Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
farmers. 21 In addition, the relatively low demand for beef on local markets has not
encouraged the development of large mixed farming herds.
Kobe beef costs over $300 per pound! It comes from Wagyu cattle raised in Japan.
These steers are massaged daily, fed freshly cut grass with grains, and fed beer
during the hot summer months.
A comparison of extensive and intensive production systems was done by P. Auriol
at FAO. Some of the results are shown in Table 7.1. 21 Obviously, the least efficient pro-
duction system is natural pasture without feed supplements. Five times more feed units
are needed to produce 1 kg of carcass weight than the intensive landless system. The
main advantage of the natural pasture system is that it requires relatively little cash
input for seminomadic cattle herders.
Beef cows are bred every 12 months. Large landless intensive operations will typi-
cally use artificial insemination methods to guarantee that cows will deliver calves
within a certain time period. This ensures a supply of calves when the demand is
highest for feedlot finishing. The productive life of a beef cow is normally 7 to 9
years, at which time the cow also becomes beef. The time from birth to harvest
ranges from less than 1 year to nearly 5 years for calves on poor-quality pasture. The
longer time spent on pasture may involve less cash inputs for the farmer, but it also
involves greater risk of loss and more expense on health care.
Similar to dairy cows, specialized breeds have been developed for beef purposes.
The most widely known breed in the United States is the Black Angus. Some other beef
breeds for temperate climates are Hereford and Shorthorn, which were developed in
England, and Maine Anjou developed in France. Some breeds more adapted to tropical
conditions are Brahma and Santa Gertrudis.
Buffaloes are used for meat purposes, but only after having served a useful life for
milk and/or draft purposes. The countries in which buffalo are most numerous (India,
T A B L E 7.1. Efficiency Comparison of Beef Production Systems
Feed Needed
for Body
Maintenance (%)
Age at
Harvest
Feed
Conversion Rate
System
Natural pasture without
feed supplements
6 - 7 years
85
39 feed units/kg carcass
Pasture with feedlot for
150 days
35 months
66
16 feed units/kg carcass
Pasture with feedlot for
150 days and improved
breeding
30 months
63
13 feed units/kg carcass
No pasture, high-energy
ration, specialized breeds
13 - 14 months
54
7 feed units/kg carcass
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