Advancements in
Producer Application
Marketing Cattle During Challenging Economic Times: A State BCIA Perspective
Abstract:
The Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association (BCIA) was established in 1964 and has a long history in the evaluation and marketing of breeding stock. For the past five years, Alabama BCIA has observed a decline in the number of bulls and heifers consigned to bull evaluations, consignment sales and replacement heifer sales, particularly open heifer sales. Despite two years of statewide drought and economic conditions, no considerable change in the average market price per bull or heifer has occurred.
In addition to these conditions, restructuring within Alabama Cooperative Extension System in 2004 has led to the decline in participants in the Alabama BCIA Commercial Herd Record Keeping Program. The beef cow inventory of Alabama, reported by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, has also shown decline in the past five years. With a reduction in cattle sold, there are fewer buyers and reduced income from sales commissions for the association.
Efforts have been made by the leadership of Alabama BCIA to address these issues. To attract more participants, efforts were made to reduce the cost per bull to increase net profit per bull. Potential solutions such as creation of the BCIA Genetic Verified Heifer Sales and the offering of specialized education for seedstock producers have been implemented. Even with challenging economic and environmental conditions, the U.S. and Alabama cattle industry with Alabama BCIA have displayed their resiliency. New methods to deliver educational programs and resources to aid Alabama cattle producers to confront these challenges are being developed by Alabama BCIA.
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Editor’s Note: The above material is provided by and posted with permission of the Beef Improvement Federation. Please direct reprint requests to BIF via the “Contact BIF” page at www.beefimprovement.org.
