SG_USA_June_2019

SANTA GERTRUDIS BREEDERS INTERNATIONAL 68 TH ANNUAL MEETING SGBI ANNUAL REPORT

Editor’s note: At the recent SGBI Annual Meeting, Executive Director John Ford gave his annual report to the members in attendance. Below are highlights from that report.

Dear SGBI Members, The association’s fiscal year (FY) closed March 31, 2019, and SGBI recorded another year of remarkable growth. Despite a somewhat soft seedstock market, the increased attention the organization is receiving from industry members has resulted

efficiency and carcass quality – all areas that drive industry acceptance. The National Santa Gertrudis Youth Foundation continued its mission of investing in education and leadership development, funding a long-term study of the association’s youth programs and activities. In addition, the Youth Foun- dation awarded $31,000 in scholarships to deserving junior members in 2018. Recognizing the importance of telling the breed’s story, an aggressive advertising campaign and marketing strategy was developed and initiated by the breed’s communication part- ner, BluePrint Media. More than 1.5 million contacts with cat- tlemen nationwide were made through print, broadcast and social media. The audiovisual library added two new produc- tions, SGBI Feedyard Performance and EPDs and Single Step Methodology, bringing the updated number of educational videos available for promotional use to four. Total views of these audiovisuals topped 22,000 individual views. The breed’s official publication – Santa Gertrudis USA – continues to keep membership informed of association proj- ects and activities while generating much-needed revenue. Approximately $17,000 in revenue was added to the asso- ciation’s coffers over the last 12 months. SGBI closes the year on sound financial footing. Follow- ing years of financial challenges, the association is now positioned to take advantage of research, marketing and promotional opportunities. The Board of Directors continues to investigate avenues and opportunities to generate income and lower operating cost. SGBI’s wholly owned subsidiary, Small Registry Systems (SRS), not only allows the associa- tion to spread operational costs, but also generates approxi- mately $12,000 in revenue annually. This past year, SRS funds enabled SGBI to update the association’s accounting program, purchase a new computer and secure a refrigerator for storing DNA samples. As a small breed association in an extremely competitive seedstock industry, SGBI members realize there are always challenges on the horizon, and association success is depen- dent on planning. In 2018, the association released the 2018- 2022 Long Range Plan, a document that builds on the solid foundation set by the 2013-2017 plan. This carefully crafted, grass-roots-developed plan provides SGBI with a clear path for success in the years to come. It has been a great 12 months for Santa Gertrudis Breeders International and Santa Gertrudis genetics. Members’ com- mitment to America’s original beef breed has resulted in tre- mendous growth for DATA DRIVEN and PROFIT PROVEN Santa Gertrudis cattle. SGBI is accepting applications for the position of Executive Director, in anticipation of John Ford’s retirement. For more information, including a job description, list of qualifications and the application process and requirements, please visit www.santagertrudis.com. Applications are due Aug. 1, 2019. SGBI Seeks New Executive Director MORE SGBI ANNUAL MEETING COVERAGE ON PAGE 22 

in a rising demand for the breed’s profitable genetic pack- age. I am pleased to report that registrations increased, as did STAR 5 recordations, transfers were up and the number of cattle on inventory continues to grow. The DATA DRIVEN and PROFIT PROVEN message resonates with all industry sectors, and the membership has responded by submitting a record amount of performance-validating information during the past year. Simply stated, FY 2018-2019 was a tremen- dous success for Santa Gertrudis Breeders International. A 7 percent increase in junior membership, combined with a slight increase in commercial membership, offset a small decrease in active membership, resulting in a net gain of 24 members for the fiscal year. Registrations and recordations topped the 7,500 mark, with 7,539 animals added to the herdbook during the year. This extraordinary 20 percent increase in registrations clearly indicates that there is a growing demand for profitable Santa Gertrudis genetics. The number of animals transferred to new owners surpassed 2,500 head, and the year closed with 22,205 animals listed on member inventory. The membership’s commitment to submitting information, records and DNA samples in order to identify genetics that perform profitably has captured the attention of commercial cattlemen nationwide. A tremendous number of trait records (14,169) were added to the association’s database over the 12-month period. Equally impressive is the number of ultrasound records imported during the year. Members submitted 4,620 scan records between April 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019. Being the first beef breed association to implement the single-step methodology for the incorporation of DNA samples into genetic evaluation calculations has resulted in one of the seedstock sector’s most comprehensive evaluation systems. Recognizing the importance of a DNA-verified expected progeny differences (EPD) system, members continue to add to the number of genotypes stored in the SGBI database. This year, 1,988 DNA samples were downloaded into the association’s database, placing the total number of geno- types accessed per EPD download at 11,679, which repre- sents 53 percent of the breed’s year-end inventory. Utilizing the breed’s comprehensive genetic evaluation, members have made tremendous genetic progress improving traits of economic importance, including weaning weight, yearling weight and marbling. Challenged by the Performance Committee and the Research and Education Committee to collaborate with uni- versities and others, the Santa Gertrudis Foundation funded key research with industry partners on heterosis, animal

7

JUNE 2019 • WWW.SANTAGERTRUDIS.COM