In the News -
November 2007
Cattle producers must be mindful of their clientele
HOPE, Ark. - How America eats is changing how cattle producers raise
their stock, says Gerald Alexander, Hempstead County staff chair for the
University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
Most beef produced for human consumption is finished on a high-energy grain
diet in a feedlot.
"A new wrinkle in beef production of recent years has been the production of
slaughter cattle fed only a grass diet," Alexander says. While the numbers
produced as "grass-fed" are relatively small, the practice is gaining momentum
because consumers are demanding a leaner and healthier product.
Several producer associations have emerged to promote grass-fed beef. In
2006, it was estimated that about 60,000 head of grass-fed cattle were marketed
in the United States, a number like to increase this year and in years to come.
The term grass-fed beef doesn’t have an official definition as yet, but the
USDA proposed a definition that animals be fed grass (although not necessarily
in a pasture) 99 percent of the time from weaning to slaughter, Alexander said.
That definition raised a storm of controversy, and a new definition will likely
emerge some time soon that will satisfy all concerned.
"Proponents of grass-fed beef promote its healthy nutritional aspects," says
Alexander. "When compared to grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef contains less
saturated fat and more healthy essential fatty acids not produced in humans or
animals."
Producers of grass-fed beef have strict management guidelines they have to
follow if their product is to carry the grass-fed label. Typically, producers
must agree to source and age identification of animals from birth to sale; use
no antibiotics, growth hormones or feed additives; keep all feeds and supplements, except forages, out of the diet;
and follow animal handling practices established by their association.
The grass-fed beef market is a niche market that will likely grow as demand
for the product increases. By being faithful to the consumer’s needs, American
beef consumption can increase, Alexander noted.
Consumers also have a hand in how cattle are raised - albeit indirectly.
"Requests from major fast food restaurant chains have been successful in
recent years in prompting suppliers of meat and poultry products to change the
management programs animals are raised under to avoid perceived inhumane
treatment," says Alexander.
"The suppliers have agreed to their demands, and their producers have been
forced to change to meet their demands," he said.
While the animal rights debate goes on, livestock and poultry producers have
to be aware that some commonly accepted animal husbandry practices can be
perceived as cruel and unusual treatment by others.
Alexander says an example was given of a farmer helping a cow who was having
difficulty giving birth to her calf in a pasture beside a highway. A passerby
noticed the situation and called the police because they thought the cow was
being mistreated. Several police units responded to the call, and the farmer had
to explain what he was doing.
For more information on beef production, contact your county extension agent
or visit www.uaex.edu. The Cooperative Extension Service is
part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
November 30, 2007Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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