November 23, 2006

Now a new calculator for beef producers

A new tool called Beef Cutout Calculator helps beef producers to estimate subprimal yields and their approximate values, based on current market prices.

Beef producers would now have an online calculator to help estimate subprimal yields and their approximate values, based on current market prices, before their cattle went to market.

The new resource has been designed by faculty and graduate students at Colorado State University (CSU).

By plugging a few numbers into this interactive tool, users would be able to obtain a report that estimates cutout weights for individual animals, differentiated by the USDA yield grade, cutting style, external fat trim level and initial live animal or carcass weight.

Additionally, the report reflects current market values since the software uses the prior week's USDA-AMS National Weekly Beef Prices for boxed beef cutouts and cuts in its calculations. New USDA-AMS information is uploaded to the system every Friday.

The calculator could be helpful to producers who feed their own cattle or those who don't, but have a relationship with a feeder, pointed out Myron Williams, a South Dakota producer and chairman of the Industry and Producer Services Group.