Executive Summary

by Mark Anderson Executive Director North American Limousin Foundation

Happy New Year!

We operate in a different and challenging environment with higher production costs, but are seeing strong commercial cattle prices given recent inflation throughout the country. Thankfully, cattle prices are stronger around the country given the increasing production costs most are dealing with. There will be challenges ahead no doubt, but that is something most cattle producers are used to while having to deal with adversity in an ever-changing cattle business.

Things have changed in the seedstock business dramatically as well. It wasn’t very long ago that genomics were an unknown and not widely used. That picture has changed 180 degrees in our business recently. Most progressive producers that rely heavily on commercial buyers to support their business have realized the value of higher accuracy EPDs and a quick read on their individual genetics to help increase demand for their cattle.

As the commercial cattle industry has become more familiar with the genomic process and the value it provides, there is a high demand in the country to be genomically-enhanced prior to purchasing new genetics or paying substantial premiums for high-quality seedstock. The marketplace is now demanding most cattle be genomicallyenhanced as further proof of high quality, particularly on the traits of high economic value.

The good news is that our cattle evaluation produced through International Genetic Solutions (IGS) continues to grow and improve. It is the largest cattle evaluation in the world that allows commercial cattle producers to evaluate different breeds of cattle on an equal basis. Marker effects continue to be updated annually by the science team at IGS as well, which continues to improve the accuracy of our cattle evaluation.

In November, an IGS cooperator meeting was held in Denver and the group was updated on progress of the weekly evaluation along with new trait production that is in the pipeline at IGS. NALF is actively promoting the development of the dry matter intake EPD. IGS is working on that as well, as the development of a mature cow weight EPD.

In August, your NALF board moved to work toward providing new updated indexes utilizing IGENDEC software provided by the Beef Improvement Federation. To accomplish this more accurately, the board also approved the development publication of an average daily gain EPD and dry matter conversion EPD to be utilized in the terminal index as well.

At the IGS meeting, the group discussed the possibility of including a dry matter conversion EPD and potential cost-of-gain EPD to run alongside the ADG and DM intake EPDs to more accurately measure cattle that are more feed efficient in a form that is directly applicable to the commercial cattle industry.

This is actually an exciting possibility where superior feed efficient cattle will be better identified through a trait deck that commercial cattlemen actually understand. Furthermore, these traits are very marketable on high-quality feeder cattle whether they are sold via video online auctions like Superior or Western or direct in the country. We will keep you posted here as development happens.

We look forward to seeing many of you at our annual meetings and events in Oklahoma City again this year. There is a new format for our annual evening event as the board and Limousin sale crew is going to combine the Limousin National Sale, commercial awards and the annual Ken Holloway Genetics On Ice Benefit Auction on the same Monday night this year. We look forward to seeing you there and with the restructuring of the event, there will be no meal ticket charge for attendees.

I would also like to give Kiley Mckinna, along with the donors and purchasers of the Credit For Kids Sale, a big thank you and shout out for all the help on this fundraiser for our annual Limousin Junior Nationals the past three years. This has been spearheaded primarily by Kiley and has taken a big load off states having to raise all their money by themselves each year to host the annual event. It is very much appreciated! We are all looking forward to Rapid City, South Dakota in 2023.

We will also keep you updated on the research project the NALRF is conducting in Montana as we move into calving season this March. Our ranch cooperators in Montana, Brad Hamlett and Wade Schott, have been great to work with and we would like to thank them as well.

We look forward to 2023 and are excited to see where the Limousin breed is headed! On behalf of the NALF board and staff, we wish you a happy and profitable 2023.

We are grateful for our new and exisiting customers. It is evident just how important it is to have people you can count on within this industry and we couldn’t be more thankful

for those in our corner. When it

comes time to start planning your next sale or finding your next herd bull or donor, lean on us. We make the rounds so you don’t have to.

Your Trusted Livestock Brokerage Firm

Visit www.mcmarketingmanagement.com KILEY McKINNA, Owner 402-350-3447 • Kiley@MCMarketingManagement.com WILEY FANTA, Sales & Service Associate 320-287-0751 • Wiley@MCMarketingManagement.com