Fiscal Year Ending Strong

2022 signals strong demand for Angus cattle, beef product.

by Briley Richard, American Angus Association

“Angus breeders have completed a successful year, despite many challenges with weather and rising input costs,” commented CEO Mark McCully at the close of the American Angus Association’s 2022 fiscal year.

The year marked the eighth consecutive year of more than 304,000 registrations, with an additional 141,385 recorded transfers. The fiscal year, which concluded Sept. 30, 2022, tallied a grand total of 22,488 regular and junior memberships combined.

“Angus females averaged $6,023 last year, and bulls averaged $5,909, signaling that Angus genetics are very much in demand,” McCully observed.

Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI), a subsidiary of the Association, continued to plant itself at the forefront of the industry in providing breeders the tools to achieve their breeding objectives and serve as the trusted industry source of advanced genetic solutions. Boasting 1.229 million animals with profiles in the genetic evaluation, a 10% increase in profile tests and 13 ongoing research projects, AGI plans to maintain the momentum heading into the new year to reach new heights.

In efforts to provide tools to enhance breeder success, the Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR^®) program transitioned the hair shed (HS) expected progeny difference (EPD) from the research environment to a production EPD, thanks to the hard work of Angus breeders who diligently collected data. The EPD aims to help breeders find animals best genetically equipped to handle hot, fescue-based environments.

Additionally, AHIR continued to promote the importance of complete cow herd data through its Inventory Reporting program, enrolling 97,271 head from 768 herds.

Creating conversations
The Angus Media^SM team created The Angus Conversation and Angus at Work podcasts to provide on-the-go information for Angus breeders and commercial cattlemen. Found anywhere you listen to podcasts, the episodes feature a variety of guests who discuss everything from technology and breeding philosophies to marketing and traditions.

With its goal of providing cost-effective and quality marketing services to Angus breeders, Angus Media helped foster 34 million page views for online sale books and 3½ million email marketing sends.

Brand initiatives
The Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) brand affirmed its quality standard with another year of exceeding consumer expectations (see “Cattlemen Remain Committed to Quality”). Combined focus on genetics and management led to a 35.5% brand acceptance rate. More than 5.78 million carcasses were certified and 1.234 billion pounds (lb.) were sold as CAB brand product. That’s an impressive 3.4 million lb. of CAB sold per day, and the entity worked with more than 18,000 licensed partners in 54 countries this year.

With the value of Angus cattle consistently increasing, the Association continued its Powered by Angus^SM advertising campaign. Combating the “black-hided confusion” in the marketplace, the campaign illustrates the confidence cattlemen can put in the power of EPD data, documented pedigrees and marketing programs with the purchase of registered Angus.

The Angus family continued to pour its support into the Angus Foundation’s mission of education, youth and research. With a record-setting $1.4 million in donations, each cent will affect the lives of Angus generations to come.

To view the American Angus Association’s 2022 Annual Report with in-depth information about the year, visit https://bit.ly/2022AngusAnnualReport. To view the Association’s complete financial report, visit https://bit.ly/2022AngusFinancials.

Editor’s note: Briley Richard is a communications specialist for the American Angus Association.