John Pfeiffer Jr. a past President of the American Angus Association and former chair of the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) committee, joined Ron Hayes in todays Beef Buzz to talk about how quality beef continues to drive value across the industry. Pfeiffer noted that Certified Angus Beef had “another record year,” producing “1.232 billion pounds, which makes it the largest single year ever.” He credited consumers for that growth, saying, “They just don’t want a protein product—they want a high-quality protein product,” and added that demand for CAB Prime has become so strong that “we actually are probably not making enough of it.”
Pfeiffer highlighted the extraordinary improvement in quality genetics over the past several decades. He explained, “You go back and look at 1978 —the acceptance rate would have been about 3%, meaning that out of every 100 you did, there would have been three that make it. We had acceptance rates this year at times over 40%, which is remarkable.” The acceptance rate Pfeiffer refers to is the number cattle that met all the requirements to be accepted into the CAB program. He credited both genetic progress and herd rebuilding after past droughts for that success, noting that “about 80% of the cow herd is black now,” a key factor in CAB eligibility.
When Hays asked about the program’s strict standards, Pfeiffer confirmed the team has never lowered them. “Yes, we have [held firm],” he said, emphasizing the value of consistency: “It’s the consistency of our quality that people expect. They know that when they buy it, they’re going to get a good eating experience.” Pfeiffer added that only “one in every maybe 20 eating experiences will be bad, which is way better than the national average.” Maintaining those ten acceptance standards, he said, is essential to the trust consumers place in the CAB brand.
Even amid record-high protein supplies and rising costs, Pfeiffer said beef demand remains resilient. “At all-time record demands for protein … people are still willing to pay the extra money for our nutrient-dense product,” he said, giving credit to consumers: “My hat’s off to the consumer, because without them, we can’t do anything.” He reflected proudly that Angus breeders were “smart enough 40 some years ago to listen to the fact that we need to supply what the consumer wanted,” and that long-term focus has paid off.
Looking at the broader cattle market, Pfeiffer said the current mood among producers is optimistic. “If you’re not happy in the cattle business right now, you probably better look for another occupation, because things are as good as they’ve ever been,” he said. Even with higher input costs, “we’re seeing cattle still selling at record prices.” He described the atmosphere at the recent American Angus Association annual meeting as upbeat: “It’s a good time to be in the cattle business. It’s a fun time to be there, and … the spirits were really high.”
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.
