General Session IV
A Toolbox Full of Genetic Prediction Tools:
Is Profit in There Too?
BOZEMAN, Mont. (June 3, 2011) — During the fourth general session of the 43rd annual Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) research symposium, Iowa-based seedstock and commercial cattle producer Steve Radakovich voiced his thoughts on genetic improvement and its impact on producer profitability. Asked whether cow-calf producers can achieve profitability through genetic selection, Radakovich said, “No.”
“We can select for efficiency,” he explained, “but the marketplace decides profit or loss.”
Radakovich called efficiency a worthy goal, saying producers need to select for cattle that perform with lower inputs. He said too many cattle breeders still produce cattle in high-input production systems. They try to make it easier for cattle to perform instead of making cattle adaptable to the challenges of the production environment. He suggested they look to the example set by plant breeders.
“In my lifetime, they’ve gone from 60-bushel (per acre) corn to yields nearing 300 bushels. They’ve done it by increasing plant populations,” Radakovich said. “They actually put plants under more stress and pick the ones that survive to breed the next new variety. Poultry, swine and plant breeding industries recognize the value of increased adaptability.”
Radakovich recommended using genetic selection to maintain flexibility. He warned that raising calves that must go on feed as calves reduces the producers’ marketing options, but so does raising calves that must be grown on grass for a minimum amount of time. Either way, the producer may not have enough flexibility to adapt to market changes.
Radakovich shared his views on the future of the cattle industry and requirements for sustainability within the cow-calf sector. He said he looks for increased competition among packers and feedlots and foresees a decline in the number of U.S. cattle feeders and a continued decline in U.S. cow numbers.
With a greater percentage of cropland producing stocks for fuel, Radakovich predicted lower feedgrain supplies. With more calves grown to heavier weights, on forage, before going to finishing lots, there will be less forage available for cows. He also looks for declining numbers of cows in regions where forage production is heavily dependent on fertilizer.
Increased profitability in the future, Radakovich suggested, is most apt to result from improved management of resources, and especially better management of forage and pasture.
“We’ve got cows — ruminants — and we’ve got to use that to our advantage,” Radakovich said. “But we need to remember that cows are our harvesters, not our business.”
To listen to this presentation, visit the Newsroom at www.BIFconference.com.
BIF’s 43rd Annual Research Symposium and Annual Meeting was hosted June 1-4 on campus at Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont.
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