March 2008
In late November while doing a herd visit at one of my Mennonite dairy
clients, the owner – Sam, asked me if I had my crystal ball for the
beef business with me that day. Sam knew I had a herd of Simmental and
so was involved in the beef industry as well as being a veterinarian.
As is the custom in the Mennonite community Sam is in the process of
“setting up” his six sons with farming operations. While he has a
dairy herd (60), he understands the importance of being diversified.
His eldest son was set up with a 600 head finishing feed lot. I know
for many of you reading this will think that is a very small
operation. However when you have 25 such lots in a township it adds up
to a significant number of feeder cattle in our area. Sam’s second son
opted for a dairy operation but the next boys in line are interested
in the beef business.
Getting back to my crystal ball; Sam and I discussed a number of items
that are out of our control – a high Canadian dollar, high cost of
feed (barley at $250.00 per tonne), increased regulatory costs, and
our main Ontario processor cutting back one day a week – all resulting
in disastrously low fat cattle prices. At the end of the conversation
we both agreed there would still be a beef industry so long as we keep
our consumers happy; but with obstacles as great as those created by
the B.S.E. it seems likely we’re in for another restructuring of the
beef industry. After I left that call I could not help but think how
this is going to impact the purebred business and our Simmental breed
in particular.
It seems that anytime we go through a crisis of this magnitude we
loose a few more breeders. It has been very rewarding to see our
registrations and transfers bounce back after the B.S.E. situation. To
me this begs the question as to what our breed and breed association
can do to ensure that we come through other crises and still be a
dominant player in the beef industry. In basic terms we must be
providing to the beef industry the genetics that are required to be
profitable. For the commercial cow calf operator they want calving
ease and high weaning weight, for the feed lot operation it is
genetics that provides feed efficiency and carcass qualities that will
provide premiums on the grid. The processors require cattle that have
high carcass yield and qualities that maximize their returns on that
carcass. For our ultimate customer “the people who consume our
product” it is taste and tenderness that make the bottom line.
The CSA has developed over the years a Genetic Evaluation system (EPD’s)
that assists our customers to identify the traits that are important
to them. While the system is not perfect it gives an important
benchmark to assist in making breeding decisions. Over the years we
have added to the evaluation more and traits with the last one being
the scrotal E.P.D. This is all important information but sometimes
makes it complex to decipher and apply. At this time we are developing
an Index system – similar to the one used by the American Simmental
Association. The index will allow us to distill down a number of
factors that will give dollar values for the expected progeny from
Bull A as opposed to Bull B.
New information is now coming at us fast and furious with DNA markers
being developed for various traits. This information incorporated into
our EPDs will give us genetic information quicker and increase the
accuracy of our EPDs at an earlier period in time. The CSA has been
very fortunate to receive the $250,000 donation from Judy Sweet and
family to establish the Garth Sweet Simmental Foundation which will
provide funding towards genetic improvement projects including DNA
marker research. This will allow our breed to be in the forefront of
this important technology and will ultimately allow us to more
accurately identify the genetics in our breed that will best serve our
customers.
How is this going to help us survive the current difficult times? The
beef industry has always been resilient and innovative and yes there
is still going to be a market for quality beef that our consumers
want. We as purebred breeders must be able to identify the genetics in
our herds and breed those that will meet these criteria. By building
on our past programs and developing the new ones such as the DNA
markers and indexes, I believe Simmental cattle and Simmental breeders
will continue to be industry leaders.
I also believe my Mennonite client – Sam, will continue to survive and
prosper in the beef business. Our challenge is to ensure we are
providing him with the right genetics to help him prosper.
Everett Hall DVM, CSA Breed Improvement Committee Chairman
February 2006
Calving season has officially begun. The sight of that
first calf getting licked off while he struggles to his feet and makes
his way to nurse is a sight that signifies the New Year more than
Polar Bear Swims and bad New Year’s party decorations ever could.
For a guy that has been away in search of a higher education for the
past three years, I couldn’t be happier to be home on the farm this
year. Admittedly, I’m required to work off farm these days but,
as I put it to a visiting breeder from Ontario last weekend, I’m a
Simmental breeder with a day job.
Our calf crop thus far typifies a cross-section
of our herd – some blacks, some reds and a fair number of fullblood
and purebred traditionals. We are a rarity in the Canadian scene
in that we still have a fair number of purebred traditional
Simmentals. They’ve been kept around because they produce calves
for us that either turn out to be great replacement females or that
finish in our feedlot in 12-14 months, hanging an unbelievable carcass
on the rail.
Our bull sales have been good thus far, with
prices up from last year and it seems there is a sense of optimism
within the industry, following such a long period of dismay during the
BSE crisis. The bulls we have left to sell are all solid bodied,
well made, red and black bulls that I am quite proud of. It is
interesting when buyers drop by the farm and indicate, before they see
the bulls, what they’re looking for. Some are after red bulls,
some are after black bulls, some are asking for “traditional
Simmental” bulls and others just want them to be good, regardless of
type and color. It is that wide variation in market demand that
allows our breed to be all things for all buyers, which I firmly
believe will allow us to continually adapt and thrive long into the
future.
We, like many in Atlantic Canada, are in a market
development/rebuilding stage following the fallout of BSE. The
average seedstock buyer in this part of the country is a guy with
20-25 cows, working off the farm and selling his calves in the fall of
the year. BSE saw many of these breeders exit the market due to
financial viability concerns. The result is that we are left in
search of new breeders and new markets, while trying to draw breeders
back in who have left the industry.
As I look ahead to 2006, I must admit I am
excited about the opportunities we, as Simmental breeders in Canada
are presented with this year. I am currently working with Amanda
Sheehan, Dana Hicks and Carla Hicks on the Young Breeders Forum to be
held in conjunction with the World Congress in Calgary from July 12
through July 16. This is a brand new initiative that offers
young Simmental breeders aged 18-25 years a chance to participate in
the World Congress. We have been putting together a great
program and I would advise you to check it out on the website at
www.simmental.com/congress/youth.htm or give any of us a call and we’d
be more than happy to tell you all about it.
Before I sign off I just want to say hello to all
of my friends across the country that I’ve had the chance to meet
through this breed. It is my firmest belief that we will remain
strong not only because of the product we offer but because of the
fine people involved. So, from the Godfrey family and Frey Lawny
Farms to all of you: good luck during calving season and all the
best in 2006!
Andrew Godfrey
