Mastering Genetic Improvement to Help Cattle Producers Succeed

Small, well thought out changes and teamwork can literally change the world and the beef industry is no exception. In fact, smartly executing small changes could even determine how long you stay in business and if you can pass your operation down to the next generation. Marty Ropp shared how his experience in the swine industry prepared him to help the beef industry focus on genetic improvement in a way that keeps profit and quality in mind for all segments of the supply chain in this podcast episode.   

Ropp has a passion for genetic selection and helping cattle producers improve not only their herds but their profitability right down to the beef that consumers purchase. Ropp started in the swine industry but made the transition to the beef industry around 1999 after watching the pig business go through some life-altering changes. “It was painful to watch mentors and people I looked up to suffer and even lose their family businesses. I believe there were adjustments that could have been made in the 80s and 90s in the genetic space that could have helped those people be successful longer versus the brick wall kind of changes that occurred,” said Ropp. So, he used his knowledge and experiences from past careers in both the pig and beef industries to start Allied Genetic Resources in 2010.

Allied Genetic Resources is a company that helps cattle producers make more rapid genetic improvements to traits that will be valuable all the way through the beef supply chain. “Small changes over time are definitely necessary and wise, it’s abrupt changes that are difficult for you and your customer base. We help producers make these small changes over time to stay ahead of systems,” said Ropp. Allied Genetic Resources consists of about 100 members today and is comprised of three main, member owned businesses: Allied Genetic Resources, All Beef and Allied Feeding Partners. Together, these three businesses allow the Allied team to market seedstock genetics and feeder cattle plus provide tools for genetic selection and data management all the way back to the seedstock and cow calf producer.

Allied Genetic Resources also helps fill in communication gaps between seedstock producers and commercial cattlemen and then feeders and down-chain by encouraging change in all segments and communicating the proven value of genetics. The Allied team helps cattle producers build stronger relationships and see greater profits and success because of it. “We work through all these different, but interrelated program efforts and have used them to create a system that drives positive and sustainable change for the better.  Simple changes like leaning harder on the proven value of heterosis and prioritizing the value of fertility and cow longevity are great places to start,” said Ropp. Currently, Allied Genetic Resources has members in 24 states, helps market over 30,000 head of feeder cattle per year and around one million commercial cows are bred by Allied bulls each year.

Focusing on genetic improvement matters for numerous reasons, lately there has been a louder call from the people writing our checks. They are wanting more value and information than ever before. That kind of improvement starts at the seedstock producer level and needs to happen yesterday.  Ropp mentions more than once that the tradition of people buying bulls from seedstock producers just because their parents did, isn’t going to hold up much longer unless those bulls and that relationship are providing value and services that matter. “As I look twenty years down the road, I think many core things will remain the same, such as most farmers and ranchers owning the land they operate on.  Marketing, labor and other factors can and will change substantially with more emphasis on systems, but somebody will still have to raise the cows, someone will still have to do the work and someone will have to deliver the product. The product we are producing however, needs to be more phenomenal and consistent even than it already is, especially for what we are asking for it today and for what want to ask for it in the future to keep demand high,” said Ropp.

There is a lot to be learned from other protein industries about focusing on genetics and small improvements over time. “One of the fallacies of the pig business was that the people raising the pigs assumed people would continue to buy their product without listening to the requests and changes that were happening in other areas of the industry. Their unwillingness to change was one of the drivers of vertical integration as the system searched for more profitable ways to produce a product in volume that was both desired and profitable,” said Ropp. The overarching message in all of this is that as business owners, we need to listen to our customers and consumers and be willing to adapt to smart and logical change. 

As we look at the future of the beef industry, it all comes down to focusing on the simple decisions that could ultimately drive big changes to keep all of us in business longer. This is true on the genetics side and in other areas of management. As you continue to make your farm or ranch more sustainable and profitable, keep in mind what your customer wants and how you can continue to make small changes that will create a big impact.

For more information about Allied Genetic Resources, go to https://alliedgeneticresources.com/