Global Insights: Exploring Cattle Practices Around the World
“Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not things to show.” – unknown. This is exactly how Andrew Uden spent the early days of his career. While growing up, Andrew worked on the family feedlot and ranch. The values of the beef industry and a desire to continuously learn stuck with him through his college years. This mindset and passion have taken him all over the world to learn about the beef industry in various countries and compare them to what the cattle producers in the United States have built. These experiences have given him a great sense of gratitude for America’s beef industry but also great respect for the entrepreneurial spirits he sees going to work across the globe.
Scotland
Andrew’s first experience in Scotland sparked the fire for him to continue traveling. While he was in Scotland, he enjoyed learning about the history of Aberdeen Angus and attending cattle shows as someone who grew up showing cattle. “I noticed that showing cattle was completely different in the United Kingdom. There weren’t any club calves. They simply showed to display their best genetics and it was really cool to see bloodlines displayed on screens that went back 600 years,” said Uden. This international experience was the start to an eye-opening career for Andrew.
While it was enjoyable for Andrew to learn about the history of the breeds he grew up around and experience a different culture around showing cattle, he also came to appreciate the freedom of the United States. “European cattle producers are still independent, but they all have quotas for what they are allowed to produce. If your quota is so many animals a year based on how much land you own, you're going to breed monstrously big animals to make up for selling beef by the pound. If your quota is milk fat, you're going to breed tiny, little efficient cows that have huge milk fat. Nobody ever really takes into question, are these the right cows for my environment, because the government dictates what you can produce,” said Uden. Being able to raise cattle that match the environment and natural resources we have is something to be appreciative of.
Australia
After his time in Scotland, Andrew spent 7 months in Australia split between two internships. One of his internships allowed him to work on a large seedstock operation that practiced intensive grazing. The second internship was on a large collection station. Between these two internships, Uden was amazed at the small amount of people that were able to take on large amounts of work. “You are kind of doing twice the workload of a cowboy in the United States. The difference is they built the infrastructure in a way to make it easy for you to mentally switch back and forth and be as efficient as possible,” said Uden. For example, 4 people were managing around 5,000 head on a seedstock operation and moving mobs of 600 animals every 48 hours.
One of the differences Andrew appreciates between the United States beef industry and other countries is the quality grading system. “We built a quality grading system that is second to none in the world. Because of how we sort carcasses on the hook, we get really consistent product for how we sell to create a better experience for the consumer,” said Uden. Andrew also mentioned that Australia’s beef producers still have a lot of independence but largely are more corporate with how they do business compared to the United States.
Russia
After finishing his internships in Australia and his Animal Science degree at the Univerisity of Nebraska-Lincoln, Andrew’s next step was to go to Russia for three months to assist with an intensive breeding program. While the landscape reminded him of his family’s ranch, the pace at which work was done and how cattle were handled were learning experiences. Andrew’s job was to assist in breeding heifers. He recounts that while he was AI’ing, there were other employees building the paddocks that these heifers would be moved to the next day. Additionally, Andrew came to appreciate his training with Beef Quality Assurance. He said, “In the United States, we take BQA for granted. I was used to seeing an occasional animal with an abscess. In Russia, I’d see 200 calves with neck abscesses because the same needle might get used for all the calves regardless of if it was bent or not.” Not only was Andrew learning from his employers and co-workers, but he was also able to teach them more effective management practices too.
Africa
In addition to Scotland, Australia and Russia; Andrew has also experienced the beef industry in Africa. His time in Africa emphasized the importance of animal health and disease traceability as every animal had to be tested for Brucellosis and other diseases. It was rare to find a clean herd and when you did, it was extremely valuable. This experience has shaped Andrew’s perspective about traceability in the United States. Uden said, “If we go down a route where each state is making their own traceability regulations, we are going to see pockets of beef production change fundamentally. If things start to isolate, I don’t think that’s good. I think the collaboration we have from coast to coast and north to south is good for our industry.” His time in Africa was also inspiring as the people have an entrepreneurial spirit like no other to make the most of what they have while working toward improvements.
While these experiences are only the surface of what he’s seen and done, they were greatly impactful in shaping Andrew’s view of the United States beef industry. He’s grateful for the freedom we have when it comes to marketing cattle and the access we have to natural resources just to name a few things. Andrew would like to remind cattlemen and women to get involved on local, state and national levels to have a say in any regulations that are or are not made. Additionally, travel the world and learn from others. Andrew wraps it up best by saying, “A lot of my travel made me who I am today. It affects my management decisions and helps me come up with new ideas all the time.”
