MU Officials to Announce ‘Quality Beef by the Numbers’ Project
Major research grant award also will be announced
Story Contact(s):
Christian Basi, BasiC@missouri.edu, 573-882-4430
WHAT: MU officials will announce the “Quality Beef by the Numbers” project, a joint effort by the
University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and leading Midwest beef production and service companies to increase the amount of beef that is graded Choice or Prime – the two highest grades that consumers are increasingly demanding. Officials also will announce a major grant award to study genetic improvements in beef cattle.
WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 30
Presentation: 9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Media availability: 9:45 – 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: Hilton Garden Inn and Convention Center Columbia
3300 Vandiver Drive, Columbia, Missouri, 65202 (573-814-5464)
WHO: Presenters include:
- Roy Blunt, U.S. Senator, Missouri
- Tim Wolfe, president, University of Missouri System
- Brady Deaton, chancellor, University of Missouri
- Jon Hagler, director, Missouri Department of Agriculture
- Sonny Ramaswamy, director, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture
- Blake Hurst, president, Missouri Farm Bureau
- Tom Payne, vice chancellor and dean, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
Working with CAFNR scientists on the project are Irsik and Doll Feed Services Inc. (Garden City, Kan.) Pratt Feeders LLC (Pratt, Kan.), Accelerated Genetics (Baraboo, Wis.), Genex Cooperative Inc. (Shawano, Wis.), Select Sires MidAmerica (Louisville, Ky.) and Certified Angus Beef (Wooster, Ohio).
WHY Producers who sell high quality beef can increase their profits. Missouri ranks third in beef cow inventory at 1.865 million head. Missouri cattle and calf receipts totaled $1.5 billion in 2010, ranking third among all Missouri commodities.