Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays caught up with Dr. Jessica Lancaster, NCBA Senior Director of Product Quality Research, to talk about modernizing the yield grade system in the U.S.
The current system hasn’t been upgraded since 1965, but the cattle certainly have changed. “We are using pretty old estimates that are still directionally correct, but still have a lot of opportunity to truly value the cattle we see today,” Lancaster said. “We can utilize new science and computing technologies to really get us better answers than we have ever been able to have before.”
Currently, the Beef Checkoff is conducting research using beef carcasses and 3-D imaging to better understand composition. They are using ultrasound and radar technology to study the compositions of live cattle as well.
“Over the next year or two, we will do the largest cutout study that has probably ever been done before in the industry,” Lancaster said. “The first yield grade study was probably 165 head, so we will certainly beat that looking at over 1,000 head. That will give us some great answers to where we head next on this topic.”
The research and development of the new grading system gets its direction from a working group of stakeholders that encompass all sectors of the beef production chain so they can guide the development in helpful directions.
“We know producers have done an excellent job when we’ve given them the tools to improve, and we are hoping that this can be the next tool to really help them capture the value and opportunity through the genetics we have on the red meat yield potential,” Lancaster commented.
The outcomes of the research will be released in the next couple of years and will be shared with producers before the new technology is released so that any potential kinks can be worked out ahead of time.
“We will see in the next few years how it plays out, what this new standard looks like, but we are so excited and hopeful for the opportunities on the horizon,” Lancaster shared.
She realizes that while the research may be slow, any solutions developed from it must be durable to withstand the speed of commerce in environments like that of packing plants with cleaning agents and sanitizers.
According to Lancaster, producers are ready for an upgrade, too. “We have seen record attendance at the sessions we have hosted here at convention and some positive buzz happening out in the industry about this ground-breaking research we are doing.”
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