Adding up pennies

Free CAB webinar on dynamics of profitability

by Morgan Boecker

February 24, 2021

You get paid by the pound for your cattle, but the total figures in much more than weight. Join the Certified Angus Beef ^® (CAB^®) brand on March 11 to find out why a premium carcass is worth more, and how those signals get back to you.

The “Discovering True Carcass Value Webinar” will explore cutout values and how CAB carcasses add value beyond Choice.

“Certified Angus Beef is all about marketing the entire carcass to drive more value back to the Angus breed,” says Diana Clark, meat scientist for the brand. “It’s not just a middle meat program.”

CAB qualification starts at the packing plant, where a black hide is required. Eligible steers and heifers may have no other color behind the shoulder, above the flanks or breaking the midline, excluding the tail. After the hide is removed, carcasses must pass 10 science-based specifications to be accepted into the brand.

At wholesale, Choice carcasses earn a hefty premium over Select, though it’s less for end meats. The webinar will show real examples with current beef prices of where CAB adds still more premium value across more wholesale cuts.

“Price matters in relation to proportion,” says Paul Dykstra, the brand’s assistant director of supply management and analysis. Though higher-priced, a tenderloin’s mass may not generate a large premium. But because the round is heavy, even a 5-cent premium will add up.

“Every cut is affected,” Clark says. “I love seeing this in popular barbecue items like brisket.”

A typically lower quality, cheap cut instantly becomes premium once qualified for CAB. That lets more segments of the food industry grab hold of premium value.

“The brand interacts with the entire beef community, from producers to packers, distributors, foodservice and retail partners,” she says. “Utilizing the entire carcass and not just middle meats is how we give a little more to everyone.”

Join Clark and Dykstra for a virtual visit to the meat lab and see where true value comes from. Register for free at www.cabcattle.com/webinars.

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