In favour of traditional beef breeds

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32708, 10 September 1971, Page 15

In favour of traditional beef breeds

A 10 weeks visit to 15 states in the United States and Canada under a Churchill award has confirmed the faith of Mr M. M. Chisholm, manager of the Lands and Survey Department’s Molesworth station, in the traditional breeds of beef cattle and in the policies that are being followed on Molesworth.

Elaborating on a Press Association message to this effect from Blenheim published last week in “The Press,” Mr Chisholm said that his North American tour had indicated that the beef industry there was basically founded on the traditional breeds of Hereford and Angus and the crosses of these two breeds. He had also gained the impression that 75 to 80 per cent of the top beef in the big feedlots were cattle of these breeds. Among other breeds in order of importance had come Holsteins or Friesians and then cattle containing Charolais blood or the blood of other exotic breeds. Mr Chisholm said that in fact he had not seen a great many exotic cattle in his travels, although there was nd doubt that they were there.

In the course of a - bus trip he was surprised to see Charolais cattle in milking herds.

The best cattle he had seen had probably been - in a herd where HerefordShorthom cross cows were being mated with Red Angus bulls. The calves from these cattle were being slaughtered at 14 months and at 10001 b or more. This was in Oregon where what was regarded as being a pretty poor herd was being supervised by the local county agent. In the big cattle markets like Calgary in Canada where 7500 head of cattle were sold five days a week in the summer and at Omaha in the United States and at several other places, Mr Chisholm said that a premium was being paid for the traditional beef cattle or a discount made for the

heavier carcase containing exotic blood. The most desirable carcase was shown to be that of about 1100 or 1200 lb liveweight. It appeared that cattle with exotic blood in them suffered a discount in these sales of up to 4c per lb. At slaughter these cattle were apparently still growing and the carcases were not properly finished. This beef in the heavier carcases seemed to be going to the south and south-west, to presumably the areas of Negro population, whereas that from the traditional breeds went to the north and east of the country.

From visits to many restaurants, Mr Chisholm said he had found that what was considered to be the best beef had quite a lot of marbling and up to a half inch of fat cover. The top cuts of beef selling at $2.50 per lb carried fat, and those without fat brought a lower price. Mr Chisholm said that he would like to sound a note of warning about people going too far with selection of cattle by use of the computer or the scales and without eye appraisal. It had seemed to him that cattle bred that way had definitely too much on the front, were pistol barrelled and lighter than they should be in the hindquarters.

He said he had also found that there were differences among animal research people on what were the requirements of an ideal beef animal. Some were certain that records were all important, others that a considerable infusion of exotic blood was

necessary, some also considered that the traditional beef breeds produced the best carcase and that they graded best, and people who were studying feed requirements of cattle had found that the bigger! breeds, to survive and put* on meat, had to eat quan-j tities of feed quite out of proportion to the require- i ments of the traditional animal. In the United States Mr! Chisholm said he had! found that South Africa | was now being held to be 1 the country that was most expert in beef production.] A scientist at the University i of Pretoria now apparently had the ability, on eye appraisal, to select cattle with the highest percentage of lean meat yield and with the ability to produce good calves, and this was not being done unscientifically. While feedlot production of cattle in the United States was there to stay because of the large quantities of grains available and also with the American consumer being used to beef with white fat, Mr Chisholm found that there were tremendous problems associated with the system because of the stench from lots and also waste arid effluent disposal, which were now becoming the subject of anti-pollution legislation. In his mind there would only be one area in New Zealand that would lend itself to this type of operation, with its low rainfall, and that was Central Otago, but it would be too far from cattle supplies and markets. Mr Chisholm does not think for one moment that in the United States it is the housewife who is dictating the sort of meat that is bought. It is his view that, by promotion, the chain stores can induce the housewife to buy almost anything and that it is consequently they who wield the power in. meat tastes. Even with high prices for cattle, Mr Chisholm does not think that ranchers are making a great deal out of their enterprises, where overheads are high and a lot of winter feed has to be produced. On one property with 12,000 cattle, where in excess of-12,000 tons of hay was made, the hay-making equipment was worth $250,000.