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Quality Beef Assurance audit shows dairy animal advantages

The dairy sector has made a big influence on the beef industry in recent years.

Dr. Keith Belk with Colorado State University discussed the Quality Beef Assurance audit findings with dairy producers during World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.  He says dairy beef now accounts for almost 30% of the market.  “The dairy industry has helped to improve the quality grading of the overall beef consist.  For the first time since 1973, over 70% f our carcasses are grading choice and prime, and so there has been a lot of things that have happened between 2011 and 2016 that I think the dairy industry should sure be proud of.”

And, Belk says dairy producers marketing beef have some branding and marketing advantages the rest of the beef industry doesn’t have.  “The dairy cow industry has the opportunity with traceability to be a bigger player in export markets because of that traceability.  They produce a product that has a tendency to have whiter fat in color, and as a consequence, that adds a tremendous amount of value to the culled cow and bull part of the market.”