KANSAS
CITY, Mo � More than six hundred age, source and health verified Herefords and Hereford-crosses brought more than $20,000 in premiums for 34 consignors to the first Greater Midwest Certified Hereford Feeder Calf Sale Dec 6. The Certified Hereford Beef� (CHB) and Hereford Verified eligible calves from eight states � Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wisconsin � were sold at the Carthage Livestock Sale Barn in Carthage, Ill.
An Illinois Department of Agriculture analysis revealed that compared to the week's Illinois auction average, some consignors earned on average, an additional $57.50 per head by participating in organized marketing efforts, bringing together the numbers and verification that feeders demand.
Organized by five state Midwest Hereford associations, including Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin and backed by a strong team of representatives from the eight consigning states, the sale has met and far exceeded its goal: to obtain the quoted average price of all cattle selling in auctions across the Midwest.
Jerry Huth, newly elected American Hereford Association (AHA) board member, and Oakfield, Wis., Hereford breeder said that these Hereford cattle paid premiums because they were part of a program.
By working together sorting the calves into outcome groups we created uniformity and were able to sell Hereford-influenced calves at a value comparable to or greater than similar black hided cattle.�
Huth added that a key point to the sales success was that it was a group effort by everybody involved. He said that the producers, Merial Animal Health, and the American Hereford Association all exhibited a spirit of cooperation with their minds all focused on the feedlot customer. He concluded that it was good to see cattle conditioned right receive the premiums they deserved.
The American Hereford Association's mission is to provide the leadership to record, protect, promote and facilitate the production of Hereford cattle and consumption of Hereford beef. One of the world's leading beef breeds, AHA registered nearly 70,000 in fiscal year 2007 with more than 3,500 active members. For more information about Herefords � The Efficiency Experts, visit www.hereford.org or call (816) 842-3757.
