NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — Pricing signals only work when they reflect what packers can actually sell, yet today’s yield grade was built for 1960s cattle—not the heavier, trimmer animals modern genetics produce.
Dr. Jessica Lancaster of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, says the industry’s Red Meat Yield Round Table is addressing the gap to ensure producers are accurately paid for their true, saleable yield.
The current U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) yield grade equation often explains less than half of the real variation in red meat yield, which means premiums and discounts can miss the mark.
New tools can fix it: 3D imaging has shown it can account for over 90 percent of saleable yield, CT scans measure carcass composition with near-lab accuracy, and even radar shows promise for predicting yield in live cattle.
Updating yield assessment to incorporate these technologies would align prices with product, reward efficient cattle, and advance the Beef Industry Long Range Plan into 2026–2030.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Better yield measurement means fairer grids, more precise breeding targets, and more dollars for truly efficient cattle.
Tyson’s Nebraska plant closure and falling Cattle on Feed numbers send cattle markets tumbling. Analysts warn of tighter supplies, weak margins, and rising global competition.
November 25, 2025 12:05 PM
·
A regional snapshot of harvest pace, crop conditions, logistics, and livestock economics across U.S. agriculture, prepared by RFD-TV Markets Specialist Tony St. James, for the week of Monday, November 24, 2025.
November 24, 2025 02:56 PM
·
One trader said the products entering the U.S. are primarily grind and trim, noting that the volume and type of beef, on its own, should not cause a major disruption. However, he says fund traders are reacting heavily to headlines rather than market realities.
November 24, 2025 02:42 PM
·
Farm legal expert Roger McEowen reviews the history of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and outlines how shifting definitions across multiple administrations have created regulatory confusion for landowners.
November 24, 2025 12:38 PM
·
According to November’s Cattle on Feed Report, Nebraska now leads the nation in cattle feeding as tighter supplies continue to reshape regional market power and long-term price dynamics.
November 24, 2025 11:47 AM
·
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates that the move will save farmers and ranchers $2.5 billion each year. The group warns that new methods for calculating the adverse-effect wage rate would result in lower pay for foreign workers.
November 24, 2025 11:32 AM
·
