumer vote with his or her wallet or pocketbook and tell us where their beef demand is instead of throwing stones at our fellow cattlemen.

1. The American farmer meets African agriculture: Around the globe, understand having a one-track mind when it comes time to harvest corn. Back home in America after a trip to east Africa, Laura shares her gratitude to the modern marvels we enjoy in today’s agriculture industry.

Thanks for reading along this year – we’re looking forward to another great 365 days of black ink!

-Laura

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How’d they grade? (Part Deux)

December 27, 2011

Sorry, couldn’ t help myself on the “part deux” thing.

Last time, as a part of the quality grade formula, I wrote about MARBLING.  The other component that goes into beef quality grading is: MATURITY!  This is a topic upon which I am gathering up more and more experience, although some would say that to call me mature would be a stretch (ask my co-workers…….and sometimes, my wife!)

As animals age, tenderness in their muscle decreases.  So, age becomes very important, because with all the marbling in the world, if the animal is 1700 years old, he/she is likely going to be just a skoch chewier than one that is less than 20 months of age.  Again, using the Beef Carcass Grading Overview as our guide, one can look at how USDA classifies maturity of beef carcasses:

A – 9 to 30 months of age

B – 30 to 42 months

C – 42 to 72 months

D – 72 to 96 months

E – > 96 months

Most cattle do not arrive at the packing plant with a birth certificate, so how does the grader know how old the animals are?  The answers are:  skeletal indicators; color of the lean; texture of the lean; and firmness of the lean.  The best indicator is probably the skeletal indicators, and generally the most reliable, so I wil discuss that (another subject upon which I have lots of personal experience).

As an animal matures, the cartilage in in the carcass gradually turns to bone (in my case, my brain was cartilage, then turned to bone, thus the term “bonehead” was born, but  I’m off subject now).  This process begins near the rump of the carcass and progresses down the vertebral column towards the shoulder.  This “ossification” process is key to correctly estimating carcass maturity.  The cartiligenous “buttons” that are at the tip of the chine bone (near the top edge of the carcass) after it is split into two halves, turn from a bright, “pearly-white” color to hardened bone.

Now, a carcass with “A” or “B” maturity, can, in general, qualify for Prime or Choice, the top two quality grades.  However, once we get into the low choice (Small 0 score for marbling to Small 99) if that carcass is a “B” maturity, it will go as Standard, or no-roll, as we discussed last time.  Animals in the “C”, “D”, and “E”  maturity scores, despite the marbling, will only grade “Commercial”, “Utility”, “Cutter”, or “Canner” grades.  Since most slaughter steers and heifers are marketed at less than 30 months of age, and in most cases, 16 to 22 months of age, this is not an issue.  Those lower quality grades are usually discussed in the same breath with cull cows and bulls.  You will NOT find those lower quality grades in most grocery stores or at your retail counter.  You will likely find lots of Standard carcasses in institutional environments.  Some discount steak houses will utilize them as well.  Keep in mind that many branded beef programs, such as Certified Angus Beef, will only accept “A” maturity carcasses to ensure high consumer acceptance for appearance,  tenderness, and flavor.

One must keep in mind that skeletal maturity is not an exact science.  Implants may affect how quickly a carcass shows maturity; it can speed up the aging process in some instances.  Gender makes a difference, and sometimes a heifer will actually be younger than what her skeleton says she is.  Heiferettes are a prime example: you may get one that is called a “B” bone but she may only be 24 months (this happened to me once……well, my heifer, actually, not me) and had I had age and source verification, I could have gone back to the plant and proved my point with the paperwork, but that probably would have been avoided had I had that documentation.

So, remember: M&M……marbling and maturity are the two parts of the Quality Grade education.  Next time: Yield Grades!  I’ll bet you can’t wait! I know I can’t.

Until then, Adios!

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How’d they grade?

 December 20, 2011

A million years ago, or, maybe more like 38 years ago, I sold my first steer to MBPXL in Wichita, KS through our county fair livestock sale.  I’m not remembering what it brought, but fifty-eight cents a pound, live, sticks in my mind.

Then, as now, most cattle are traded on a live or cash in-the-beef price (priced on the hot carcass weight). Others are sold on a grid where premiums exist for USDA Choice, Prime, CAB and other branded beef programs, and discounts for those that are overly fat (excess outside fat) or “underly” marbled; carcass weights over the 1,000 lb limit; carcasses that are under 550 lbs, or carcasses deemed to be too old to qualify for the higher quality grades.

When people used to say, “how’d they grade?” I had no idea, really, what quality grades, or yield grades were! At least not until I got into college, and took some meats courses. I found out I was not alone; in fact, it has downright surprised me how many professionals in the industry (who are not directly involved in the end product business of the industry) DON’T understand how animals are graded. I suspect there are others out there that don’t know either.

In today’s world, where a larger share of the cattle are marketed on a grid and paid premiums for what the market wants, “How’d they grade?” means what percentage of USDA Choice were in the harvest mix…….was it below or above the industry average.  And a Yield Grade 4 or 5, what’s that mean in the term “grade”?  It’s time to learn, know, research and absorb.

First of all, not all plants have USDA employees who do quality and yield grading. All plants must be inspected by the USDA to ensure certain food safety regulations and harvest practices.  So a packing plant will have USDA inspectors who make sure all the rules are being followed to ensure a safe beef product and supply, but not all plants are “graded” plants; i.e. those who assign quality and yield grades to beef carcasses.

Grading is VOLUNTARY, and plants can choose whether or not to pay for that service. In order to process beef animals, plants must be inspected, but do not have to be graded. Many small plants are not graded plants.

In our publication, “Beef Carcass Grading Overview” (which you can get a free copy of by calling the Ohio office at 330.345.2333) the entire process is explained quite clearly. 

In a nutshell, however, here’s the “skinny:”

Beef carcasses at “graded” plants are assigned a USDA Quality Grade and a USDA Yield Grade. Quality grades for market steers and heifers are, in descending order of quality:

  • Prime
    Evaluating the ribbed carcass “face.”
  • Choice
  • Select
  • Standard.

These grades are determined by the USDA grader, and possibly by a camera which captures a digital image. Quality grade is a visual, or in the case of a camera, a digitized image of the amount of marbling, or intramuscular fat in the ribeye.

Approximately 24 hours after harvest/slaughter, the carcass is “ribbed” between the 12th and 13th rib and that open “face” of the ribe eye muscle (longissimus dorsi) is exposed to the USDA grader.  The more marbling, or “flecks” of white fat in the muscle helps determine the quality grade.

The amount of marbling in the meat determines quality, because it adds more taste and juiciness to the product. A highly marbled ribeye wil be stamped “Prime” or may have three little “USDA” stamps on it.  A carcass that has a little less marbling will be stamped “Choice” or may have two small “USDA” stamps put on it; a “Select” carcass has very little marbling and will get stamped as such, or with one small USDA stamp.

USDA Prime, Choice and Select grading standards
USDA Prime, Choice and Select grading standards

A USDA “Standard” carcass has practically no marbling in it. Considered the lowest quality, it is often refered to as a “no-roll,” (graders used to use a rolling stamp on carcasses that showed what quality grade the carcasses were…..those with no “roll” of grade on it were “Standards” or, again, “no-rolls”.

There’s a lot more to understanding the question “How’d they grade,” but this is a good start. We’ll get into more later this week. Until then, Adios!

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by | Dec 10, 2020

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Beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

December 19, 2011

Here’s your Meat Market Minute for this week:

Only a small amount of cash trade occurred this week as packers and feeders were unable to agree upon prices.  Packers are buying for two Holiday-shortened weeks that are projected to run only 32 hours of production (each week), so that limits their incentive to bid prices up. Some trade was recorded in Kansas as market-ready cattle traded $2 lower last week at $118; Nebraska saw light trade at $119.

Cutouts remained relatively strong despite the seasonal downturn beginning to emerge on ribs. CAB lip-on ribeyes had been carrying the cutout values over the past few weeks, but last week they gave up almost $0.60/lb. As a primal cut, the rib lost 5.2% of its value. With Holiday purchases in place and deliveries beginning to come in, buyers’ attention has quickly turned to end meats. CAB chucks and rounds have found support at current price levels for retailer ad-buying and those are replacing ribs as the foundation of the CAB cutout value.

Quality grades finished November hovering below 60% Choice (59.2%), which helped limit CAB acceptance rates to a three-year weekly low (17.1%). Although fed harvest maintained a level below a year ago, the drop in certified head (11,590 head) can be mostly attributed the 3.4% drop in certification rate versus the previous week (11/21/11).

‘Til we meat again,

 

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Social Society

December 15,2011

Social media has become an increasingly popular platform for information sharing. People are tweeting, posting, uploading, checking in, and sharing information 24 hours a day. In fact, by reading this post you are among the two-thirds of online adults using social media in 2011.

Social media presence is also growing within the agricultural community. A couple years ago, I became involved in what many today term “agvocacy” – telling the story of agriculture through personal experience. Through my experiences, I have been amazed at the vast and expanding networks of agriculturalists involved in social networking.

As a graduate student in agricultural communications, I thought it would be interesting to study exactly how social media is used and perceived by beef producers in the U.S. With the support of Certified Angus Beef and Drovers/CattleNetwork, this research became a reality. Using a random sample of 500 U.S. beef producers, we studied producers’ preferred sources of information, current use and perceptions of social media, and how personal and professional characteristics affect those preferences.

Here is an overview of the results …

  • Beef producers by and large prefer livestock publications as their primary source information, but the Internet is growing in popularity.
  • Although just more than half of producers surveyed indicated using social media, it was still the least preferred and least trusted source of information.
  • Those who do use social media feel more connected to other beef producers and industry organizations, such as Certified Angus Beef, through social networking.
  • Although both users and non-users indicated they generally feel information shared via social media is credible, they rated social media as less credible than other sources.
  • Women tend to use social media more than men, but men more commonly use the tools for reasons related to the agriculture or beef industry.
  • Social media use is more prevalent among larger beef producers and those with a higher level of education.
  • Very few producers indicated that they feel social media is unimportant.

Considering the aging population of agricultural producers across the U.S., these results do not come as a surprise. Over years and years of research, publications have remained the staple source of information for producers. However, this study did indicate a growing prevalence of Internet use among U.S beef producers.

Although we know that many producers who are using social media do so for purposes related to the beef or agricultural industry, it is unknown what specific information is being accessed. Is it also unknown how producers decide which social media tools to use. Looking further into these issues would help agricultural communicators and beef industry organizations better meet producer needs in distributing information.

Producers who are not active in social networking say that time is the biggest preventative factor. A large learning curve is often inherent to communication technologies, which can prevent some individuals from becoming involved. However, if producers are willing to learn how to use these technologies, they can prove to be invaluable tools.

The relevance of farmer and rancher involvement in social media is two-fold. First, it can serve as a quick and convenient tool for accessing information on the go. Whether a producer is checking cows, cutting hay, or fertilizing, they can have industry information at their fingertips.

Social media is also an avenue of interaction between the farming and non-farming communities. Temple Grandin, animal behavior specialist and a 2010 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Lifetime Achievement Award winner, says that social media gives agriculturalists the opportunity to be the story tellers rather than the topic of discussion among the 98% of the population not involved in production agriculture. Essentially, lack of involvement equates to lost opportunity.

I believe the benefits of social media as they relate to the agricultural industry have not yet been fully realized. The opportunities are endless. What do you think? As a beef producer, in what ways do you use social media to either gain or share industry information. We’d love to hear your feedback on how the Black Ink team can better serve you through social networking on the blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Holiday beef shopping done?

December 12,2011

Here’s this week’s Meat Market Minute:

The live cattle market showed its first indication of seasonal weakness coming off of holiday highs. According to CattleFax, fed cattle traded at $120 in the South and at $121 in the North, approximately $4/cwt less than the previous week. This comes as packers continue to curb production (16,000 head less than previous week) in response to their position in the market, and that could work to their advantage in live cattle prices. Moving forward, packers will continue to lessen harvest due to holiday shortened production weeks and lower demand. By the way, the 2010 federally inspected harvest for the last three weeks of December were (in thousands): 659.8, 544.9 and 566.6.

Cutout values were down across all grades and quality levels last week: CAB -$3.30, CH -$3.80, SE -$2.70. Much of the downturn was attributed to weakness in demand for holiday ribs, simply because virtually all of those purchases have already been made. With no other news in the market, buyers’ interest has been lackluster; they see the downward trend and don’t want to commit to buy at current prices.

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by | Apr 21, 2021

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by | Dec 10, 2020

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by | Jun 17, 2020

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Hollering for help

December 12, 2011

Most companies have an “IT” guy or and “IS” guy…you know, the guy who knows how to do all the technology “stuff”.  That guy for us here at CAB is named Rod.  I won’t go into last names, as it won’t mean much to you anyway.  But, he is a very nice guy.  And he’s extremely patient with idiots like me.

You see, I can turn on my computer, access my email, surf the internet, retrieve data, find my way around a worksheet, make plane reservations, and complete various other tasks that I need to exist in my job.  I can work in our company database, do searches, create Powerpoint presentations and save them on a flash drive,and all other kinds of things.  I can cut and paste! I can even operate my Droid, to get internet access, to text message, and find my way out of downtown Dallas or Ft. Worth with it (assuming of course, that the satellite Gods are with me at that moment!)

But, I cannot design a website, find my way out of huge problem (Control + Alt + Delete is my solution), or ever find the link or button that I need to get where I need to go.  So, I use Rod when I need to get my way out of a big fix.  So I call Rod and say, “OK Rod, this is the biggest idiot in the Kansas office, and I need your help!”

And God help Laura, poor girl from Wyobraska, who encourages me to use Twitter.  I have an account, but haven’t done much of anything with it.  I have noticed, however, that I do have followers, but it seems that a few of them are from people seeking relationships…….one of them said something about being the biggest lover of nerds…….so I’m guessing I need to change my profile picture! HA!

I have always tried to be self-reliant.  And, being a man (with the XY chromosone), I am not partial to asking for help with most things; but have learned over time that I must.  Have you ever known a guy who, rather than ask for help to get his thumb out of a vise, would grab the hacksaw and just cut it off rather than holler for help?  That’s me.

Sorry guys, but I think that is why our industry probably does not move forward more quickly than it does.  I think we get stifled by our own egos.  Why, in case, is A.I. used so extensively in the dairy, swine, and poultry industry, but not in beef cattle operations?  Why are we still so segmented into the cow-calf, stocker, backgrounder, finisher, and packing sectors?  We even have some integration within producers and programs, but don’t always share all of the information gathered to futher each party.  Why don’t we play well together sometimes?  You can argue independency and self-reliance all day long, and while I agree it is important, we can still do a better job of communicating our needs to others in the production chain about what we need.

I find it interesting that we have so many different types of production chains.  It is almost humorous to read some of the different “takes” on how beef cattle should be genetically engineered, raised, managed, fed, and slaughtered in different blogs.  You’d think we’d be a little more coordinated than that as an industry.  But, we’re not.  We’re traditionalists, and we hate to change too much; it takes us out of our comfort zones.

It’s time to share more.

We’ve been talking about it for a long, long, time, but we still aren’t real good at it yet. Sharing interests, data, information, research, pricing.  It will move us forward.  In the end, it will benefit all of us involved, and will make it better for the end user.

By the way, I wanted to insert a picture into this blog, but I couldn’t, because the site changed and now I cannot find where you do that anymore……but I USED to know how to do it.  Darn it, guess I’ll have to holler for help!

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by | Apr 21, 2021

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Not perfect, but working to get better

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by | Dec 10, 2020

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Beefed up findings

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by | Jun 17, 2020

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More choices, less Choice beef

Trying to please every beef customer takes more of the best

 

by Laura Nelson

A wider price gap between Select grade boxed beef and Choice or better—the Choice/Select spread—always comes back to supply and demand. Consumers vote with their dollars, and recent shifts in merchandising put much more high-quality beef on the ballot, just as those supplies began to fall off.

Asked to comment on implications, JBS USA officers noted supplies of Choice beef had been on the rise, at prices not much above Select. That helped entice marketers to offer better beef to millions more shoppers by this fall, and now the wider price spread signals producers to boost supply.

“The retail channel in particular is making more impact than it has in the past on the spread,” says Tyler Brown, JBS premium program manager. Historically, that’s driven by foodservice, he adds, but retailers today want to offer more quality and consistency. “They’re looking at higher grading programs to do that.”

As looking gave way to buying more of the restaurant-quality beef, cattlemen took greater care to optimize marbling. In November and December, high-quality middle meats are often scarce due to holiday buys, but Al Byers, JBS senior vice president of sales, says this fall could see one of the tightest supply situations ever, especially for premium Choice programs.

“The signal being sent to us by the market and the spread is that we need more,” Byers says. “Part of that signal reflects the changing nature of the consumer.”

Indeed, as the flagging economy met higher overall beef prices, consumers sent their own signal to the retail and foodservice sectors. They wanted more value for their dollars. Brown says JBS customers are responding.

“If they’re going to sell beef, they’ve got to deliver a consistent product to their customers,” he says. “That’s more important now than ever due to pricing.” 

Opportunities for retailers to meet the demand continue to grow, apace with opportunities for cattlemen to respond in kind.

“When you deliver something they’re looking for with exceptional value, which is defined in the price paid for quality, you’ll usually get rewarded for it,” Brown says.

The Choice/Select spread is a measure of that, and the basis of grid marketing. After jumping to near-term highs above $20 per hundredweight this fall, the packers say that spread could stabilize somewhere between there and $12.

“Dollars drive everything in this industry,” Brown says. “I think the spread speaks for itself and the prevalence of black cattle and Angus-influenced genetics continuing to increase.”

Byers compares the evolving meat case to the variety consumers already expect in the wine aisle.

“You’ve got a bottle of $6 wine and then a $60 bottle of wine,” he says. “You’ve got them all on the shelf, knowing there’s that spread.”

Similarly, many retailers that used to carry only Select beef have upgraded part of the meat case to a higher quality product, but they maintain variety with more choices in the case.

“Both retailers and packers are beginning to understand that marketing is not an average of where a particular consumer walks in,” Byers says. “They have to provide a beef eating solution that meets the unique social demographics of each consumer who walks in.”

That caters to the universal demand for satisfaction, whether it’s in a fine dining restaurant or in the comfort of home.

“If we can deliver on those attributes every time, that’s a win for everyone, from the cow-calf guy all the way to the retailer and foodservice operator,” Brown says.

As supplies of premium Choice beef tighten up through the holiday season, Byers says packers will be challenged to meet demand.

“Certainly, we’re encouraging anybody from the feedlot to the stocker and rancher to keep sending us high-quality cattle,” he says. “We’ll find a home for it.”

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by | Mar 20, 2024

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Drought Impact and Cattle Industry Dynamics

by | Nov 8, 2023

As drought conditions persist across much of cattle country, farmers and ranchers are at a pivotal juncture in the cattle industry’s landscape. What impact does this prolonged dry spell have on the nation’s herd numbers? When will heifer retention begin? How will industry dynamics influence the spring bull sale season?

flavor's secret ingredient, grill flame flavor

The grill’s best friend

December 5, 2011

It’s been said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend.

In the same way girls are drawn to things that sparkle, men (and women!) are drawn to things that sizzle – like tender, juicy steaks cooking over a mound of glowing coals. But did you know that as with diamonds, beef selection can be guided by three Cs? When consumers hit the retail meat case, cut, color and consistency often guide their beef buying decisions.

Cut

Every good grill master knows when it comes to beef, this particular “C” is extremely important. Cut influences cooking method (in our case, we’re going for something good on the grill), flavor, tenderness and price. But you don’t have to be a top chef to choose the right cut. Here are a few pointers:

  • If you are going for something on the leaner side, look for cuts from the round, loin or flank. For grilling, the strip steak  (also commonly called the Kansas City or New York Strip) is a great lean option.
  • Marbling is the primary indicator of how tender and juicy a cut will be when cooked. The tenderloin yields the most tender cuts of beef, including the holy grail of grilling the filet mignon.
  •  Don’t overlook value cuts, such as the flat iron steak or Denver cut. These are well-marbled, tender, juicy options that put less of a pinch on your wallet.

Check out the “Beef Cuts” section of the Certified Angus Beef LLC website for more great tips on selecting and preparing various cuts of beef.

Color

Have you ever been strolling by the meat case and noticed ground beef that’s a little more brown than red? Or glimpsed a dark spot in the middle of a juicy rib eye while selecting steaks for a little weekend grilling? Although these coloration taboos do not typically affect the safety of beef products, they are certainly unsightly and unappealing to consumers.

Color and appearance are extremely important at the retail level. The Certified Angus Beef ® brand has 10 science-based quality specifications that take it a cut above USDA Prime, Choice and Select. Three of these specs ensure the quality appearance of any steak labeled with the CAB® brand:

  • “A” maturity keeps up that lighter, bright cherry red color, compared to beef from older cattle (“B” maturity).
  • Practically free of capillary ruptures
  • No dark cutters

Consistency

Consistency, especially when it comes to proven product quality, is invaluable to both retailers and consumers. Beef is no exception. Chris Calkins, a meat scientist at the University of Nebraska, agrees:

“When consumers walk in they want help identifying consistent, uniform products. And branded beef products, by and large, are more consistent, more uniform than the general commodity mix that we offer.”

Three CAB specs help ensure a uniform, consistent steak for the highest quality eating experience:

  • 10- to 16-square inch ribeye area
  • Less than 1,000-pound hot carcass weight
  • Less than 1-inch external fat thickness (and most trimmed off on the cuts of course)

So remember, the “3 Cs” aren’t just for your best girl – when it comes to buying beef, the “3 Cs” can also be a grill’s best friend!

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$100,000 Up for Grabs with 2024 Colvin Scholarships

$100,000 Up for Grabs with 2024 Colvin Scholarships

by | Mar 20, 2024

Certified Angus Beef is offering $100,000 in scholarships for agricultural college students through the 2024 Colvin Scholarship Fund. Aspiring students passionate about agriculture and innovation, who live in the U.S. or Canada, are encouraged to apply before the April 30 deadline. With the Colvin Scholarship Fund honoring Louis M. “Mick” Colvin’s legacy, Certified Angus Beef continues its commitment to cultivating future leaders in the beef industry.

Raised with Respect™ Cattle Care Campaign Launched This Fall

Raised with Respect™ Cattle Care Campaign Launched This Fall

by | Dec 20, 2023

Raised with Respect™ was developed as part of a strategic cattle care partnership between Sysco and CAB. The collaboration focuses on supporting farmers and ranchers, equipping them with continuing education to stay current on best management practices and helping to increase consumer confidence in beef production.

Quality Wins, Again

Quality Wins, Again

by | Oct 9, 2023

Sara Scott, Vice President of Foodservice for Certified Angus Beef, emphasizes the importance of taste over price in the beef market during the Feeding Quality Forum. As consumer demand for high-quality beef grows, Scott highlights the need for increased supply and encourages communication with packer partners to meet the demand for Prime beef.

meat counter

Weekly harvest increases, still short

December 5, 2011

Here’s your Meat Market Minute for the week:

Packers held bids until late last week, but live cattle prices did not sag much while waiting; Southern trade remained in similar ranges to the previous week. Packers increased harvest by 16,000 head over that weeks’ holiday-shortened numbers, but still fell well short of the previous year. CattleFax reports that harvest will remain under previous-year levels through December, while fed cattle numbers increase. That would shift market price leverage toward the packer.

Cutout values traded softer last week despite the previous holiday-shorted production week. End meats were the biggest bargains as CAB chucks and rounds lost 2% and 3.3%, respectively, due to lower buyer interest and ample offerings. Ribs continue to be the driver of the cutout, but most buyers’ holiday needs have been booked and they are reluctant to buy additional product on the spot market at current trading levels.

Meanwhile, recent trends help explain a decrease in the supply of Certified Angus Beef (R) brand product. In mid-November, the weekly acceptance rate declined to levels last seen in 2009. The Choice/Select spread hovered in the $18 to near-$20 range while the CAB/Choice spread added another $10/cwt. of carcass.

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Drought Impact and Cattle Industry Dynamics

Drought Impact and Cattle Industry Dynamics

by | Nov 8, 2023

As drought conditions persist across much of cattle country, farmers and ranchers are at a pivotal juncture in the cattle industry’s landscape. What impact does this prolonged dry spell have on the nation’s herd numbers? When will heifer retention begin? How will industry dynamics influence the spring bull sale season?

Building Bridges for Better Beef

Building Bridges for Better Beef

by | Aug 1, 2023

As the clock ticked past 2:00 a.m., handshakes finally signaled a deal. History was made that Thanksgiving morning in 1997 when a group of producers bought a material interest in what was then Farmland National Beef Packing Company.