United States

Unprecedented change in the US beef industry made for an exciting and challenging year in 2001 and thus far in 2002. This past year alone has seen virtually every major packer aggressively take steps to increase production of case-ready products. As packers assume more and more of the direct liability associated with turning live cattle and carcases into trimmed, case-ready products, feeders and cow-calf producers can expect to see changes in the way fed and feeder cattle are valued. Long term, this profound change in the business model for packers and retailers represents tremendous opportunity for breeders of Limousin cattle.

Despite the catastrophic domestic and international events of this past year, demand for beef among US consumers has remained remarkably resilient. According to preliminary index figures from the National Cattlemans’ Beef Association, demand advanced 5.7% in 2001 as compared to 2000. At year-end, survey results indicated that 89% of consumers remain confident in the safety of the US beef supply. This strong level of domestic consumer confidence and demand for beef should bode well for the industry if the struggling US economy and soft demand for beef exports can rebound in the months ahead. As well, large anticipated domestic production of both poultry and pork may dampen the magnitude of price gains producers receive for feeder and fed cattle in 2002.

With relatively few exceptions, reports from Limousin seedstock sales this spring indicate stronger demand for Limousin genetics in 2002. Generally, NALF contact wit commercial producers suggests that many are looking for crossbreeding solutions to compliment their predominantly British breed influenced cows to produce hybrid calves with added muscle, efficiency and uniformity. Correspondingly, NALF remains cautiously optimistic regarding sales and registry activity for the remainder of 2002. Caution comes from recent economic losses incurred in the cattle feeding industry and lower prices anticipated for commercial calves this fall. NALF and Limousin breeders must remain especially assertive as to marketing efforts in order to sustain the favourable prices established for Limousin seedstock.

Consequently, marketing the genetic merit of the Limousin breed remains NALF’s highest priority. Over the course of this past 18 months, NALF has executed a number of marketing activities to deliver our message to commercial producers; Limousin the best cross on British-based cows for muscle growth efficiency and profitable production of case-ready products. The theme, Get More Muscle for Less has led our charge in print ads, cooperative marketing with state associations, flyers, posters, trade show exhibits, the expanded Bottom Line commercial newsletter, content on the web site, and promotional merchandise. The NALF board backed this effort through a 50% increase to the advertising and promotions budget in fiscal 2001/2002.

NALF’s largest undertaking this past nine months has been the development of a branded Limousin crossbreeding system and specifications for hybrid Limousin seedstock. More than anything, this overall effort represents the next step in our breed’s marketing efforts. With Limousin’s position as the beef industry’s leading source of genetics for More Muscle for Less in the production of case-ready products now established, our next logical priority is to explain how Limousin can deliver "More Muscle in One Cross" through simple, easy to understand crossbreeding. In other words, promote the use of fullblood, purebred and hybrid Limousin seedstock in commercial crossbreeding systems designed to consistently hit maternal and case-ready targets. This exciting and innovative breed-wide marketing effort is scheduled to debut this fall.

The above effort to develop a branded Limousin crossbreeding system and hybrid Limousin seedstock represents only a small part of the execution of NALF’s long range plan developed during the Focus 2000 symposium. In addition to marketing, the plan includes goals for the organization and staff activities in the areas of office operations, communications, commercial program, and research and performance programs.

On the office operations front, I am pleased to announce that thanks to the diligent work of NALF’s data processing team, turnaround time for completion of error free work has been well within our goal of five days or less over the past 12 consecutive months. Measures taken following the computer conversion have led to improvements in efficiency on a number of fronts, including substantial decreases in costs associated with; computer maintenance and licensing, contract programming, staffing, utilities, paper, postage and storage. Further, NALF is excited about a number of web based membership information services currently under development.

Another fairly major undertaking by NALF this past year was finalization of plans to the transition from blood typing to DNA typing for parentage verification. Officially, the transition began this past May 1, 2002, with either blood or DNA typing available to the membership for meeting verification requirements. Beginning January 1, 2003, DNA is to be exclusively used for typing except in cases where parentage can only be verified through blood types. Members are reminded that animals blood typed since the beginning of 1995 already have samples on file which are available for derivation of DNA types. Use of DNA typing offers advantages in convenience and cost as compared to blood typing.

NALF’s commercial marketing program continues to concentrate on adding value to Limousin influenced feeder and fed cattle through its special feature sales, free feeder fax advertisement broadcasts of cattle available for sale to potential buyers, alliances with branded beef programs, as well as through the expanded Bottom Line newsletter. Thanks to the advertising support of NALF members and corporate sponsors, we have been able to expand the quarterly newsletter this past year to a 16-page format that reaches nearly 20,000 producers. The Bottom Line consistently tells the rest of the Limousin story, reaching current and potential customers with comprehensive information about both management and the merits of Limousin genetics.

Research efforts conducted and supported by NALF this past year were prioritized to truly give substantial backing to our marketing position as the best cross for production of case-ready products. It follows that thanks to our membership, the most noteworthy accomplishment was to double our database of ultrasound scan information and the further development of EPDs for carcase merit from scan data. As a result of this effort, virtually every major Limousin AI sire now has some sort of information available as to genetic merit for ribeye area, external fat and percent intra-muscular fat (marbling). So as to not diminish in the least our breed’s database derived from actual carcase data, the current research priority is to explore the feasibility of combining scan and actual carcase data into a single genetic prediction for each carcase trait which incorporates both sources of information. As well, NALF continues to participate in NCBA’s carcase merit project designed to help develop genetic predictions and validate DNA markers for tenderness.

Furthermore, the recently assigned breed improvement committee is helping give direction to additional priorities for NALF’s performance program. The work of this committee spans a range of efforts, including incorporation of multi-breed genetic evaluation procedures, implementation of advanced data screening, validation of experimental EPDs for direct and maternal calving ease, development of predictions for genetic differences in mature cow size and fleshing ability, as well as simplification and presentation of genetic information on NALF reports. The overriding goal is to give NALF members a clear cut competitive edge over the competition as it relates to information available to breed genetically superior seedstock.

Based on input from Focus 2000, the NALF board and staff have attempted to devise a cohesive program of work which ties together effective marketing, member services, communication and research all of which focus on capturing greater market share for the breed in a rapidly changing beef industry. As always, we invite input from both those within and outside the breed, as well as from outside the US, such that we maximize our effectiveness in expanding the reach of Limousin genetics.

Le Limousin aux Etats-Unis (mise à jour 2001/2002)

Des changements sans précédent dans l’industrie bovine aux Etats-Unis ont fait de 2001 une année remplie d’animation et de défis, et il en est de même jusqu’à date en 2002. L’an passé, presque tous les gros abattoirs ont pris des mesures agressives pour augmenter la production de viande prête-à-utiliser. Depuis que les abattoirs assument de plus en plus une plus grande part de responsabilité dans la transformation du bétail vif et des carcasses en produits bien préparés et prêts-à-utiliser , les parcs d’engraissement et les producteurs vache-veau peuvent s’attendre à voir des changements dans la valeur recue pour les bovins d’abattage et les bovins à l’engraissement. A long terme, ces changements en profondeur dans le modèle des affaires de l’abattage et de la vente au détail représenteront d’énormes opportunités pour les éleveurs Limousins.

Malgré les événements catastrophiques de cette dernière année tant au plan domestique qu’international, la demande pour le boeuf chez les consommateurs américains est demeurée remarquablement énergique. Selon les statistiques préliminaires de l’Association Nationale des Eleveurs de Bétail, la demande a augmenté de 5,7% en 2001 comparativement à l’an 2000. A la fin de l’année, les résultats d’un sondage indiquaient que 89% des consommateurs demeuraient convaincus de la salubrité du boeuf produit aux E-U. Ce niveau élevé de confiance des consommateurs à domicile et de la demande pour le boeuf laissent présager un meilleur avenir pour l’industrie, à condition que le ralentissement économique aux E-U et la faible demande pour la viande de boeuf exportée rebondissent dans les prochains mois. De plus, les prévisions d’une production accrue de poulet et de porc peuvent venir diminuer le niveau des prix que reçevront les producteurs pour les veaux d’engraissement et les bovins finis en 2002.

Avec relativement peu d’exceptions, le rapport des ventes de reproducteurs Limousins du printemps indique une plus grande demande pour la génétique Limousine en 2002. En général, le sondage de la NALF (Fondation Limousine Nord-Américaine) auprès des producteurs commerciaux indique que plusieurs de ceux-ci se tournent vers des schémas de croisements visant à venir complémenter l’influence britannique prédominante présente chez leurs vaches, et afin de produire des veaux croisés avec plus de musculature, d’efficacité et d’uniformité. En conséquence, l’optimisme de la NALF demeure réservé quant à l’activité suscitée par les ventes et l’enregistrement pour le reste de 2002. Cette attitude de réserve est attribuée aux récentes pertes économiques dans l’industrie des parcs d’engraissement et à la prévision d’une baisse de prix pour les veaux d’embouche l’automne prochain. La NALF et les éleveurs Limousins doivent demeurer convaincus dans leurs efforts de marketing afin de maintenir les prix favorables en vigueur pour les reproducteurs Limousins.