USDA is collaborating with industry and academia to establish three regional USDA Cattle and Carcass Grading Correlation Training Centers. These centers will educate and train stakeholders across the country in the grading of feeder cattle, fed cattle and beef carcasses.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, which provides USDA’s voluntary beef cattle and carcass grading services, has signed agreements with three partners to strategically place the USDA Cattle and Carcass Grading Correlation Training Centers in locations which represent regional variances in U.S. cattle production. The first center is established at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas; the second at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo.; and the third center is located at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Neb.
“USDA provides grading services that support the U.S. beef industry’s ability to efficiently market high-quality products,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Greg Ibach. “Thanks to the creation of these training centers through the Farm Bill, we can connect producers directly with USDA experts who conduct these services to provide a better understanding of the grading system, bolster their confidence in the prices they receive, and reinforce their assurance in the transparent cattle delivery system.”
