MARKETING...

‘The Payday is Just Beginning’

That's the message Randy Blach of Cattle-Fax presented to cow-calf producers in Denver.

"We're going to see some real profitability over the next several years," Cattle-Fax's Randy Blach told cow-calf producers in attendance during the popular Cattle-Fax Annual Outlook seminar presented during the Cattle Industry Convention Feb. 4 in Denver.

Specifically, Blach told cow-calf producers, "The payday is just beginning." He also noted that stockers and packers have experienced good prices during the past year and he anticipates that to continue. Cattle-Fax projected that prices on all classes of cattle will be record high in 2011 and 2012. Read more.

Darrell Mark

In the Cattle Markets

Low heifer retention and tight feeder-calf supplies.

The much-anticipated annual Cattle Inventory report released Jan. 28 generally confirmed expectations for a 1.4% decrease in the number of all cattle and calves. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pegged the Jan. 1, 2011, total inventory at 92.58 million head of cattle, the smallest inventory since 1958.

The Cattle Inventory report provides one of the best data sources to determine whether growth in the cattle herd has occurred or is likely to begin. Prior to the report's release, analysts expected beef cow numbers to decline about 2.1%. The actual reported beef cow inventory, at 30.86 million head, was down only 1.6%. Read more.

CAB® 3QQ

Christy Johnson

Three quick questions with CAB Special Projects Manager Christy Johnson.

An 8-year-old and triplet 5-year-olds keep Christy Johnson busy on the home front with husband Allen, but they also give her a valuable perspective on the Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) marketing team: She's a mother who fits the CAB target demographic.

That and her Ohio farm heritage help explain why she was excited to take on the role of highlighting CAB's connections up and down the beef supply chain. Johnson knew what it could mean to consumers. While working on the project, she began to realize, too, how much it means to the featured producers, the sales force and everybody else involved. Read more.

New Value Record Reached

Year-end export results confirm new value record for U.S. beef, strong year for U.S. pork.

December statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) confirm that 2010 was the best year ever for U.S. beef export value. A final total of $4.08 billion breaks the pre-BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) high from 2003 of $3.86 billion by more than 5% and exceeds the 2009 total by nearly $1 billion. Total volume was 1.067 million metric tons, an increase of 19% over 2009. Read more.

Sara Snider

The Source

Answering some common questions.

For spring-calving operations, if you don't already have calves on the ground, most likely you expect them any day now. That means, in addition to your regular daily workload, you may be checking cows, taking weights, tagging and a host of other activities. In the long laundry list of things to do, marketing may be low on the priority list. Hopefully this article brings it front and center.

There are things happening now that will affect your marketing options when it comes time to sell. This month I am focusing on answering the questions we get asked most often. If, after reading this, you still have questions, please feel free to give us a call at 816-383-5100. We look forward to working with you in the coming year and wish you warm weather and healthy calves! Read more.

Live-Cattle Marketing

NCBA committee discusses Eastern bankruptcy and responds.

The far-reaching consequences of Eastern Livestock Company's recent bankruptcy dominated discussion during the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) Live-Cattle Marketing Committee meeting during the 2011 Cattle Industry Convention in Denver.

Live-Cattle Marketing Committee members discussed possible ways to prevent future situations like that of Eastern Livestock Co., which was considered one of the nation's largest cattle brokerage companies, with operations in several states. Eastern filed bankruptcy in December 2010, after issuing bad checks, allegedly totaling nearly $130 million, for cattle purchases. Read more.

Meeting Consumer Expectations

Panel shares current consumer trends and what that means for future demand for beef.

The Cattlemen's College® "Trends and Trendsetters" session didn't feature crystal balls or palm readers, just experts from various sectors in the beef business.

Consumers are going back to the basics. They want high quality, a personal connection, choices, value and their own way. That's according to Kim Essex, senior vice president for consumer marketing for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA).

"Woe to the company who can't deliver what we want, when we want it," she said. "It's very important in the beef industry that we don't fall into a commodity mind-set." Read more.

American Heart Association Puts Its Mark on Beef

Panel shares current consumer trends and what that means for future demand for beef.

Thanks in part to a partnership with the Beef Checkoff Program, the American Heart Association has listed three beef cuts as part of its Food Certification Program. This program places the association's heart-check mark on food packages to help healthy consumers over age 2 identify foods that meet criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol.

The three beef cuts that met the American Heart Association's criteria for extra lean and that now are certified to display the heart-check mark include:

Angus Calendar

To view the Angus Calendar, a complete list of Angus sales, click here.