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.
Dr. Jeffrey Gold, President of the University of Nebraska, joined us to break down what telehealth entails and which conditions can be managed through remote appointments.
December 03, 2025 02:17 PM
·
Improved export prospects and higher crop prices strengthened future expectations despite continued caution about spending.
December 03, 2025 01:52 PM
·
Federal lawyers submitted a brief this week backing Bayer’s argument that federal laws governing herbicides like Roundup should prevent lawsuits over the popular chemical.
December 03, 2025 12:08 PM
·
The Environmental Protection Agency confirms that new single-fluorinated pesticides are not PFAS and remain fully compliant with current safety standards.
December 03, 2025 11:00 AM
·
Strong demand supports sweet potatoes, but grading challenges and rising costs weigh on returns for Southeastern growers.
December 02, 2025 06:17 AM
·
The Cotton-4 are pushing hard for new value chain investments. Still, many U.S. cotton producers face unsustainable losses, and weakened regional textile capacity threatens the survival of the Carolina “dirt-to-shirt” supply chain.
December 01, 2025 05:03 PM
·
Late harvest and tight supplies shape crop progress and agribusiness this week. Here is a regional snapshot of harvest pace, crop conditions, logistics, and livestock economics across U.S. agriculture for the week of Dec. 1, 2025.
December 01, 2025 04:22 PM
·
Cargill’s commitment to keep plants open helps preserve competition as Tyson removes capacity amid historically tight cattle supplies.
December 01, 2025 03:55 PM
·
Tryston Beyrer, Crop Nutrition Lead at The Mosaic Company, examines planning trends as producers weigh corn and soybean plantings for 2026.
December 01, 2025 03:27 PM
·
