For decades, the foundation of Angus genetic evaluation has been phenotypic data collected by breeders themselves. Birth weights, weaning and yearling weights; scrotal circumference; and mature size are measured on individual operations, recorded and submitted by breeders who believe in the power of data to improve the breed. As technology evolves, so do the tools. Ultrasound technology delivers valuable insight into carcass traits without harvesting animals and feed intake systems capture hard-to-measure data, but the ownership and responsibility for data collection largely remain with seedstock producers.

That model has served the Angus breed well and will continue to do so. But as the industry evolves, so must the way we think about genetic evaluation and the data that fuels it.

Impactful traits of the future, particularly those related to health, will be very difficult to measure on your farms alone. Traits such as disease resistance, morbidity and mortality are most accurately observed in feedyards and other downstream production environments. Capturing this information requires collaboration with feedyards, packers, veterinarians and technology providers who are already collecting large volumes of detailed data as part of their normal operations. The work Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) is doing to collect heart remodeling data to better understand bovine congestive heart failure is a great example of the collaboration needed to tackle industry issues.

Similarly, the next wave of maternal and female function traits, including fertility, longevity, stayability and lifetime productivity, depend heavily on partnerships with commercial cow-calf producers. These operations manage the vast majority of Angus-influenced females in the industry and their data provides critical insight into how genetics perform over time and across diverse environments.

During our most recent Angus Convention, we asked members directly whether more data from commercial environments is necessary and whether the competition from private companies will increasingly compete with breed association evaluations. The response was resounding on both questions that members believe commercial data will help our Association remain competitive. 

I was not surprised at these responses as our progressive-minded membership has always had a keen understanding of where the industry is headed and is never satisfied with the status quo. This reality underscores the importance of the Board’s direction to position AGI to move faster, think more creatively and operate more nimbly in developing new data streams, partnerships and technologies.

Our goal is not to replace breeder data nor to diminish the role of seedstock operations in genetic improvement. On the contrary, the value of breeder-collected data remains central to everything we do. But to keep the Angus genetic evaluation as the gold standard, we must strategically and responsibly complement that data with information collected throughout the production chain.

Private companies are already investing heavily in proprietary evaluations using commercial data. If we do not keep pace, important genetic tools risk becoming fragmented, inaccessible or disconnected. By empowering AGI to operate with greater agility, we are ensuring Angus breeders benefit — not outside entities. The objective is simple. Keep the Angus genetic evaluation relevant, comprehensive and firmly grounded in the interests of breeders.

The path forward will require trust, collaboration and continued investment. It will also require feedback and engagement. With this mindset and commitment, I am confident the Angus genetic evaluation will be the standard well into the future.