When Rebuilding The Herd, Quality Must Be The Focus

For the Angus industry, business has been very good as of recent. Casey Jentz, COO at the American Angus Association said they currently have 80% market share in the commercial space. And he added if Angus ranchers could produce more product, they'd sell more.

“The demand is there. People are willing to pay for a really good, high-quality protein," Jentz said. 'And, you know, so as cattle producers, we need to keep that in mind. And if we can produce it, we've been able to sell it.”

Genetics Is Key To Rebuilding The Herd

Jentz said focusing on good genetics over the years has led to a great product. And that focus on genetics, he said, will be key as the industry tries to rebuild the national herd. Jentz said its important commercial Angus producers put the best cattle in the herd.

“We have programs like our GeneMax Advantage program, which is genetic testing for our commercial Angus producers and to be able to use that and utilize that to rebuild that cow herd and make sure we're doing that with great females that can produce for the long haul," Jentz said. "The other part of that is from our commercial producers standpoint using our Angus Link Feeder Calf Program and really differentiating those genetics in the marketplace using that Angus scorecard to be able to give confidence to those feedlot guys that are buying those feeder cattle and know that they're not just buying a black hiding calf, they're buying a calf that has the ability to grow and be able to hit those specs on the rail and hit that prime product so they can get paid a premium as well.”

What Does The Future Look Like?

Jentz added from the Association’s perspective, it’s vital that producers are profitable now and into the future. For more on the state of the Angus industry, and the key role genetics play going forward, listen to our entire podcast with Jentz:

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-9791, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com