EDMONTON (Staff) – It’s not just luck that produces AAA beef, says the owner of a Vegreville feedlot.
Calves must weigh less than they have traditionally weighed coming into the feedlot and they must be on feed at least four months, said Bernie Kotelko, owner of Highland Feeders.
“Feedlots need 800-pound calves at one year of age to get AAA beef at 1,300 pounds,” he told a group of beef industry leaders gathered at a symposium in Edmonton during the recent Farmfair.
Need to sell lighter
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But it will take premiums and bonuses along the chain to convince producers to sell their calves 200 pounds lighter.
“The signal will have to come from the plate side,” he said.
Consumers must be willing to pay more for the marbled premium beef. That will convince packing plants to pay feedlots owners a premium for AAA beef, which in turn will allow feedlots to pay cow-calf operators more for their lighter calves, he said.
Kotelko is in the middle of negotiating with packing plants for premiums.
“There’s still not a lot of reward for AAA,” said Kotelko.
The length of time in the feedlot and the age of animals are key to the fat deposition that gives the AAA beef ideal marbling, he said.
