Status Update Impacting the Beef BusinessTM Long-Range Strategic Plan
A great amount of progress has been made in accomplishing the goals of the American Gelbvieh Association’s Impacting the Beef BusinessTM long-range strategic plan. The current status of all the goals and their next steps are presented for review. By Jim Gibb IT’S BEEN JUST over a year since the American Gelbvieh Association Board of Directors embarked on the development of a long-range strategic plan for the AGA. Many of you participated in the process by responding to the AGA membership survey. After it was developed, a major effort was initiated to share the plan to the AGA membership through state and regional Gelbvieh functions, the AGA annual convention, numerous one-on-one meetings, plus the American Gelbvieh Junior Association Board of Directors.
Yes, the current AGA strategic plan has at least two to four more years of life, but now is a good time for a check-up. The table that follows contains the current status and next steps for the goals within each of three areas of focus: breed improvement, breed promotion and member education.
Needless to say, the response has been very positive. However, talk is cheap and the success of any plan is measured by progress and results. Critical questions are: Where are we today? What has been accomplished? Are we “moving the dial” in the right direction?
Moreover, a key benefit of having a strategic plan comes at budget time when we will build the 20132014 AGA fiscal year budget around the strategic plan. Please feel free to contact me, or any of the AGA Board members, if you have questions or suggestions.
Accountability through transparency is essential to achieving the goals set out in the plan. Consequently, our goal is to keep this table updated and posted on the AGA website.
Goal
Current status
Next steps
Develop reliable tools to monitor traits for maternal efficiency. Traits for consideration are: heifer pregnancy, 30-month pregnancy, calving interval, mature size, pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed, and udder quality by fall 2013.
Heifer pregnancy and 30-month pregnancy “research� EPDs, have been posted on the AGA website. The first research EPDs for mature size and udder score have been produced.
Calving interval EPDs will be reevaluated. Mature size and udder score EPDs are being further analyzed.
Improve marbling to 60% Choice.
2013 is the first spring breeding season for Gelbvieh and Balancer breeders to make selection decisions since the strategic plan was developed.
The marbling genetic trend will be monitored for improvement.
Implement genomic-enhanced EPDs (GE EPDs) by summer 2013.
A new Gelbvieh/Balancer- specific profile is in the final stages of development.
It is anticipated that GE EPDs will be introduced with release of the summer 2013 EPDs.
Develop new indexes for maternal selection, feeder calf value, and general purpose.
The maternal index is on schedule for completion by fall 2013. Feeder calf value and general purpose indexes (added by the AGA Board during their April 2013 meeting) should be completed by late December 2013.
AGA staff will continue to work with Dr. Mike MacNeil of Delta Genomics to develop these indexes.
Develop feed efficiency EPDs by spring 2013.
Research feed efficiency EPDs, developed in A feed efficiency index will be collaboration with Colorado State University and included in the AGA sire summary. several Gelbvieh breeders with multiple years of feed intake data have been uploaded to the AGA website.
Core Focus: Breed Improvement
Tenderness: Decrease the breed A list of Gelbvieh breeders that have tested with average shear force value by .40 lb. one of the major genomics testing providers has using current genomic data by winter been provided to the AGA staff. 2015.
AGA members on the test list will be contacted to gain permission to access the tenderness test results from the genomics company.
Monitor growth: Communicate the importance of excelling in weaning and yearling weight, and provide tools for benchmarking progress.
Breed average genetic trends are provided to all AGA members and individual herd genetic trends were sent to several AGA members.
AGA members may request genetic trends for their herds at any time. There is no charge for this service.
Monitor temperament: Develop and implement temperament EPDs.
AGA staff has been evaluating different approaches to generating temperament EPDs.
Analyze the AGA temperament database. This should begin in the next 12 to 18 months.
Monitor foot soundness: Develop and implement a foot scoring system and EPDs.
This was labeled a lower priority goal. Nothing has been done to date.
The first steps will be to evaluate existing foot scoring systems for possible use by AGA members.
Goal
Current Status
Next Steps
Increase promotion “reach” by 5% per year for the next three years with a focus on promoting Gelbvieh, Balancer and crossbreeding merits to the commercial cow-calf and feedlot sectors.
Through combined promotion efforts, the average reach has been increased by 20% for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
Continued evaluation and implementation of promotion efforts to ensure effective messaging and media outlets are used.
Develop a draft plan for commercial marketing by August 1, 3013.
A draft plan is in development.
Present the draft to the AGA Board of Directors during their August 2013 board meeting.
Increase total AGA membership by 2% annually for the next three years by promoting Gelbvieh and Balancer to potential new seedstock breeders.
New AGA memberships are up 8% for the current fiscal year, on top of a 1% increase last year.
Promotional efforts targeted at new Gelbvieh breeders will continue.
Transfer rate will reach 45% of the animals registered by fall 2015.
Through May, transfers as a percentage of registrations are at 34%, 3% higher than the same time last year.
We will continue to communicate the value of transfers, especially related to enhanced communication of AGA services available to commercial producers.
Personally communicate the strategic Approximately 60% of the target group was plan message to at least 80% of the reached. 100 largest Gelbvieh breeders by January 15, 2013.
It is intended that follow-up meetings will be conducted in the fall of 2013.
Conduct regional meetings and/or 13 state and regional meetings were held. webinars to communicate the strategic plan message by spring 2013.
Updates at state and regional meetings will be given over the next 9 months.
Core Focus: Breed Promotion
Core Focus: Member Education
Develop a brochure and a page on the AGA website to allow members continued access to goals and progress of strategic plan by fall 2012
A brochure was developed and distributed in the fall of 2013.
Develop educational initiatives to help 10 videos were developed and posted online facilitate achievement of strategic plan to demonstrate use of the online system and goals by January 1, 2013. interpretation of information. Upgrade the AGA online data entry and information system to provide more meaningful herd improvement and marketing tools by summer 2013.
Online system upgrades have been delayed due to issues outside the AGA’s control.
Grow the American Gelbvieh This a new initiative identified by the AGA Foundation 100% by January 1, 2015. Board during their April 2013 meeting.
AGA staff are working with the system provider to alleviate the logjam. AGA staff will be working with a foundation fundraising consultant.