Feed/forage effi ciencies will be predictable and
benchmark standards will be used as selection criteria for all production scenarios. Grazing lands will be monitored with sensors and
managed with technology that detects soil health and enhances biological activity. All cattle will be produced for a predetermined marketing endpoint. The concept of “commodity” beef will likely be gone.
There may still be the novelty cattle, but they will not contribute to the beef production system. Water use and management, nutrient and pesticide
use and monitoring, and pressure for more effi cient production will be issues internal to the U.S. We will continue to face pressure from society for
greater regulation of the agriculture sectors. Regulatory oversight will continue to be a pressure for producers, but technology and proactive efforts will have uncon- ditionally set the standards for production to which the industry will hold itself accountable. There will also be large competitive beef herds on
other continents such as South America, Australia and, with some political stabilization, Russia and China. However, the U.S. will continue to lead the development of technology for worldwide beef production systems that other countries will rapidly adopt relative to their own resources and constraints. Ranchers will have to provide complete documen-
tation of management activities. They will have to be skilled in the use of the new technologies and be able to stay current with emerging technologies. There will be few resources for technical assistance that are not tied directly into a particular production system. There will be well-defi ned cattle grading systems
that fi t production parameters of these “designer” beef programs. Competing meats will continue to be more effi ciently
produced on feed and will compete in the global meat supply. But through the production systems, interna- tional markets will be more available if not tailored to fi t societies in other countries. Water will be closely monitored and in most regions
commoditized. The ranchers of the future will base their production systems around a social license to operate that will be recognized as the gold standard of sustainability. The entire beef production systems will be fi lled
with technology and automation that is instantaneously compiled into integrated data support. Precision agriculture will engulf livestock produc- tion from grazing systems to livestock systems, to
tscra.org December 2014 The Cattleman 95
marketing systems and to cooking and preparation. Sensors will be used to determine soil, water, nutri-
ent availability, soil biology and plant growth, etc., with the capability to be remotely deployed using drones and satellites. Livestock will be monitored from birth through consumption, where real time consumer eat- ing satisfaction and value information is utilized in the rancher’s selection and management. Cattle will be produced through production systems
designed to produce beef or replacement cattle for par- ticular markets on a given land resource. There will be computer programs that model outcomes based on land resources, production systems, climate, weather, consumer demand and social requirements. My hopes for ranching in 2114 are that the land
resources are more effectively used at a higher level of competency throughout the industry, and that the producers readily adopt the technology to improve the effi ciencies with the production systems while improv- ing the land resources. I hope society understands the value of beef as a
nutritious food source, and that cattle production en- hances the land resource through natural ecosystems processes. Through cattle production, less productive land
has become more productive and healthier, water is cleaner, more water can recharge ground reserves and air is cleaner. I hope that beef production is recognized as a high-
value commodity worldwide, one that has met and exceeded the stewardship and socially responsible expectations that we face today. I hope that cattle producers operate with no bureau-
cratic constraints. I hope that the industry has unequivocally demon-
strated its value for a healthy, tasty, socially and envi- ronmentally responsible production system, all while maintaining the tradition, nostalgia and quality of life that as ranchers we hold so dear.
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