President’s Report

CGA PRESIDENT’S REPORT Aaron Birch

As I write this we have completed our AI and embryo transplants for the year and have turned the bulls out. This year’s calf crop is shaping up nicely and we are as ready for cows to head to grass as they are. Many producers may be in the middle of or just starting calving. No matter where you are in your production cycle the one thing we can all agree on is how nice it is to see a group of Gelbvieh cows turned out on spring pasture. In talking with many of you lately another thing we can all agree on is that more moisture would be appreciated in most areas of the country.

The demand for Gelbvieh genetics was very evident this spring with many successful bull sales which included private treaty, online timed auction and live auction. The fact Gelbvieh breeders have readily adapted to whichever sale format works best for them has really improved our market share and the sustainability of the breed. I know I’m not alone in already being excited to see the great females that will be available in the sales coming up this fall.

The industry got some exciting news recently with Canadian Western Agribition announcing they plan to have a live event in 2021. I hope more events are able to make similar decisions as well. Although we have all tried to make the best of the past year I know that the friendship and comradery you find at shows and sales has been missed by us all. We plan to go ahead with the National Gelbvieh Show at Agribition in conjunction with their 50th anniversary celebration. The CGA AGM will also be held in Regina during Agribition in addition to a virtual component once again.

I am very pleased that the number of Gelbvieh cattle being DNA parent verified continues to increase with many breeders moving toward DNA genotyping their whole herd. Although I realize this is not the right fit for every breeder the increase of DNA parent verified cattle in our herd book is a positive for all breeders. It is interesting to note that as more DNA is completed, less parent exclusions seem to be found.

Our association had a very successful whole herd enrollment this year with most breeders completing their assessments by the deadline and all being completed shortly after. In talking with Sarah I was pleasantly surprised to find out that 97% of members utilize digital beef for their recording. I would wager this is among the highest of the breed associations. Although we will always have the option to send registrations to the office to be entered the fact that so many do their own greatly increases the amount of staff time that can be put toward promotion and improving aspects of the registry. We have had some new features included in digital beef recently. This includes cattle that are homozygous polled or homozygous black by parentage having that designation included in their display information. We are always working to find new ways to improve both what digital beef can offer members and to maintain the integrity of our herd book.

Like most of you reading this I am often reminded how lucky I am to be in the cattle industry. The last year has certainly proved the resiliency and importance of cattle men and women. I also count myself fortunate to be involved in a breed of cattle that works so well in so many management systems and is filled with some pretty incredible people, many whom I call friends. Here’s hoping we can actually get together and appreciate that soon.