Smith and Mies:
A Look Back and a Look Forward
Two beef industry scientists look at how far the beef industry has come since 1991, and where it might be in 2025.
By Ellen H. Brisendine I
n a 1991 study, a beef industry economist and the fi rst National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) separately identifi ed 11 areas of beef production, from ranch
to retail, that were costing producers $12 billion in lost revenue. Dr. Gary Smith, visiting professor in the department
of animal science at Texas A&M University, speaking at the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Associa- tion (TSCRA) summer meeting in Arlington in June, revisited results of the NBQA and the study by Dr. Chuck Lambert, former head economist at the National Cattlemen’s Association (NCA), the predecessor of to- day’s National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
88 The Cattleman September 2014 The beef industry is doing worse in the area of death
loss, most likely due to the drought; has held steady in losses due reproductive effi ciency at the ranch and retail shrink in the meat case; has made moderate improvement in reducing incidents of multiple and redundant processing and in better placement of hot iron brands; and has made spectacular improve- ment the areas of animal handling, feed effi ciency, weaning weights, injection site lesions, fat produc- tion and keeping specifi c beef cuts in stock in the retail meat case. After Smith brought cattle raisers from 1991 to 2014, Dr. Bill Mies, also a visiting professor in the depart-
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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