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RAISING FREEZER FACTORS The Midwest Cattleman · February 25, 2021 · P17
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as much for their replacements span a decade, and cattle prices
a database that is used to pre- without losing money. vary greatly during a decade,”
communicate to customers when dict heifer breakeven prices. This specific study looked at Saner added. “To be economical-
they can expect the final product Saner said the study and cash purchases only, without pro- ly successful, producers need to
by sharing harvest dates, aging computer database found that ducers having to borrow money buy or raise replacement heifers
days, and processing dates. They producers operating within the to purchase replacements. If for no more than what is needed
should also make sure custom- lower replacement rate and low- they use borrowed money, profit- in net returns over their lifetime.
ers understand the importance est cost of production could af- ability of those replacement pur- Settle in on a baseline price of
of paying for their processing and ford to pay up for replacement chases might hinge on interest what you want to pay and stick
picking up their beef promptly heifers and still bring money rates. “Even if a producer raises to it.”
when it is ready. into the operation. But those their own replacements, they
Customer Service operating in the high-replace- are still paying for those,” Saner
One way to grow your freez- ment-rate range and the high- said.
er beef enterprise is by provid- est cost of production can’t pay “A heifer’s productive life can
ing exceptional customer service.
Providing customers (especially
new customers) with information
about what to expect from a freez-
er beef purchase can go a long way
to managing their expectations
and avoiding problems before
they occur. Providing information
about your management practic-
es, helping them to understand
the process, and guiding their in-
teraction with the processor are
all good practices to enhance your
customer service. Some common
issues that you can assist custom-
ers with include:
•How much freezer space
is needed: If someone is new to
purchasing freezer beef, they may
not understand the volume of
beef they will be receiving or the
amount of freezer space that will
be required. In terms of how much
freezer space will be needed, the
general rule is one cubic foot per
35-40 pounds of packaged meat.
Additional space is needed when
storing large or odd shaped cuts.
•Selecting cuts and cutting
instructions: An aspect of pur-
chasing freezer beef is determin-
ing the type and size of cuts de-
sired. Customers will generally be
provided a cutting form from the
processor where they will specify
the cuts they want, steak thick-
ness, and package quantities. New
customers may appreciate help
and recommendations regarding
these decisions based on your ex-
periences.
•Dealing with frozen
meat: Most U.S. beef consum-
ers generally purchase fresh beef
at retail and may not know how
to properly thaw frozen beef. They
may also appreciate tips on prop-
erly handling and cooking beef.
Retaining a small group of
calves each year to market as
freezer beef can help diversify a
cow-calf operation. Taking steps
to manage customer expectations,
utilizing good communication,
and providing exceptional cus-
tomer service are efforts that can
help build and retain your cus-
tomer base.
SDSU extension