Association Introduces Industry Position
KANSAS CITY, Mo. Con
cluding several months of in-depth
study, the American Polled Here
ford Association (APHA) has
issued a position and direction
statement to define and strengthen
the breed as a major contributor to
the U.S. beef cattle industry.
Approved by the APHA board
of directors and presented to the
membership in November, the
document titled “Polled Here
fords-Keeping on Track” defines
the breed’s strengths, adequacies,
and areas needing improvement.
The document was prepared from
breeder, commercial and industry
surveys and discussions.
“This breed direction statement
also goes a step further in estab
lishing desirable ranges of EPDs
and other objective measures to
help Polled Hereford breeders add
significant value to their seedstock
and thus to the commercial herds
who are our customers,” said
APHA President Ed Bible. “The
breeders’ intent was to accurately
target the end product market and
then assess where Polled Here
fords can best fit in the efficient
production of consistent, tender,
tasty beef.
“We have a commitment to
‘Keeping on Track.’ Our breeders
have not endorsed or described
any one ‘ideal’ animal, but have
instead given parameters and
ranges of characteristics and val
ues that will help direct the breed
to profitable contributions to the
industry.”
Survey results first identified
the current slaughter animals most
likely to meet industry needs,
based on results of the National
Beef Quality Audit and other
industry sources. That animal
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should have a slaughter weight of
1,100 to 1,250 pound, have a car
cass weight of 650 to 750 pound,
grade Choice to High Select, have
a rib-eye area of 11.5 to 14 square
inches, produce Yield Grade 2s
and 3s, and have a fat thickness of
0.2 to 0.5 inches.
Respondents emphasized that
calves produced from the Polled
Hereford sire side must add
growth, feed efficiency and
muscling. On the dam side, Polled
Hereford breeders must be con
cerned with milk, longevity and
soundness, with no eye or udder
problems.
USMEF Postpones Vote On New
ORLANDO, Fla., After two
days of deliberation, the U.S.
Meat Export Federation board of
directors voted to postpone a deci
sion on whether or not to support
a structure proposal from the beef
industry’s Oversight Committee.
As proposed by the Oversight
Committee, the industry would
create a new organization that
would develop one plan and one
set of priorities and would allocate
beef industry dollars accordingly.
The new organization would have
specific centers of operation to
address the eight leverage points
outlined in the beef industry long
range plan. One of these centers
would be responsible for domestic
and international marketing.
Under the currently proposed
plan, USMEF would contract with
the new organization and would
no longer work directly with the
Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB)
and individual state beef councils.
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“Most importantly,” Bible said,
“our breeders must know what
kind of commercial cows their
bulls will be bred to and what
environment they’re working in.
Breeders must have a thorough
knowledge of the market and cus
tomers’ needs in order to maintain
and enhance the breed’s value.”
Polled Hereford strengths estab
lished included efficiency and cost
cutting ability, disposition, the
polled trait, crossing ability, adapt
ability, mothering ability and high
quality beef. Areas viewed as ade
quate are growth and longevity.
Improvement should be focused on
carcass traits, milk and muscling. It
national and international pro
grams, including those from the
state beef councils and the Cattle
men’s Beef Board, would flow
through the new organization.
The USMEF board was united
in its support of the goals and
leverage points contained in the
plan but felt more time was need
ed to ask questions and more fully
understand the implications of the
proposed structure. The Oversight
Committee completed its work on
the structure proposal just two
weeks prior to the USMEF meet
ing in Orlando.
The motion to postpone the
vote included provisions for the
USMEF board to reconvene and
vote on the structure proposal at
the NCA meeting in Nashville,
January 25-28, 1995. The motion
to vote in Nashville passed with
359 votes in favor and 117 votes
opposed (five members passed on
this motion).
“There were some strong dif
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should be noted that APHA has just
introduced a national carcass data
collection program to address some
of these issues.
Ranges for desirable EPDs,
weights and frame sizes, specific
to geographic areas, were also
established.
“Generally speaking, our cus
tomers are looking for calving
ease, optimums in growth and
weights and trouble-free seed
stock,” Bible said. “Current
growth appears to certainly be ade
quate in most areas. Productivity in
a low-cost environment, a trait in
which Polled Hereford excel, is
ferences of opinion and a big dif
ference in the level of understand
ing between members,” said Jim
Mullins, outgoing USMEF chair
man and one of four USMEF rep
resentatives on the Oversight
Committee. Despite the differ
ences, Mullins said, “it was great
to hear people on this diversified
board saying, ‘We want to work
together on this issue’.”
USMEF directors who pre
ferred to vote at the Orlando meet
ing were divided, with some favor
ing the proposed structure and
some opposing. Those who
favored the motion to postpone the
vote were also divided but along
different lines. On the one hand,
some members in this group felt
they didn’t understand the details
of the proposed structure well
enough to make up their minds
and wanted more time to ask ques
tions and weigh the issues.
Other members of this group,
however, felt they understood the
plan but were uncomfortable with
certain aspects of the proposed
structure. It was their view that the
Oversight Committee should be
given more time to address these
concerns prior to a vote. Chief
among the concerns expressed in
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highly important. Frame size and
mature weights should fall in the
moderate categories to meet indus
try needs. Polled Herefords can be
the ideal ‘moderator’ to help get
commercial herds back on track. It
was noted that the breed offers the
industry several profitable trails
that require no additional inputs.”
While there is no single, ideal
animal suitable for the entire
industry, Polled Hereford breeders
have committed to providing the
ranges of traits that will fit the mar
ket and have set breed enhance
ment and improvement as the keys
for keeping the breed on track.
Structure
Orlando was the diminished
opportunity for state beef councils
to participate directly in USMEF
affairs under the new structure.
After the USMEF Business
Session early Friday evening,
Mullins explained that, “What the
beef industry is trying to do with
its long-range plan is very, very
important. I think the industry
needs to be more focused and
more effective than it is today. It’s
also important,” he said, “that we
continue to do the kind of job
we’ve been doing in foreign mar
kets. MEF has done a tremendous
job in this regard, as evidenced by
significant gains in both beef and
pork exports.”
The Oversight Committee has
asked the four national organiza
tions (USMEF, CBB, NCA and
the Beef Industry Council of the
National Livestock and Meat
Board) to vote on the plan and for
the new structure to be imple
mented by July 1, 1995. This time
table, Mullins stressed, can still be
met. He added that USMEF mem
bers who cannot attend the meet
ing in Nashville will have an
opportunity to vote, possibly by
proxy or absentee ballot.
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