Oct. 22, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Carrie Heitman, communications coordinator, at 816-383-5100 or cheitman@angus.org.
VIDEO: Watch fiscal year-end coverage on
The
Angus Report. For complete fiscal data, visit www.angus.org in the coming weeks to access the American Angus
Association’s 2012 Annual Report.
Angus
Breed Remains Steadfast in Fiscal Year 2012
Year-end
data looks positive for those with Angus cattle.
Reassurance
is difficult to come by in today’s cattle business. Between the historic drought, soaring input costs and market uncertainty, many
producers are wondering if there is any good news left at all. The American
Angus Association® is pleased to release fiscal year (FY) 2012 data
showing the breed continues to offer producers opportunities, even throughout
growing industry wide challenges.
In
FY 2012, the Association reports overall sale averages increased more than 20%
above last year, and registrations are up nearly 7% to 315,007 animals.
“The
Angus breed is fortunate to have been built upon strong genetics, solid
performance records, superior marketing and, most importantly, producers
dedicated to raising the best quality beef imaginable,” says Bryce Schumann,
Association chief executive officer. “That will keep our breed strong
regardless of shifting industry challenges.”
Records
that spanned from Oct. 1, 2011, to Sept. 30, 2012, show Angus bull sales
averaged $4,536 per head — a 20% increase over the previous year. Angus females
averaged $3,371 per head in reported sales, a rise of 18%.
Registrations
also grew in FY12, as members registered 315,007 animals. The top five states for
registrations were, in order: Montana,
Nebraska, South Dakota, Oklahoma and Kansas. Of total registrations, nearly 10%
were embryo transfers, and the number of artificially sired calves was up
slightly, with almost 160,000 reported in FY12. That’s an increase of 4% over
last year.
Continuing
trends in many parts of the industry, more producers are now processing
information electronically. About 10% more registrations were stored electronically
in FY12, with a total of more than 106,000 registrations (nearly 34% of the
total).
“We’re
always looking for ways to increase convenience for members,” Schumann says.
“In the coming year, we expect more people to access registration data and
other pertinent information on their smartphones using our Angus Mobile app.”
The
Association’s National Cattle Evaluation (NCE) gained momentum this year, as
well. Each Friday, new information is released on recorded animals. In FY12,
the Association received a total of 801,793 birth, weaning and yearling weights
submitted by 8,262 herds; processed ultrasound measurements on 107,757 animals.
In
addition, the USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) AngusSource® enrolled
135,041 head in FY12, bringing total enrollments to more than 900,000 animals
since the program began in 2005. AngusSource documents source, group age and a
minimum 50% Angus genetics.
Promotion, marketing, outreach
Solid
performance numbers give the business breed much to promote throughout the
year, and the Association relies on creative efforts to tell its story. In
FY12, Angus television reached more than 3 million viewers, thanks to both The Angus Report and I Am Angus audiences on RFD-TV and
YouTube. A growing online presence makes it easier than ever before to reach
people almost instantaneously via social media channels, such as Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest.
New
in FY12, Angus Productions Inc. (API) launched an online auction website for
Angus breeders interested in buying or selling individual animals, groups of
cattle, as well as semen and embryos. AngusTradingPost.com gives cattlemen, of
all sizes, the chance to expand their customer base with a click of a mouse.
While
digital efforts are increasing in popularity, print publications remain a
staple of the cattle business. In FY12, API produced more than 375 sale
catalogs, and page counts for both the Angus
Journal and Angus Beef Bulletin are
coming in at record highs.
The
Angus Foundation, a not-for-profit affiliate of the Association, continues to
fuel the breed for the next generation by supporting youth, education and
research. In FY12, the Angus Foundation awarded more than $200,000 in
undergraduate and graduate student scholarships.
Supplying the brand
Success
for the Angus breed continued through the supply chain in FY12. Certified
Angus Beef LLC (CAB) achieved its sixth consecutive sales record, totaling 811
million pounds, up 4 million lb. from last year for a 49% growth in six years.
More than 16,000 licensed partners worldwide leveraged brand value to advance
their businesses and create continued demand for Angus beef and Angus genetics.
Growth varied between sectors, led by
the foodservice and international division records of 260 million pounds and 94
million pounds, respectively, both up 4% from 2011. The largest rate of growth came
from the 16% hike in value-added product sales of 21.5 million pounds.
Approximately 14.3 million head, or 62%
of U.S. finished cattle, were identified as black-hided. With drought
conditions factoring into an overall decrease in supplies, the 3.24 million
cattle accepted for the brand were 320,000 short of 2011 but the third-largest
number to qualify in any year.
The key to sales records in spite of
lower cattle supplies came from the increase in pounds sold per carcass. That
utilization increased 10% from 2011, demonstrating additional packer commitment
to the premium brand.
The
American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef organization, serving nearly
30,000 members across the United States and Canada. It provides programs and
services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on the power of Angus to
produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.
For more
information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association’s programs
and services, visit www.angus.org.
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