J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1984. 59:1631-1643.
© 1984 American Society of Animal Science
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Cattle Production Systems to Meet Future Consumer Demands1

M. E. Dikeman2

Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506

Abstract

In recent years beef cattle production has not been routinely profitable because of continuing increases in production costs and decreases in per capita consumption of beef. Consumers appear to be demanding that beef be competitively priced with other animal protein sources and that its composition, or fat content, be modified to result in optimum nutritional value. Consumers will continue to demand highly palatable beef products. Re-establishing consumer confidence and demand for beef will be important for profitability in the industry. Because it is more costly to produce fat than muscle, production costs could be reduced significantly by marketing cattle with less fat. The beef cattle industry is challenged to synchronize the diversity in genetic resources with production resources and environments. Production is optimized when breeding female genotypes are crossed with sire genotypes. Breeding females should be crosses of Bos indicus and Bos taurus breeds where the environment is suitable. The value of cattle as harvestors of roughage will continue to be important, and the potential of the ruminant digestive system must be fully utilized. Feed grains will remain the primary energy source for finishing cattle, but shorter finishing periods will be utilized for conventional breeds of cattle. Accelerated, or highly intensive feeding systems will be utilized for faster growing, more muscular genotypes. The industry must decrease the emphasis on "feeding quality into beef" and accept the large volume of research that shows a weak relationship between marbling and palatability of beef from young, grain finished cattle. The compositional end point at which production efficiency, processing efficiency, optimum beef nutrition and sensory traits are optimized is in the early stage of fattening. Cattle production systems must assume the role of efficiently producing muscle with some fat included. Meat processing technology must assume a greater role in assuring consumer acceptance of beef in the future.

Footnotes

1 Paper presented at the symposium on "Red Meat Production and Processing Systems for the 21st Century" at the 75th Annu. Meet. of the Amer. Soc. Anim. Sci., Washington State Univ., Pullman, July 29, 1983.

2 Contribution No. 84-215-J, Dept. of Anim. Sci. and Ind., Kansas Agr. Exp. Sta., Manhattan 66506.






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