During Cattlemen’s Conference, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, is talking with the president of Certified Angus Beef, John Stika, about room for improvement in the cattle industry.
“As we talk about genetics, to make genetic progress, you have to begin to find those sires and those genetic lines that move you forward,” Stika said.
Ranchers have to tackle the task of putting consumers’ needs first while also managing their own profitability, Stika said, as economically important traits come into play alongside consumer-important traits in raising beef cattle.
“We can still do better,” Stika said. “I think we can still continue to put more into marbling.”
Stika said the cattle industry has not reached its maximum potential just yet.
“I say that because of the economics that are there,” Stika said. “We have really doubled the volume of Certified Angus Beef certified cattle out there over the last several years, and yet the premiums paid continue to go up. I think that speaks to the demand that is there for quality for our brand, for Prime, and for other brands as well.”
It is critical to select for multiple traits, Stika said, to ensure traits are not being left behind. The cattle industry has come a long way, he added, since the 1991 National Beef Quality Audit.
“When one out of every four steaks was tough, and today, tenderness really isn’t a concern, we have done such a great job as an industry to address those challenges that we had early on,” Stika said.
Cattlemen’s Conference has helped to speak to the power of information, Stika said, when it comes to improving the beef industry from all sides.
“If we measure and we know the areas where we are falling short as an industry, I think the beef cattle industry is as good an example of any producers who come together with solutions to move the business forward in a way that increases demand and hopefully continues to drive that profitability at the ranch level,” Stika said.
Because beef prices are higher and consumers continue to purchase, Stika said that is proof that consumers love beef products.
“They are again driving home the point that it is not a price-point decision alone, that they make when they buy beef,” Stika said. “It is a price in relation to value decision. Even at these prices, beef continues to move off the shelf. In many places across food service and retail, and I think it just reiterates the point that we can’t take our eye off of the quality aspect of this business because if we back up there, then we are going to be in a position where consumers may not be willing to buy our product.”
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
