1. fter finishing off the last of our gourmet
Panamanian coffee and concluding a rather
inspired conversation about cattle production,
meat quality, and barbequing, our five-day
trade mission to Panama was coming to a bit-
tersweet conclusion. Michael Janson’s commercial, black
and red Angus ranch located in the temperate mountain
climate of Chiriqui was our final ranch visit. Each one
of us wanted to stay and continue our intellectual ex-
change about cattle and espressos; however, we were in a
time crunch bound for the airport in David to catch our
flight back to Panama City. We delicately crammed back
into the cab of the oft-dented Chevy Silverado, our tour
bus for the day. Not a single one of us had the slightest
PANAMA
An Account of the MDA Beef Cattle Trade Mission to Panama
By Jared Wareham
A
Trade Mission:
clue about the adrenaline-laced ride of terror we were
about to embark on.
As we rocketed down the mountain highway at speeds
in excess of 100 mph, each of us began to silently make
peace with God. Whoever hadn’t, most certainly did af-
ter our chauffer for the day, Diccon Curry of Colombia,
overtook a vibrant, rainbow-colored school bus sporting
chrome wheels on a blind curve. Trade mission member
and Beefmaster breeder, Jerry Glor, had the unfortu-
nate task of copiloting this frantic high-speed dash. As
the level of terror increased with every near miss and
hair-raising curve, Glor aggressively pumped an imag-
inary brake pedal from his perch in the passenger seat.
Jared Wareham traveled to Panama on the Missouri Department of Agriculture Beef Cattle
Trade Mission in December 2015, and we invited him to share his experience.

2. His death clinch and break pumping so noticeable, that
Diccon jokingly asked Glor not to stomp a hole in his
floorboard. Trust me when I say that movies don’t em-
bellish about the driving and traffic conditions in foreign
countries.
Collectively, we exhaled with delightful rapture upon
safe arrival at the airport after what had been the most
terrifying ride of our lives. It was a fantastic conclusion
to what had been one of the most dynamic educational
opportunities of my life.
I consider myself extremely fortunate to have accompa-
nied this trade delegation to Panama to observe, re-
search, and report opportunities to openly trade genetics,
education, and consulting with a country that is still
considered relatively new to beef cattle production. The
trade delegation consisted of Melissa Miller of the
Missouri Department of Agriculture, Jerry Glor repre-
senting Beefmaster breeders from Missouri, Bruce and
Trishalana Shanks representing the South Poll composite
breed, and myself. We acted very much like an expedi-
tionary force sent in to open dialogue, effectively assess
the current state of production, and establish ties for po-
tential collaborative exchange. Effective assessment was
definitely the most robust step and required a combina-
tion of boardroom meetings and onsite ranch experienc-
es to fully digest the scope and depth of their industry.
Our delegation began this trade mission with formal
meetings at the Panamanian National Cattleman’s Asso-
ciation (ANAGAN) headquarters and the Panama Minis-
The Mission

3. try of Agricultural Development (MIDA). Aside from
the required interpreter, these meetings were very similar
to what most of us have experienced.
Panama Business
Several members of the ANAGAN were the beneficiaries
of American agriculture education at schools, such as
Texas A&M. They had some basic understanding about
our beef market, but collectively lacked a true under-
standing of how our industry
as a whole is driven. The ge-
netics industry in Panama is
still very much tied to the show
ring. Their cattlemen’s maga-
zine was filled with advertise-
ments focused on show win-
ners and champion breeders.
As we began to exchange dia-
logue about their desire for
trade reciprocity through the
interpreter, it became clear
that they were generally unaware that our industry is driv-
en mainly by commercial market dynamics, like end
product value, data, ranching efficiencies, and cattle feed-
ing. It was an excellent exchange and by the end of the
meeting, we had effectively gained a mutual understand-
ing of the drivers that exist in each industry and laid a
positive foundation for future exchange.
Our meeting with the vice minister of Panama’s agri-
culture department (MIDA), was a little more labored.
Although genetic improvement through trade was a top-
ic discussed, education and best practice improvement
were the theme at this meeting. The minister’s overall
outlook on the state of their beef industry was much less
optimistic. Overcoming some of the basic environmen-
tal and educational challenges
would need to be conquered
first. Their office pointed out
that their national cowherd con-
ception rate is about 51 percent.
Moreover, many of the re-
placement females do not reach
breeding capabilities until they
are four years of age, which is
mostly due to a combination of
genetics and the availability of
quality feed sources. There was
an obvious disconnect between the vision of the nation-
al cattleman’s group and the actual narrative from the
governmental officials. Touring the ranches and having
the opportunity to gain tangible, first hand observations
“Bos Indicus cattle, such as Brahma
and Nelore, dominate most of the
herds. Heat tolerant breeds are the
traditional foundation of the Pana-
manian herd.”
– Jared Wareham
A ranch hand fogs cattle for ticks on an afternoon at a Panamanian ranch.

4. helped fill in our gaps from
there.
The tropical, lowland ranches
that make up the majority of
Panama’s beef production
systems must deal with the
extreme environmental chal-
lenges of heat and humidity,
as well as, limited access to
quality forages. For these
reasons, Bos Indicus cattle,
such as Brahma and Nelore,
dominate most of the herds.
Heat tolerant breeds are the
traditional foundation of the
Panamanian herd. Some of
the larger lowland ranch-
es have used Continental
and British breeds to create
domestic composites with
little effectiveness. I believe this is due in part to their
“shotgun” approach to genetic selection and a lack of
targeted segregation. More than one producer made me
aware of instances in which they had purchased “over-
stock” semen and embryos from American beef genetics
companies at a discounted rate. They did this to improve
their herds; however, a good deal of those genetics came
from northern herds and even Canada. A more targeted
approach to genetic sorting would most likely yield a
greater degree of short and long-term success.
The Anstine family begins making preparations long before
sellers even arrive with their cattle for the sale.
Landscape
Bos Indicus cattle such as Brahma and Nelore dominate many herds in Panama due to the
unique environmental conditions.

5. Genetic improvement is just one of
the major hurdles for the lowland
producers. The lack of quality
forages and access to cheap feed-
stuffs prolongs the maturation
curve for both breeding females
and slaughter cattle. During one
of our ranch visits, we observed
ranch hands castrating two year
old bulls that would be grazed as
stockers for at least another year
before being sold to slaughter for
domestic consumption. This was a
very common practice and seen as
a normal growth curve for the low-
land ranches. The only exception
to this production style was with the
wealthier ranches that had access
to supplemental feed and imple-
mented planned grazing systems.
In those instances, their production
capacity was very similar to ours.
During one visit, we noticed that
many of the fence posts on the
ranch were made from concrete, A Panamanian man works Angus and Red Angus cattle on highland ranch in Chiriqui.
Obstacles

6. which struck us as odd. Roderick Zambrano of Penon-
ome explained to us that he was forced to construct his
fence post out of concrete after learning his lesson the
hard way. Annually, the native Panamanians set areas of
the forest on fire to flush out iguanas to capture and sell.
He decided it would be easier to make all of his post
concrete instead of replacing a large number of wooden
posts each year after those fires swarmed onto his ranch.
This unique ranching challenge is something Missouri-
ans don’t have to worry about– annual iguana harvest.
Marauding bands of iguana hunters aren’t the only dis-
tinctive challenge to beef production in Panama. Trans-
portation and traffic also present a legitimate hazard.
Cattle are transported in trucks with modified beds to
help maneuver and traverse
the intense traffic and driving
conditions. We only noticed
two traditional stock trailers
on the entire trip and both
were on the same ranch.
Virgillo Vergara and son, of
Chiriqui used these trailers
to transport all animals such as their well-known quar-
ter horse Remuda, and their cattle. Both father and son
received graduate degrees in agriculture from Iowa State
University. They represent one of the more progressive
breeding operations we visited. Their ranch has found
success through utilizing a rotational crossbreeding sys-
tem of Beefmaster, Santa Gertrudis, and Simmental cat-
tle. Virgillo and Glor had a lengthy conversation about the
benefits of Beefmaster cattle in the Panamanian environ-
ment. I spent that time explaining to Virgillo’s grandson
the complexities of why the Royals are the best baseball
team in Missouri. I felt both conversations were of equal
validity and importance.
Diccon Curry, a British-born transplant to the Colombia
and Panama area, was our tour guide for the last round
of ranch visits. Diccon, a fencing products entrepreneur,
had pieced together a managed grazing ranch in the
highland area of Chiriqui.
The more temperate climate
at his elevation has allowed the
inclusion of some Bos Taurus
genetics within his Brahma
base cowherd. During our visit,
we observed his ranch hand
fogging the cowherd for ticks
and other skin parasites that are a persistent threat to
cowherd efficiency. Diccon was very inquisitive about
genetics, culling, and environmental adaptation. His goal
was to develop a prosperous herd of heat tolerant cattle
that weren’t as dependent on Brahman genetics. At our
“Free trade is a vital component to the
long term stability of state, national,
and global agriculture economies. .”
– Jared Wareham
Herd Management
Men unload cattle at a local sale barn with typical transportation consisting of trucks with modified beds used to transport all
kinds of animals.

7. next stop, he introduced us to another Chiriqui ranch-
er further up the mountain who had developed a herd
similar to his target goal—more British breeding in base
for superior meat quality.
Michael Janson had spent decades perfecting, if not mas-
tering, the art of growing and processing gourmet coffee.
He had recently put those efforts toward the creation of
a sizable cowherd tied to black and red Angus genetics.
Due to the exceptional daytime temperatures at this
altitude, which provide lush forages and ideal grazing
conditions, non-traditional breeds have thrived. There
were many herds in the surrounding area with similar
production scenarios containing breeds of higher end
product value. Janson and Diccon were both propo-
nents of high quality beef and the potential for domestic
production within the right systems. Janson’s experience
with the development of a worldwide brand of premium
coffee provided the basic platform to understand the sig-
nificance of value-added products, market development,
and free trade.
Free trade is a vital component to the long term stabili-
ty of state, national, and global agriculture economies.
This mission for the Missouri Department of Agriculture
opened many doors for potential exchange of goods and
services for both countries. In essence, this is precisely
why exploratory delegations and fair trade promotion
are an indispensable part of all industries. From these
efforts, we know there is a real need for educational
consultants to work with the Panamanian officials to
collaborate on systems approaches to crossbreeding
and herd management that can promote an acceler-
ated maturation curve and increased cowherd fertility.
Furthermore, there was interest from the Panamanian
National Cattlemen’s (ANAGAN) for additional dialogue
on genetic improvement and further education about
how end product and data drive the U.S. beef industry.
The greatest area of potential international trade with
Panama appears to lie with the better-educated produc-
ers who have the willingness to invest in infrastructure
and breed improvement. These producers also demon-
strate and understand the value proposition of improved
genetics, use of EPDS, increased carcass quality, and
niche market potential.
I encourage all beef producers in our state to take ad-
vantage of opportunities like this. The global reach of
our industry is accelerating, don’t stand idly by and miss
the bus.
Ranch hands castrating 2 yr old bulls purchased to
graze as stockers.
Typical Brahma and Brahma crossbred cattle of Panama at a
local sale barn.