American Angus Association Partners With IMI Global

Strategic collaboration drives profitability for independent cattle producers.

by Holly Martin, American Angus Association

For today’s cattle producers, it is more important than ever to be able to differentiate your cattle in the marketplace. Two of the leading third-party verification providers — IMI Global and the American Angus Association’s AngusLink^SM program — have joined forces to create an improved experience for those cattle producers, while offering more value-added opportunities.

Through this new relationship, IMI Global will provide verification services for USDA Process Verified Programs (PVP) for IMI Global and AngusLink customers. The collaboration makes it easier and more efficient for producers to access an extensive suite of verification programs and the feeder-cattle industry’s leading genetic merit evaluation tool in one enrollment.

“With tightening margins, the need for producers to differentiate their cattle and create market access with flexibility is key. At the same time, the value of superior genetics has never been greater,” says Mark McCully, Association CEO. “These two market drivers are creating tremendous opportunities for producers to describe and verify their cattle.”

Now available to IMI customers, the AngusLink Genetic Merit Scorecard^® gives producers the ability to effectively communicate the genetic potential of their feeder calves to prospective buyers with three scores: Beef, Feedlot and Grid. The scores are calculated based on the Association’s extensive genetic database with more than 80 million data points.

In addition, AngusLink customers will also have access to IMI’s new sustainability standard, CARE Certified, which encompasses animal care, environmental stewardship, and people and community, which are all of growing importance in today’s marketplace. Other PVP claims available include AngusVerified^SM, Source, Age, Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) and Verified Natural Beef.

“This working relationship streamlines the process for producers by making it easier for them to enroll in all verification programs at once while also allowing them access to programs they may not have had before,” says John Saunders, IMI Global CEO. “This partnership proves that everyone involved is prioritizing innovation and collaboration in order for cattlemen all over the country to achieve success.”

IMI Global, a division of Where Food Comes From Inc., is the market leader in third-party verification services, enrolling more than 1.25 million cattle annually in various verification programs. The American Angus Association is the leader in Angus genetics and creating value for Angus-sired feeder cattle through its AngusLink Genetic Merit Scorecard and AngusVerified programs.

Editor’s note: Holly Martin is director of communications for the American Angus Association. Lead photo courtesy IMI.