January 24, 2008

High input costs prompt US scientists to look into old cattle breed

Ancient criollo cattle are being studied by New Mexico scientists to find out the breed's capability to survive on a rough rangeland with little water and less desirable folage.

Ranching with British breeds has worked over the last century, but scientist Ed Fredrickson and colleagues said that the range is getting drier and the prices of fuel and supplemental feed are getting higher, thus an alternative is needed.

Fredrickson hopes that criollo cattle will make it easier for ranchers to profit given less desirable rangeland environment.

It was found that criollo can tolerate hot temperatures and eat things other breeds would not touch, Fredrickson and his colleagues at the Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua in Mexico research said.

The old breed does not need to eat as much, and their habit of not grazing long in one spot is easier on the land.

Fredrickson said that these animals are good in some rough areas of the country and he intends to work with them a little to see how they are as a beef animal. He added that their lean beef can be used for specialty foods.

However, experts said that criollos will not revolutionize the beef industry as the nation's big processors are not set up for the lightweights, and spurring interest in the heritage breed would take some serious effort.

US consumer spending on beef surpassed US$71 billion in 2006 and has grown US$22 billion over the last several years, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association said.