In today’s BeefBuzz, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays continues his conversation with Executive Vice President of the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) Rick Cozzitorto at Cattlemen’s Congress. Cozzitorto has only held that title since September 2024 and is excited about helping to grow the association and the breed to new heights which he discussed in detail in the first part of this conversation.
Cozzitorto expressed gratitude for Cattlemen’s Congress stepping up for the show cattle industry during the COVID pandemic with most of the majors canceled. He said, “The show they put on here is unbelievable. They stepped up during COVID and we will never forget that. That is something we want to help them build as they are building.”
While the Cattlemen’s Congress is a must-attend event for Brangus breeders, so is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which is a hub for a lot of international business for them.
“These cattle are so popular in the South,” Cozzitorto said. “They are the only ones that survive anywhere that is humid and tropical. We get a lot of people looking for genetics through Houston, so everybody brings cattle because the opportunity of going home with an empty trailer is high.”
He said that forty years ago, the disposition of Brangus cattle was their falling point, and also that they didn’t marble. “Through genetics, progress, and great breeders, we’ve changed that. Now, the docility is excellent in those cattle and their marbling ability – they’ll feed next to anything and anywhere.”
According to Cozzitorto, the average age of the commercial cattleman is 62 years old which makes docility in cattle a very important trait, but so is their versatility.
“They do well in the Southeast – really anywhere that has good grass, but tough country,” he said. “And what makes us money? A cow that sticks around for a long time, has a calf every year, breeds back, and fleshes easily. That’s what we need in the industry. We’ve got to get more efficient. Beef is at record prices right now, and they are still eating it because it tastes so good. Marbling is important.”
As Cozzitorto gets more familiar with the IBBA he is developing more and more plans to move it forward. He knows that its growth and future potential begins with the junior program and resides with the commercial aspect of the cattle industry.
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 at the top of the story for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
