Beef-on-dairy is not new. In fact, it has become a commonplace genetic management strategy. Today, we see more beef cross calves created than ever before as dairies zero in on their genetic selection and crank up the selection intensity. Utilizing beef sires on high-producing but lower genetic-quality females has been a game changer for the industry, as you know. However, this means the beef supply chain sees more and more beef cross calves enter the market every day.
The truth is every beef cross animal has a story to tell. Taking that concept a step further, you can use superior genetics and traceability as tools to differentiate yourself in a populated market. The fact is: There is still a vast variation in the quality of beef cross calves. If you are using the right genetics for your beef program, then having a traceable product is the assurance that your calves are receiving the value they deserve. The question is: Are you taking advantage of a traceability program to increase the value of your beef cross calves?
Traceability vs. verification
Traceability in the beef supply chain is the ability to follow the movement of an animal and the meat it produces through stages of production, processing and distribution. Traceability promotes food safety, assures compliance with protocols, and creates a more adaptable and responsive industry. For dairy producers, the idea of traceability is not new when you consider the measures that have been put in place to ensure milk and dairy products are safe. Implementation of traceability practices on a dairy comes naturally due to the way the animals are housed and handled more frequently.
Traceability and verification are terms we sometimes hear as synonymous. However, they are not interchangeable, and you should not have one without the other. To unpack what that means, think of a map. The route you take from point A to B would be considered traceability. Let’s say there were checkpoints at each stop you made where you had to tell a third party not associated with you that you stopped. Those checkpoints are verification. Verification is validating that genetics, responsible animal care, health and freight are correct on a load of cattle.
Traceability matters to the beef supply chain
Beef is finding its way to consumers’ dinner tables more frequently, so the demand for high-quality beef is not slowing down. Consumers’ interest in where their food comes from, how it got to their plate and their trust in practices has increased the desire for traceable and verified products.
While the supply chain considers traceability from a retail point of view, it also has its own set of reasons as well. Traceability increases data sharing among the entire chain, which cultivates the adaptability of the industry to changing markets. Processors are using traceability to separate quality beef cross cattle from generic due to the variation in the population. Every feedyard is competing for processor space, so feedyards use traceability to identify value-added cattle with verified genetics and performance. The beef supply chain wants cattle with predictable outcomes to minimize risk. Traceability increases the information they have on those animals, making them more predictable.
Three reasons dairies should care about traceable beef crosses
- Market access – If every beef cross has a story, traceability is the way to tell the story to gain market access. Generic beef-on-dairy has left a bad taste in the mouth of the beef supply chain. Without traceability, your beef cross calves are at risk of being considered generic and losing market access. The beef market has increased demand for consistent and predictable animals with high-quality genetics. Traceability is your key to ensuring you have a market for your calves.
- Build your brand reputation – Traceability is your opportunity to stand out from the dairy down the road. Building your reputation with your calf buyers is key for marketing your product. Validating the quality of the beef cross calves you create builds buyers’ trust. Verification of exceptional genetics, calf care practices and animal health only strengthens your reputation in the beef supply chain. The performance and health of your cattle is linked to the genetics and care you provide them. A good reputation of excellent genetics, calf care and health will keep your buyer coming back.
- Avoid dairy discounts – The name of the game in the beef supply chain is avoiding discounts. Creating a consistent product with verified genetics and performance allows you to avoid discounts, which maximizes your return. Traceability increases your chance to obtain the maximum value you are offered for your calves. It is the ticket to being considered an elite beef cross versus a generic beef-on-dairy calf.
The future of traceability in the beef supply chain
The concept of traceable beef products is here to stay. The route in which beef cross calves flow through a dairy and the beef supply chain is the real advantage for dairies. In fact, dairy producers can lead the charge for traceability within this space. The dairy industry is no stranger to traceable and verified products compared to others in the market. However, to say dairies lack competition in this space from beef producers would be incorrect, as top-tier beef producers understand the value in traceable and premium products as well.
The benefits of traceability are dynamic, and we are just on the cusp of connecting all the dots. However, consider the following as to what the future of traceability could be:
- Sustainability is a buzzword of the industry, and there are many ways to define it. However, you cannot manage what you do not measure, so you must have traceability in order to determine sustainability.
- Branded products speak volumes to consumers at the retail level. Although one dairy cannot fill the demand of a grocery, traceability has the potential to link high-quality, consistent beef cross calves of one genetic source together that could fill a grocery as a branded product.
- Traceability continues to promote supply chain efficiency and learning. Data sharing not only helps make processes more efficient but encourages analysis of the animals' performance and health. That information could lead to improved genetic selection and management practices.
- Finally, highly regulated export markets place more pressure on knowing the farm of origin, management practices and health treatments of animals. Traceability and beef cross cattle could bridge the gap for exporting to those markets.
Traceability is our present and our future. In a market where it is easy to be labeled a commodity, traceability and verification are your tools to gain market access and value for your beef cross calves. Traceability lends the helping hand in building your reputation for quality genetics, calf care and health, and justifies a reward for your hard work.
Remember, every beef cross calf has a story to tell. Are you telling yours?
