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New Branded Beef Program
MT. VERNON, MO.
Perhaps you’ve seen the announcement of a new branded beef program called, HOLSimTM. The American Simmental Association (ASA) and the Holstein Association USA (HAUSA) have teamed up on this venture. The release from the ASA says the objectives are: provide additional revenue to dairy producers by adding value to terminal calves; offer new marketing opportunities for beef seedstock herds; and offer a consistent supply of high-quality calves to capture market premiums.
The Registered Holstein cows are bred to a SimAngus bull that ranks high on the HOLSim index based on the IGS Feeder Profit calculator. The eligible bulls must be black homozygous polled, have a minimum birth weight accuracy of .4 and meet a minimum threshold in the HOLSim Index. Those minimums are adjusted for calving ease, muscle conformation, grading ability and sensitivity to carcass length.
Unfortunately, the number of Holstein cows in southwest Missouri shrinks monthly so I’m not sure how much impact we’ll see in this area. Reagan Bluel, Extension field specialist in dairy, who covers this region discussed having meeting for the dairy farmers who plan to exit the business and look for alternative enterprises. This new program may be an option for some. ∆
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