Page 13 - Storth Oaks Angus Catalogue ebook

MOSTLY THERE

Marbling, marbling, marbling.

Don’t we have enough of this “taste fat” in beef cattle today?

There is an increase in performance when A difference of 1,500 head a week may
upgrading the quality in chuck and round not sound like much, but it’s the differ-
cuts as well, he said. That’s why CAB brand ence between retailers selling Prime or
Prime clods from the chuck are the third- not, because there has to be enough
highest volume sold. for the advertising-induced demand
swings.
Historically, Prime sales were steady in
foodservice, but the increase in supply lets
retail get in the game, especially when it
comes to end meats, Walenciak said. “The industry has come a long way in
supplying high-quality beef,” Walenciak
It allows retailers to run front-page ads said. “But the mission isn’t over yet.
that can make for huge local variations in There’s still a few kinks to figure out in
demand. meeting the goal of steady supplies.”
“Stores either need 5-10 loads, or they
don’t need a single pound when they
place an ad,” he said. Use of that marketing
concept has nearly doubled retail Prime
sales in the past year.
It’s a new business model where demand
for Prime can run wild—but the seasonal
nature of cattle production only supports
it for certain times of the year. Starting in
April or May, quality grades take a dive
until recovering in the fall.

Translating that to head counts may clarify
the dilemma.
“Right now a good, steady baseline for
Certified Angus Beef brand Prime is in that
10,000- to 12,000-head-per-week range,”
Walenciak said. “But from April until fall we
saw closer to 8,500 head.”