Farmers and ranchers who rely on quality Angus genetics continued to see economic growth this year despite lingering challenges in the U.S. beef cattle industry.
According to year-end figures released by the American Angus Association®, Angus registrations, bull sale averages, AngusSource® enrollments and Certified Angus Beef® sales were among several sectors experiencing increases in fiscal year 2010, which ended Sept. 30.
“Year-end numbers continue to demonstrate strong demand for quality Angus genetics and solidify our long-held position as a leader in the beef cattle industry,” Bryce Schumann, American Angus Association CEO, said. “These results underscore our members’ commitment to providing genetic solutions to the beef cattle industry, and another consecutive year of record-breaking sales for Certified Angus Beef® further substantiates Angus demand.”
Registrations increased more than 5% during FY 2010, with 297,087 animals registered. Embryo transfers accounted for 11.5% of registrations, and more than 53% of registered calves were a result of A.I. More than 91,000 registrations were stored electronically in 2010 to account for 30.7% of total registrations.
Bull sale averages increased nearly 5% above last year, and overall sales edged higher.
Breeders continued to utilize Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR®) and Beef Improvement Records (BIR) in FY 2010. A total of 802,459 weight records were submitted, bringing the beef industry’s most extensive database to more than 19 million records.
Quality Angus genetics continues to drive consumer demand. Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) achieved its fourth consecutive sales record in 2010 with more than 775 million pounds, a 17% increase — or 114 million lb. — over last year. All CAB sectors, including food service, retail, international and value-added areas, experienced increases.
Approximately 14.9 million head were identified, and those certified for the Association-owned brand rose more than 24% to 3.5 million head. Acceptance rates climbed from 19.8% in 2009 to 23% in 2010, and nearly 64% of U.S. finished cattle were identified as black-hided.
AngusSource® — a program documenting age, source and Angus genetics — helped fuel the value of those Angus-sired calves in FY 2010. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Process Verified Program (PVP) enrolled 140,315 head, growing the number of head enrolled by 14.3% and bringing the total to more than 530,000 since the program was initiated as a PVP in 2005.
In addition, Gateway, a second-tier verification program documenting source and group age, enrolled 19,258 head. Collectively, producers marketed more than 47,000 head of AngusSource and Gateway cattle through the online cattle listings available at www.angus.org/angussource.
The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef organization, serving approximately 30,000 members across the United States and Canada. It provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on the power of Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.
For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association’s programs and services, visit www.angus.org
Source: American Angus Association