Camera Changes
Adjusting to packinghouse camera adjustments.
Many industry participants are aware USDA announced in late October that adjustments to camera carcass grading were necessary. The latest generation of camera, called Gigabit Ethernet, or “Gig E,” had been introduced last winter and deployed by several packing plants early last summer. As a track record developed for the new camera over the summer through October, it became evident to some observers that the new cameras were assigning quality grades more generously than the previous models.
A “sameness test” was conducted to determine if this were true. USDA concluded that an adjustment was necessary to bring the new Gig E camera technology back into alignment. It is important to know that not all packing firms had switched to the Gig E camera and the consequential impact of the adjustment does not apply to all packing plants.
Once the adjustments were announced, some packers elected to discontinue camera use for marbling determinations, at least for now, relying once again solely on the human USDA grader for that judgment call. Since the initial calibration changes to the Gig E camera were made Oct. 26, an additional set of changes was implemented in early November in an ongoing process.
As we compare the three largest-volume packing states for fed cattle, we see that Kansas packers took the brunt of the impact in Week 1, as compared to Nebraska with some impact and Texas showing nothing negative just yet. That being said, the changes are still fresh that were made the first full week of November and more weekly reported quality grade data will reveal the true impacts of this situation on grade percentages and CAB acceptance rates. We expect minor supply impacts to the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand at this time.
Fig. 1: Kansas grading
Fig. 2: Nebraska grading
Fig. 3: Texas grading
Editor’s Note: Paul Dykstra is a beef cattle specialist with CAB. Read more of Dykstra’s biweekly comments in the CAB Insider at www.cabpartners.com/news/cabinsider/.