The document outlines the 8 main segments of the beef cattle industry: 1) Seed stock producers breed superior genetics for the industry. 2) Commercial cow-calf producers raise calves until weaning. 3) Yearling stockers add weight to weaned calves. 4) Feedlots feed cattle for 100-200 days to finish before harvest. 5) Packers process carcasses into wholesale cuts. 6) Purveyors purchase and distribute wholesale cuts. 7) Retailers sell retail cuts directly to consumers. 8) Consumers are the final users who prepare and consume beef products.

1. BASIC SEGMENTS OF
BEEF
CATTLE INDUSTRY
BY SHIZRA IMTIAZ
2K15-AV-167

2. Beef Industry
 The term “Beef Industry” indicates
total beef production system, that
contains series of several loosely
interlocking segments, which operate
independently.

3. SEGMENTS
 There are 8 main segments of beef
cattle industry on the basis of all the
processes that start from the
production of beef upto its
consumption.

4.  The Seed stock segment.
 The commercial cow-calf segment.
 The yearling stock segment.
 The feedlot segment.
 The packing segment.
 The purveyors.
 The retail segment.
 The Consumer segment.

5. The Seed stock segment
 The seed stock breeders are specialized
cow-calf producers, that are responsible
for production of superior bulls and
heifers to produce good stock for beef
production.
 They sell genetic information, breeding
animals, semen and embryos to other
breeders and commercial cow-calf
producers.
 Their function is to provide the genetics
that can be economically utilized by the
beef industry.

7. The commercial cow-calf
segment
 Commercial cow calf producers
maintain cow herds and raise calves
from birth to weaning.
 Calves are the primary source of
revenue for the commercial producer
as well as source of heifers to replace
breeding cows that are culled.
 They keep calves upto the age of 6-10
months as an intermediate between
seed stock producer and yearling.

9. The Yearling stocker segment
 The yearling stocker operator is
responsible for adding weight to
weaned calves prior to their shipment
to feedlots for additional weight gain
prior to harvest.
 They keep yearlings for 12-20 months
of age, by the time they enter feedlot.

11. The feedlot segment
 Feedlots:- are confinement feeding
operations where cattle are fed primarily
finishing (high energy) rations to prior to
harvest.
 Feeders keep steers and heifers of about
16-30 months of age.
 Most feedlot operations feed relatively
high grain rations for 100-200 days for
economically efficient gains and to
improve the palatability of retail product.
 It is also referred as finishing phase of
industry.

13. The Packing segment
 They are responsible for packing of
carcass (wholesale cuts) in beef
boxes with optimum carcass quality
and its shelf life.

14. The Purveyor segment
 A meat wholesaler, an operator who
purchases packed beef from packets
and sells it to a retailer, without any
deviation in its quality.
 Purveyors handle about 5% of total
beef.
 They buy beef and perform some
fabrication before selling them to
retailers.

15. The Retail Segment
 Deals with retail cuts, trims, packages,
and
sell the small beef cuts to consumers.

16. The Consumer Segment
 It deals with the final user of beef and
involved in preparing cooked and beef
by products.