Answering the Call to Quality

Bulls & Heifers

FOR SALE AT THE FARM

Answering the Call to Quality

Source: American Hereford Association

Registered Polled Herefords

MANUEL SALAZAR 136 County Road 194 Cañones, NM 87516 usa.ranch@yahoo.com PHONE: 575-638-5434

White Mountain Herefords White Mountain HerefordsWhite Mountain Herefords

Marketing Bulls & Replacement Females Daric & Patty Knight

Daric & Patty KnightSpringerville, Arizona Springerville, Arizonac: 928-521-9897 • h: 928-333-3600 Daric & Patty Knight c: 928-521-9897 • h: 928-333-3600 Springerville, Arizona c: 928-521-9897 • h: 928-333-3600

Corn Beef Bulls Mike & Jennifer Corn 25 miles NW of Roswell 575-420-3630 At mile marker 55 mwc1983@roswellwool.com on Hwy 246

Corn Beef Bulls Quality Genetics for Great Black Baldy Calves that will perform and grade through the feedlot! Give Us a Call TODAY! Mike & Jennifer Corn 25 miles NW of Roswell 575-420-3630 At mile marker 55 mwc1983@roswellwool.com on Hwy 246

Quality Genetics for Great Black Baldy Calves that will perform and grade through the feedlot!

Give Us a Call TODAY!

Despite current challenges, cow-calf producers raise the bar on furnishing consistent, efficient, high-quality beef.

When retail markets climbed last year in the wake of foodservice restrictions, beef took center plate as the protein of choice. While the beef industry emerged from the pandemic stronger, more roadblocks are in store for American farmers and ranchers.

According to CattleFax, drought conditions and high corn prices are causing a liquidation of the U.S. beef cow herd.

“We’re in a La Nina weather pattern, which means the bulk of the Western U.S. is both warm and dry,” explains CattleFax Vice President of Industry Affairs Kevin Good. “So unfortunately, we started to see some cow culling through the fall of last year, and we would expect that trend to continue through 2021.”

Corn and bean supplies are also tight this year, resulting in higher prices and presenting major headwinds for producers on productions costs.

Still, there is a bright story for beef quality. When demand shifted from foodservice to retail last year, beef market share increased two percent. This compares to a 20-year period where beef gained six percent of the market.

“We went from 40 to 46 percent of the dollar spent between 1998 and 2019, and that jumped two percent last year alone,” Good says. “We took market share away from both pork and poultry.

According to Good, this data is a positive. “It tells us we’ve got a higher quality, more consistent product, and consumers are willing to pay a wider price premium for beef compared to pork and poultry.”

He stresses that cow-calf producers make improvements to get top dollar for their cattle. “If you’re involved in the industry and you’re not making the changes, you’re not improving your herd or what you’re producing, over time instead of getting average or premiums, you’re going to start to get discounts and bigger discounts,” he says.

Over the last decade, the American Hereford Association (AHA) reports a 150 percent growth in marbling and an 86 percent growth in rib eye area. The Association’s feedout programs give producers continued on page 22 >>