Cow-Calf Corner | July 11, 2022
Smaller Beef Export Markets Growing
Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist
U.S. beef exports increased 2.1 percent year over year in May, contributing to a 5.9 percent year over year increase for the first five months of the year. Beef exports are growing more slowly so far this year, but the increase is on top of record exports in 2021. Forecasts suggest that total beef exports for the year may end up about equal to last year or down slightly. The strong U.S. dollar may provide additional headwinds for beef exports going forward.
The six major markets for beef exports thus far in 2022 are: South Korea (23.6 percent share); Japan (22.6 percent); China/HK (19.0 percent); Canada (7.6 percent); Mexico (7.6 percent) and Taiwan (6.6 percent). Beef exports to the China/HK market are up 17.2 percent year over year for the year-to-date, still a robust rate of growth, but significantly slower compared to one year ago when exports were up nearly 163 percent over the same period in 2020. Exports to Taiwan are up 35.3 percent for the year to date and exports to South Korea are up 2.0 percent year over year so far this year. Exports to Japan are down 3.6 percent, with Mexico down 18.4 percent and Canada down 1.1 percent year over year for the year to date. The top six markets account for 87.1 percent of total beef exports so far this year, down from 89.7 percent last year.
Beyond the top six markets, the remaining 12.9 percent of beef exports (up from 10.3 percent last year) are spread over 121 diverse destinations. None of these smaller markets individually account for more than 1.5 percent of exports and most are less than 0.5 percent. However, many of these small markets are growing and are contributing, at least collectively, to a more robust set of export markets for U.S. beef. These smaller markets are in all parts of the globe, including Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In addition to the top six, the top twenty beef export markets include Indonesia, Philippines, Netherlands, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Colombia, Chile, United Arab Emirates, Costa Rica, Kuwait, Singapore, Bahamas and Panama.
General discussion of exports is usually focused on total quantities (or values). Beef exports are a component of the total demand for the many different beef products that are produced by the beef industry. Most beef exports are specific sets of products for specific markets. The impacts on specific beef product markets change as exports grow and evolve and this, in turn, has variable impacts on domestic markets for beef products. The impact of beef exports is greater than the direct quantity of products sold in international markets. In many cases, exports also improve domestic beef markets by providing a destination for beef products that would otherwise detract from domestic beef demand. Beef exports help to match the set of beef products in the domestic market to the highest value consumer preferences in the U.S.
DNA Testing to Improve the Accuracy of Selection
Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist
This article is intended for registered, seedstock breeders in the purebred sector of cow-calf production. As we approach the time of year that spring calving operations will be weaning, selection decisions will be made regarding how many heifers should be developed as replacements, for marketing or culled. Likewise, which bulls should be developed as potential herd sires to use or sell. These decisions impact marketing success, how we will utilize feed resources and the accuracy of these selection decisions dramatically impacts how much long-term genetic improvement we will make. With this in mind, using available DNA testing technology can cost effectively accelerate reaching our breeding goals.
What can we learn from DNA testing?
By working with your breed association to order the tests, submitting DNA samples and obtaining the lab results, current DNA testing technology can: 1) verify parentage, 2) determine genotypes for simply inherited, qualitative traits, and 3) identify genes having an additive genetic effect on the variation of quantitative, polygenic traits which result in higher accuracy, Genomically Enhanced Expected Progeny Differences (GE-EPDs). This information is typically available within a few weeks of when DNA samples are submitted yielding genetic information that would otherwise take generations of calf crops to obtain.
Determining genotypes for qualitative, simply inherited traits, when dominant/recessive gene action is occurring at a locus, can identify homozygous or “carrier” genotypes of animals with the same phenotype. For example, the horned/polled phenotype where the polled allele is dominant to the horned allele means that polled cattle can be either homozygous polled or heterozygous polled. If our breeding objectives include producing polled calves, parents with the homozygous polled genotype will sire/produce nothing but polled calves. Traits like coat color and most of the identified genetic defects are also simply inherited.
GE-EPDs increase the accuracy of selection for traits influenced by the thousands of genes. This would include traits like calving ease, weaning and yearling weights, carcass traits and maternal performance.
Breeders should contact their breed association for information and proper procedures for submitting DNA samples. DNA samples can be submitted in the form of blood (in purple topped tube or on a DNA card), tissue samples from an ear notch, hair follicles collected from the switch (from cattle weaning age or older) and straws of semen. Additional information on DNA sample collection is available on the OSU Beef Extension You Tube Channel or OSU Fact Sheet ANSI-3174.
Prices for DNA testing have came down dramatically over the past several years. Information on available tests and prices available through your breed association should be taken into account in considering the return on investment. Identifying genetically superior animals early in life not only can increase the effectiveness of selection in your program, it also provides more reliable estimates of genetic potential to customers purchasing registered, pedigreed seedstock.
Feeding Alternatives for Growing Cattle on Native Range in the Late Summer
Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University State Extension Beef Nutrition Specialist
Forage quality of native range in Oklahoma and the Southern Great Plains declines during the mid to late summer. Research conducted by Dagan Montgomery, a graduate student in the OSU Department of Animal and Food Sciences shows the dramatic decline in the protein and digestibility of native range as the summer progresses.
Performance of stocker calves on native range declines from highs of around 2 to 3 pounds per day during the spring and early summer to less than one pound per day through the late summer. Deficiency in dietary protein causes dramatic reductions in forage intake and digestibility. A small amount of high protein feed will correct the protein deficiency increasing both forage intake and forage digestibility when adequate forage is available.
In 7 experiments conducted by Oklahoma State University, it was found that feeding 1 pound per day of a high protein supplement (38 to 44% crude protein supplements based on proteins meals such as cottonseed meal or soybean meal) increased average daily gains from 1.13 pounds per day for unsupplemented steers to 1.51 pounds per day. This 0.37 pound per day increase in average daily gain required only 2.7 pounds of feed per pound of added gain.
The Oklahoma Gold Supplementation Program uses these concepts to increase performance and net returns of stocker calves grazing summer grass in the late summer. The Oklahoma Gold Program supplement should be at least 38% crude protein and contain at least 1% phosphorus (to offset mineral deficiencies in our summer grass) and contain an ionophore such as monensin or lasalocid to further increase gains by an average of 0.17 pounds per day. When an ionophore is included in the supplement efficiency improves so that only 1.8 pounds of supplement are required for each pound of added gain. This supplementation program can be fed daily (1 pound of supplement per calf), but it has been found that feeding on alternating days (2 pounds of supplement per calf each feeding) or simply 3 days per week (2.3 pounds of supplement per calf each feeding) is equally effective and may allow calves better access to supplement due to crowding and the low amount of supplement being fed.
Other research conducted by OSU graduate student, Zane Grigsby, at the USDA Southern Plains Range Research Station showed that late season performance could be increased with an extruded distiller’s grains cube (MasterHand Milling in Lexington, Nebraska) when supplemented to growing steers grazing mixed grass prairie in western Oklahoma. This supplementation program was based on the Oklahoma SuperGold Program where 2.5 pounds of supplement is fed per day (or 5.8 pounds fed per feeding 3-days per week), to increase gains by about 0.7 pounds per day. In this research, feeding 2 pounds per day (4.7 pound per feeding, 3 days per week) of this extruded distiller’s grains cube during the late summer increased gains by 0.7 (in the first year) to 1.1 (in the second year) pounds per day compared with steers that were unsupplemented during that time, requiring only 2.3 to 2.7 pounds of feed per pound of added gain. In this research mineral supplements containing ionophores were offered free-choice to all calves in a separate complete mineral mix.
Supplementation of grazing calves during the late summer can be highly profitable even in years with high input costs. There are alternatives available that do not require daily feeding. If supplements containing the mineral and ionophores are not available, feeding the mineral and supplements separately can be equally effective.