Jones was a great leader in articulating what data is important and why it makes a difference and then linking that all the way through from the genetics, through the packer to the retailer. Although in the U.K., we are moving toward having a better link through our integrated beef from dairy schemes, our cow- calf systems are largely transactional, and no data follows back through the chain. The connection the whole U.S. cattle industry has to academia was demon- strated on my recent visit at both Texas A&M in Amarillo and at Colorado State University at Forth Collins. The focus on training the next team that is going to drive the industry, alongside researching the latest sci- ence, while reaching out and listening and reacting to the day-to-days pains ranchers experience, gives a platform for industry improvements. When an animal is harvested at the packing plant, the gap between the two countries is huge. Our harvest percent- age of 52 to 54 percent between live weight and paid carcass weight at the packing plant is consid- erably different from the 63 to 64 percent with yourselves. The U.K. runs a system of grading cattle from E–U-R-O-P and 1 to 5 fat cover where a side of beef is evaluated either by a computerised visual assessment or a manual grading. No link to the consumer is carried
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through, and nothing is evaluated for dark cutting or intramuscular mar- bling – a clear mile away from the very clear Prime, Choice and Select USDA Quality Grade system. Our ranches and feedyards are not just businesses, they are our passion and purpose in life, regardless of which continent they are based. In the United Kingdom, we have a wonderful landscape coupled with natural resources, all pulled together with committed beef farmers. However, from what I have con- tinually experienced, I have to hand it to the United States in the consistency and tenderness of meat being produced. Could this be the clear reason why your beef consumption is so much higher?
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CALF News
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December 2025 | January 2026
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