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Latest Headlines
Beef demand may vary with quality
The gap is widening between key indicators of demand for premium and commodity beef.
How to keep the herd
The drought has eased in places, but it persists in 40% of the U.S. and another 10% could revert if seasonal rains stay away this summer. That outlook from the USDA Drought Monitor has many ranchers short on grazing or water at a crossroads. Do they sell out with hopes of getting back in once the drought subsides? Or do they spend the money to feed and water their cows to preserve the genetics? “It’s a scenario we’ve heard an awful lot about,” says Vern Anderson, Extension animal scientist at North Dakota State University. “Farmers and ranchers are scrambling for ways to keep their cowherds.”
If not born wild or mishandled, dollars add up
Nobody wants cattle with too much “attitude,” but it takes focused genetics and handling to improve docility in a herd. “We’ve always tried to be careful about selecting bulls for disposition,” says Roger Jones, of Tri-Tower Farm, near Shenandoah, Iowa. “It’s very important to us to have a cowherd that we can handle, without a lot of wild calves in it. You know, the cattle do better in the feedlot when they aren’t wild.” Since he operates both enterprises, Jones knows how those issues carry from the field to the feedlot.
How can beef compete
Eleven to one—those were the odds the beef industry was up against for two decades. “We got $10 in new spending over that 20 years, meanwhile our pork and poultry competitors got $110,” said Nevil Speer, an animal scientist at Western Kentucky University. “You can’t grow an industry without new revenue coming in, and we basically worked in a stagnant industry for 20 years.” Speer presented as part of the Harlan Ritchie Beef Symposium during Midwest American Society of Animal Science meetings in Des Moines, Iowa in March.
Heavy Cattle
Everyone in the beef chain seems to agree we need more of it. That’s the simple explanation for a trend that shows hot carcass weights (HCW) have increased 200 pounds (lb.) in four decades. But for all the opportunities that presents, there are many challenges. John Stika, president of Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB), talked about both at last month’s Harlan Ritchie Beef Symposium during Midwest American Society of Animal Science meetings in Des Moines, Iowa. “The production side is looking for something bigger to cover their increased costs,” he said, “but the retail and foodservice sides are looking for [more units of] something much smaller that’s easier to manage from a portion-control standpoint and a unit-cost standpoint.”
Self interest, shared goal
Being good at what you do every time is no accident. “My dad said anyone can sell something once,” Prof. John Siebert told his ag business class. “It’s selling something multiple times to the same person that takes a lot of work and expertise.” On March 19, the Texas A&M agricultural economist asked four links in the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand supply chain to share their experiences: CAB president John Stika; rancher James Henderson of Bradley 3 Ranch; Joe Boutte, director of business development for Houston-based Freedman Meats Inc.; and Ric Rosser, concept/executive chef for Saltgrass Steakhouse and West Coast Claim Jumper.
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