Press Releases

CAB Newswire

If you would like more information about the Certified Angus Beef ^® (CAB) Program, want to obtain photographs or graphics, or would like to automatically receive news releases concerning the CAB Program, contact Steve Suther, industry information director.

Featured News Releases

April 2008

Marbling governs beef flavor by Miranda Rieman
- Steakhouses hold an allure for discerning diners, and Daryl Tatum knows why.

Factors that affect CAB® rate
- Most beef producers own at least some Angus cattle. They may have wondered what it takes for their calves to qualify for the Certified Angus Beef ® brand.
Related files: pdf-1   pdf-2   jpg-3   pdf-4  

Why people eat beef by Miranda Reiman
- People make hundreds of choices every day, from clothing to music and food.
So what moves 24 billion pounds of beef off the shelves and menus and onto consumers' plates each year?
Related files: pdf-1  

Lung adhesions: the invisible cost by Miranda Reiman
- When cattle get sick, it hurts performance and quality.
Related files: pdf-1  

How the CAB Program works by Miranda Reiman
- The world's oldest and largest branded beef company does not own any cattle or beef product. Certified Angus Beef ^® (CAB ^®)is based on pull-through demand, and the only thing Certified Angus Beef LLC owns is its trademark.
Related files: pdf-1  

The foodservice consumers' beef by Steve Suther
- A panel of foodservice experts recently agreed beef consumers want quality.
Related files: pdf-1  

March 2008

Feed prices may encourage creep feeding by Miranda Reiman
- Today's high feed prices could make this the perfect year to try creep feeding.

AngusSource^® announces contest to hit CAB^® target by Steve Suther
- The 2008 AngusSource Carcass Challenge (ASCC) opens in April as the latest in a long tradition of proving Angus genetics in the feedlot and packing plant.

CAB president calls for balance by Steve Suther
- Premium branding shows the way to balance sustainability today with beef's long-term consumer demand, relative to other proteins.

CAB premiums hit $250 million by Steve Suther
- Grid premium rewards for hitting the Certified Angus Beef^® brand target have increased over the past two years, a January survey shows.

February 2008

DNA can help determine cattle potential by Miranda Reiman
- Every steer in a feedlot is different.

Herd records produce results by Miranda Reiman
- Planning and preparation make a big difference in efficient cowherd management.

Stockers can be managed for quality by Chelsea Good
- Cheap gains and maintenance-level nutrition are strategies from a bygone era of stocker management, according to Mark McCully, of Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB).

Putting beef consumers first
- RENO, Nev., February 8, 2008 – Four companies today announced a joint effort to build bridges between consumers and beef producers.

January 2008

Old ideas in a new light by Miranda Reiman
- Market changes tell cattle feeders to take another look at what worked in the past.

Trends change; importance of quality stays by Chelsea Good
- Food trends change with the times.

Cut herd health risks by Miranda Reiman
- Proactively improving wellness is the most important function of a herd health program.

Quality, efficiency work together by Miranda Reiman
- New rules for high-stakes beef industry

Beef grades by Chelsea Good
- When the meat grader stamps a side of beef with a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) quality grade, he is estimating its palatability. That stamp of approval on a Choice or Prime carcass predicts quality so that consumers have the confidence to pay more. Producers who sell in a value-based system also earn more. But how do the graders decide which stamp to use? What separates a Choice carcass from a Select?

Stack genetics to hit target by Miranda Reiman
- Bulls are essential, but they're not the whole ballgame in herd genetics. Traits can be influenced more readily if your breeding program takes into account both the paternal and maternal sides of the equation.

Strong demand supports higher prices by Miranda Reiman
- Some economic rules of the last century no longer apply. Dan Basse, president of AgResource Company, says the times are changing and cattle producers should take note.

December 2007

Room and reason to improve beef by Steve Suther
- During a seminar on the merits of high-quality beef, two industry leaders expressed concern over future supplies and short-term focus on pounds over quality.

Let's talk, cattle feeder says by Steve Suther
- Communication could help solve many challenges in the beef industry today. That's what Tom Brink, senior vice president of Five Rivers Cattle Feeders, told producers at two seminars in November.

November 2007

Getting it all by Miranda Reiman
- Efficiency and quality are two important words in the beef industry. Both were covered during the Feeding Quality Forums, Nov. 13 in Garden City, Kan., and Nov. 15 in South Sioux City, Neb.

The high-quality difference by Chelsea Good
- When it comes to steak, quality makes all the difference for both consumers and producers. At the Amarillo Farm Show, some Angus seedstock producers saw visual proof and learned about the dollar differences.

More sorting, more beef quality by Miranda Reiman
- Sorting cattle helps eliminate outliers in a pen, but the extra effort may be rewarded by higher quality grades, too.

Circle A Angus adds CAB feedlot by Miranda Reiman
- Circle A Angus Ranch opened a 5,000 head, all-under-roof feedlot in Huntsville, Mo. in May. Circle A Feeders is the only finishing yard in Missouri to join the Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) Feedlot Licensing Program (FLP).

Original premium beef brand sets records by Steve Suther
- The Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) brand, with sales of more than 584 million pounds, hit the highest mark in its 29-year history for the year ended Sept. 30.

Grid marketing could fit calves by Miranda Reiman
- Cattlemen often find it hard to realize the full value of calves sold at weaning.

'Aim High' Online by Miranda Reiman
- Beef producers who want to set higher quality and profit goals have a new source of information.

Patience payoff by Miranda Reiman
- Getting the most out of calves in the feedyard takes a little patience during preconditioning.
Research from New Mexico State University says weaning calves for at least 41 days before placing them on feed can increase their net return.

Give 'em a chance by Miranda Reiman
- How to get more for calves at the auction barn

October 2007

CAB introduces 'Best Practices Manual' by Miranda Reiman
- Cattlemen have to keep producing a fast-growing calf every year to make money. But that's not enough if those calves don't produce the beef consumers want. A new "how-to" report from Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) spells out the means to pleasing those who bring new dollars to the beef industry.

Beef flavor counts more than tenderness by Miranda Reiman
- There's been a lot of talk about tenderness in the beef industry lately. Tenderness markers have been identified and bulls are marketed with much fanfare surrounding this single trait. So tenderness must be king with the consumer, right?

September 2007

Where commitment begins by Steve Suther
- Consumer satisfaction doesn't just happen. It takes commitment, according to Joe Boutte, of Perry's Grille & Steakhouse.

Ratcliff Angus Ranch wins CAB honors by Miranda Reiman
- From the oil fields to soft drink distribution, banking to ranching, Jim Ratcliff never set foot without a commitment to excellence. Ratcliff, of Vinita, Okla., hired Billy Hall as ranch manager in 1999, because he saw a kindred spirit.

Built on trust, results by Miranda Reiman
- Miller wins 2007 CAB Quality Focus Award

Big on quality by Miranda Reiman
- Kansas feedlot holds on to CAB crown

Pulling out all the stops by Miranda Reiman
- Kansas feedlot wins CAB honors, naturally

Quality as a profit center by Miranda Reiman
- CAB honors Wheeler Feed Yard

Every little bit adds up by Miranda Reiman
- Western Nebraska ranchers win CAB honors

Quality beef: a family affair by Miranda Reiman
- Beller Corporation CAB Feedlot of the Year

August 2007

Cows that work, calves that grade by Miranda Reiman
- Many beef producers struggle with priorities when it comes to genetic selection. One part of them knows the market rewards a focus on the end product. After all, consumers are the ultimate customers.

Packer opens premium door to high-quality Angus calves by Miranda Reiman
- The nation's largest beef packer now offers Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand premiums for AngusSource®-tagged calves that qualify.

Premium grades add $500 million to cattle business each year by Miranda Reiman
- USDA Prime, Choice, Select and Standard have been the staples of graded beef, at least since the system was overhauled in the 1970s. The Choice grade may have been made too broad for effective use, because in recent years its upper two-thirds has further segmented into a kind of fifth grade: premium Choice.

July 2007

CAB record sales demand driven
- The largest branded beef program in the world continues to grow. Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) set a record in June, selling more pounds of product than in any other month in the brand’s history. CAB moved 56 million pounds through its network of licensed packers, distributors, retailers and restaurants.

June 2007

Connecting links in the beef chain by Miranda Reiman
- Atlantic City, N.J., is not exactly cattle country. But the gaming hub was a great place for a spring food show where consumers could meet someone from cattle country.

Only the best partners, naturally by Miranda Reiman
- Cattlemen with top quality Angus herds have a new option for feeding their natural calves.

May 2007

Beef quality: Seasonal cattle market thrills - part 1 by Miranda Reiman
- The cattle market is a rollercoaster. Based on the interactions of supply and demand with weather, politics and other variables, it can take you for a wild ride.

Beef quality: Reasons for the seasons - part 2 by Miranda Reiman
- Each year, beef quality grade follows a seasonal pattern with a late-winter peak before a sharp drop in the spring. As measured by percent USDA Choice in the fed cattle harvest mix, quality improves a bit in midsummer but hits a second valley in September.

Beef quality: Reasons for the seasons - part 3 by Miranda Reiman
- Each year, beef quality grade follows a seasonal pattern with a late-winter peak before a sharp drop in the spring. As measured by percent USDA Choice in the fed cattle harvest mix, quality improves a bit in midsummer but hits a second valley in September.

Calf nutrition pays by Miranda Reiman
- Quality beef starts with good calf nutrition from day one.

Research available to producers by Miranda Reiman
- The Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) "Here's the Premium" survey of 10 auction markets across the United States notes an increasing trend in the premiums paid for calves of known Angus genetics.

What it takes to be a CAB-licensed feedlot by Miranda Reiman
- When like-minded producers work together, they can accomplish more than the sum of their individual efforts.

Modern grass cattle concepts by Miranda Reiman
- Cattle genetics have changed and backgrounders may need to react.

April 2007

Corn, cattle in new paradigm by Miranda Reiman, Industry Information Specialist
- When feed prices double, cattle producers think twice as hard about management options.

Where's the Premium? by Steve Suther, Industry Information Director
- High percentage Angus calves outsell non-Angus calves of similar weight and frame at Texas area sale barns.

56th Annual Montana Livestock Forum by Miranda Reiman, CAB Industry Information Specialist
- "Ethanol may affect quality grade because the associated higher corn prices change the entire economics of raising cattle," Corah said on Tuesday, April 10, during the event’s evening program.

March 2007

Packers, Producers Need Each Other by Miranda Reiman
- Major beef packers across the United States say they're most successful when cattle producers are successful.

Pasture to plate cooperation needed to please consumers by Miranda Reiman
- A good eating experience for the consumer is the result of efforts across the entire beef industry.

Parasites rob gain, grade, profits by Miranda Reiman, Industry Information Specialist
- From a nutritionist's standpoint,parasites do two things that are really detrimental:depress feed intake and depress digestibility of the feed cattle do consume. When an animal has decreased intake and/or digestibility, one of the first places it shows up is in marbling score.

Dining out demands higher quality beef
- Whether dining in or taking out a beef entree, businesses lose money and customers when they cut corners on beef quality.

February 2007

Variable cattle, variable profit by Melissa Leander, Industry Information Writer
- Value-based marketing provides premiums for cattle that fit certain specifications and discounts for those that don't. Profitability on these grids can be improved by marketing animals at an ideal time.

Cattle-Fax sees opportunity in high quality by Miranda Reiman, Industry Information Specialist
- 300 million people are spending $75 more per year for beef than they were in the 1990s. The demand is for higher-grade product, the upper two-thirds Choice and Prime.

Responding to change by Miranda Reiman
- Knowledge guides purebred producer's decisions

Add value to calves, fit consumer demand by Melissa Leander, Industry Information Intern
- Many producers face challenges as cattle prices fall and the cost of gain skyrockets with increasing ethanol production. Higher corn prices often led to shorter feeding periods and lower beef quality grades in the past, but the future looks different.

Stocker management affects feedlot, carcass performance by Melissa Leander, Industry Information Intern
- Many producers believe the feedlot phase is the only one that influences beef quality grade,
but the cow-calf and stocker phases also contribute to marbling.

Slick Bunk Management by Miranda Reiman
- Sometimes it's not what the cattle eat, but how they're fed that makes all the difference.

January 2007

CAB uniformity rules take effect by Steve Suther, Director, Industry Information
- Licensed packing plants across North America begin using new, 10-part carcass specifications.

Use of better carcass data will improve beef by Miranda Rieman, Industry Information Specialist
- Carcass data is one key to making upward change within a cowherd. As the beef industry moves closer to grid marketing, it's economically important to focus on the end product. The Choice-Select spread averaged more than $13 per hundredweight last year, and that should make carcass data collection and use a top priority for cattlemen this year.

AngusSource now a viable CAB source by Miranda Rieman
- National Beef Packing Company LLC will be the first packer to allow AngusSource® cattle to be eligable for its premium Angus programs.

Alabama, Nebraska, Iowa, Texas top NACC by Steve Suther
- 2006 NACC winners announced.

Getting a handle on grade
- Feeding Quality Forums in North Platte, Neb., and Amarillo, Texas, last November shed light on many of the factors the play a role in delivering higher quality beef to consumers.

December 2006

Growth Promotion Can Impede Quality
- Implants can negatively affect quality, if you let them.

Making the most of limited supplies, CAB shines in 2006
- A continuous quest for high quality and value led the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand to its highest product utilization ever in fiscal 2006, which ended Sept. 30.

Big yards take big commitment
- Feedlot sizes have been steadily increasing, while quality grades of cattle continue to drop.

November 2006

Supplying the brand takes focus
- Pay attention to the consumer. Cattle producers everywhere are hearing that message. They understand that it’s really just asking them to pay more attention to their cowherds.

CAB reaches out to producers
- In an effort to fully explain Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) and the CAB program to producers, the company’s supply development team has created a special report in a magazine format.

Stika named CAB president
- John Stika, Creston, Ohio, has been named president of Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) by its board of directors. The board appointed him, effective immediately, at its Saturday, November 11 meeting during the American Angus Association annual convention in Louisville, Ky.

Data-driven decisions pay
- Since 1996, Robin Giles, Comfort, Texas, has also been able to trace finished calves from his herd back to the cows and bulls that earn him the most money. Ten years ago he began retaining ownership of most of his steer calves beyond weaning. He sent them to a feedlot and collected performance and carcass data on each head.

October 2006

The gender effect on beef quality
- It's a circle. The beef industry follows eight- to 12-year cyclical trends where supply and demand drive prices and production decisions. In a research review, Certified Angus Beef LLC vice president Larry Corah and supply development director Mark McCul

A million lessons from CAB feedlot partners
- In a million minutes, you will be almost two years older. A million-car traffic jam would reach from New York to L.A. and back again. A million is a lot of anything-dollars, miles or years. It's also a lot of data, and the most recent milestone

September 2006

Want top quailty beef? Start with potential
- Getting cattle to grade must start at the beginning, if not sooner. Planning comes before conception.

CAB to enhance uniformity
- Responding to beef industry changes and consumer demand, the Certified Angus Beef LLC board of directors on September 7 voted to adjust Certified Angus Beef® brand specifications.

Performance plus quality adds up for Angus producers
- You can't have it all. Do you want efficiency or quality? Make up your mind. Hold on there. Data from 12,000 cattle enrolled in the Certified Angus Beef LLC Feedlot Licensing Program show that you can have it both ways.