MARKETING...
Loud and Clear
Beef market demands quality.
The beef market tells you what it wants. You just have to pay attention.
“We know there are signals out there in the marketplace for quality. As you move further away from the end product, we know those signals are … not quite as distinct,” said Mark McCully, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) vice president of supply development, at the 2016 Angus Convention in Indianapolis, Ind., in November. Read more.
In the Cattle Markets
Hay acres revision causes outlook prices to edge upward.
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) annual crop production report showed significant revisions its estimate of the hay acres harvested in 2016. Changes from the October crop report indicated a 7% (1.2-million-acre) reduction in the number of alfalfa acres harvested and a 4% (1.5-million-acre) reduction in all other hay acres harvested. Final acres showed South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa having more than 200,000 acres taken out of alfalfa production. North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Missouri and Kentucky all had declines of 100,000 acres or more in other hay acreage categories. New alfalfa seedlings for the 2017-2018 marketing year are also continuing the long-term trend downward, posting an 11% year-over-year decrease. Read more.
Beef Council Reinforces Successful Ibotta Mobile Commerce Campaign
Executive Committee votes to boost reserve fund investment by $300,000.
A successful campaign to drive nationwide sales of fresh beef at retail has resulted in the confirmed movement of more than 270,000 units of fresh ground beef in less than two weeks. On Jan. 18, the Federation of State Beef Councils of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association approved an additional $300,000 to extend the partnership with the mobile rebates app Ibotta through the Super Bowl, giving consumers more reasons to purchase great-tasting beef.
Ibotta is a consumer mobile app that has a subscriber rate of 19 million mostly millennial consumers and growing. Consumers who download the app can browse the grocery category for rebates on fresh beef products, unlock the rebates and after reviewing educational information about beef, buy the items at any grocery store nationwide to get cash back through Ibotta. Beef only pays for verified sales. Read more.
Checkoff Study: Beef Maintains
Favorable Tenderness Ratings
Cuts from the round primal remain a tenderness challenge.
Favorable tenderness ratings for beef steaks, which have improved significantly since 1990, have remained steady during the past five years, recent research shows. This quality retention has occurred despite environmental and financial challenges that could have derailed its progress. Funded by the beef checkoff, the 2015-2016 National Beef Tenderness Survey was conducted at Texas A&M University, which has surveyed beef tenderness regularly since 1990.
“Despite some challenges during the past 10 years, including drought, fluctuating supply and rising input costs, the tenderness of the beef being produced in the United States has remained steady, and often improved,” according to Jeffrey Savell, the lead investigator of the research at Texas A&M. “Beef is delivering a good eating experience to consumers, and this research suggests the industry is keeping its eye on the ball when it comes to protecting the improvements in tenderness it has made.” Read more.
Ginette Gottswiller
The Source
Adding genomics adds value to commercial calves.
The familiar chant of the auctioneer encourages buyers to notice as another set of black-hided feeder calves enters the salering.
“Angus calves, boys, take a look. They’re CAB candidates.”
This cliché is used at every auction, every sale day.
What does a buyer want to know about your feeder calves when they enter the salering?
Documented data about genetics and health have generated added value at market for the past several years. Read more.
Should You Raise or Buy Heifers?
Iowa State University duo presents options for replacement females.
Much is beyond your control in the cow-calf business. Among the few you alone make is the call on replacement females. Will you keep and develop your own heifers or buy enough bred females from outside sources to maintain the herd size you want?
“The decisions should be based on long-term preferences,” said Iowa State University (ISU) economist and Extension livestock specialist Lee Schulz, presenting Nov. 6 at the 2016 Angus Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. “However, we live in a short-term world.” Read more.
Consider All Aspects
Angus University presenter Kevin Hill talks adding value with management.
If you want to make more money in the cow-calf business, the options are simple, according to Kevin Hill of Merck Animal Health: Wean more calves, wean heavier calves or add more value. The technical services veterinarian presented an Angus University Workshop during the 2016 Angus Convention in Indianapolis, Ind., Nov. 5-7.
Weaning more animals means improving reproductive efficiency and health. Heavier calves start with improving genetics and continue with implants, nutrition and parasite control, he said. Read more.
Angus Calendar
To view the Angus Calendar, a comprehensive list of Angus sales, click here.