The Rural Voice, 2019-06, Page 27June 2019 23
to the bottom line.
However, in contrast to that, the
Belgian Blue crosses have their own
appeal as a leaner beef animal.
Though sometimes that can backfire
if the market demands more marbled
beef.
“You really have to watch the
market,” laughs Aaron. “There are so
many variables.”
Aaron credits the Veal Farmers of
Ontario organization for doing a
great job in assisting veal producers
with market avenues and finding
markets for crossbred calves.
Aaron says there is a little bit of
friction between purebred beef
farmers and farmers raising crossbred
calves. They are, after all, angling
after similar markets. The grade and
quality of crossbred meat is
questioned. Aaron says on an average
load, the finished cattle average 80
per cent AAA grade with a
“fractionally different yield over
conventional beef.”
He admits, however, he is
dependent on genetics to be able to
compete with pure beef calves. This
is where he believes dairy farmers,
veal/crossbred beef producers and
semen companies can work together.
“If we can amalgamate all three,
then we can look at carcass quality
and average daily gains,” says Aaron.
He is currently “in conversation”
with a few dairy farmers to form
direct partnerships so that he doesn’t
have to depend on sales barns to
access his supply of calves.
Such a partnership requires a lot
of communication to understand
what each party needs. Aaron needs a
calf to have strong beef genetics,
plus a good start the first week of its
life. He also needs consistent
volume. Meanwhile, a producer
would need assurance of a fair price
given the major fluctuations in
crossbred calf price.
“We could offer a premium if we
knew the genetics of the calf,”
suggested Aaron.
Looking to the future, Aaron is
excited about opportunities for
growth and developing relationships
within the industry. He plans to
grow the business but doesn’t have a
goal in mind, expecting it will
happen organically. ◊
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