MANAGEMENT

The adoption level of Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program guidelines by the cattle industry has primarily been evaluated at harvest via the National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA), at processing through injection site blemish audits or on cattle operations by small local or regional surveys.

Most consumers are satisfied with the choices available to them when it comes to purchasing beef products.

However, conflicting messages from anti-agriculture activists, media and even the celebrity community can make a trip to the grocery store a daunting task.

Abuse or rough handling causes stress in cattle, which can result in reduced weight gains, milk production, feed efficiency and disease immunity.

In addition, stress often causes cattle abortions and injuries to animals and employees.

The end result of animal abuse is reduced profits and increased liabilities – in addition to creating a bad image of the cattle industry with consumers.

A plethora of both informational literature and seminar-style workshops have emerged in recent years on the topic of technological advances as they relate to a reduction in workforce.

Using tech tools to beat the activists at their own game

For cattle operations of any size, the “documentaries” churned out by undercover animal rights activists can be intimidating – marked often as they are by deceptive editing, scary music, jarring visual effects and anguished voiceovers rife with half-truths and outright lies.

Last year 9.3 million acres were lost to wildfire in one of the worst fire seasons since 1960.