INDUSTRY NEWS
Angus Regional Update
Angus Friends, The American Angus Association is incredibly proud and appreciative of the 300-plus adult and junior members in Georgia for their commitment to the Angus breed. Georgia Angus breeders and members have a long and storied history of their many contributions to the breed and the beef cattle industry. From supplying superior seedstock genetics to serving in various leadership roles throughout the industry, Georgia Angus breeders are to be commended for their dedication, support and commitment to the Angus breed and industry. The American Angus Association is committed as well to providing its members and users of Angus genetics the most accurate and comprehensive genetic selection tools in the industry. With over 80 million data points, the Association’s genetic evaluation is based on the most extensive, single-breed database in the world. The multiple, industry-relevant EPDs and indexes available today on registered Angus cattle allow Angus breeders and commercial cattlemen alike the necessary tools to make informed and accurate buying decisions. Inventory Reporting, launched in fall 2020, has been a popular reporting option among Angus members for Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR). It requires breeders to account for and submit production information on each cow in one’s program, whereas the traditional AHIR Individual Reporting is based on individual data submitted on calves from a calf crop. Enrollment in Inventory Reporting allows for breeders to more accurately account for the hard-tocharacterize traits such as fertility and longevity and is only one of the many benefits of the program. Those breeders reenrolling can earn the MaternalPlus designation by meeting basic Inventory Reporting requirements plus recording heifer breeding records, a weaning weight for the calf, or a disposal code or reason for no calf at weaning. Recording and submitting this information provides geneticists at the Association the necessary data to create selection tools that allow breeders to make positive directional change. Learn more about AHIR and Inventory Reporting by visiting: https://bit.ly/ AHIRinventoryreporting. The Association’s AngusLink program provides commercial cattlemen utilizing Angus genetics a unique marketing platform that differentiates their cattle in the marketplace based on genetics and management practices. An approved USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) that returns premiums by helping producers gain access to consumer products that are making specific claims, the program’s Genetic Merit Scorecard (GMS) component provides buyers objective information describing the genetic potential of a set of cattle to receive additional premiums. In fiscal year 2021, calves enrolled in the AngusLink program earned $5,742,302 in premiums. Learn more about the AngusLink program by visiting: www.angus.org/ AngusLink. In closing, the American Angus Association is committed to providing the best programs and services to our members and the users of Angus genetics in the industry. Our focus is to improve the profitability of our members and commercial cattlemen who have invested in Angus genetics. As Regional Manager for the American Angus Association, I too am committed to serving Angus breeders and the commercial cattlemen in our great state. If I or anyone at the American Angus Association can ever be of assistance or service in any way, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you. I look forward to seeing and visiting with you at an Angus event soon. David Gazda Regional Manager, Director of Field Services American Angus Association (706) 296-7846, dgazda@angus.org 52
GEORGIA CATTLEMAN | AUGUST 2022
