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.
AFBF Economist Danny Munch shares how passing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act could give the dairy industry a needed boost.
November 06, 2025 02:31 PM
·
Texas Cattle Feeders Association Chairman Robby Kirkland explains how the ongoing U.S.-Mexico border closure impacts feed yards that rely on Mexican cattle due to the New World Screwworm.
November 06, 2025 12:01 PM
·
Global nitrogen and phosphate prices remain high despite improved supply fundamentals, with limited Chinese exports and stronger fall applications tightening availability.
November 06, 2025 11:16 AM
·
Record output, larger stocks, and softer exports point to a well-supplied domestic ethanol market as harvest progresses.
November 06, 2025 10:53 AM
·
The Court may limit emergency tariff powers, complicating a key bargaining tool; ag could see shifts in input costs and export dynamics as China, Brazil, and India talks evolve.
November 06, 2025 10:04 AM
·
RFD-TV expert Roger McEowen explains why a “skinny” Farm Bill is likely in the future, but its scope may change due to provisions contained in the Big, Beautiful Bill.
November 05, 2025 03:19 PM
·
U.S. sugar producers and processors should brace for price pressure and challenging export logistics with global sugar supply ramping up — driven by Brazil, India, and Thailand — especially at the raw processing level.
November 05, 2025 01:02 PM
·
The Farm Bureau urges trade enforcement, biofuel growth, fair input pricing, and pro-farmer policy reforms to restore long-term certainty.
November 05, 2025 11:41 AM
·
The Sheinbaum–Rollins meeting signals progress, but the focus remains on fully containing screwworm before cross-border movement resumes.
November 05, 2025 10:18 AM
·
