SG_USA_October_2019

Who Is SGBI? By John Ford, Executive Director, Santa Gertrudis Breeders International

S A N T A G E R T R U D I S

WHAT OR WHO IS SANTA GERTRUDIS BREEDERS INTERNATIONAL (SGBI)? The quick and easy answer: a cattle breed association comprised of a group of like-minded people working to achieve a common goal of advancing the Santa Gertrudis breed. Like most associations, SGBI advances its mission through volunteers’ contributions of time, expertise and insight. An elected board of directors sets the association’s strategic direction, and staff manages the day- to-day operations, keeping with the board’s policy. While a cattle breed association is the correct answer, it is does not clearly communicate who Santa Gertrudis Breed- ers International is, and it certainly does not convey the pas- sion of our association’s membership. While developing the 2013-2017 SGBI Long Range Plan, a survey was designed to determine SGBI membership charac- teristics and management practices. Although the survey was conducted in 2011, I suspect key membership characteristics are the same today as they were eight years ago. So, who is SGBI? The survey tells us SGBI membership mirrors U.S. agriculture. The average association member is older than 55. Fifty percent of the organization’s members

are classified as small cattle operations having fewer than 50 head, while the remaining 50 percent represent a wide range – from 50 head to more than 1,000 head. As would be expected, the largest percentage of membership (52.3 percent) manage seed- stock operations with the goal of producing ani- mals for other seedstock producers and providing bulls and replacement females to commercial operations. More than 33 percent of SGBI’s mem- bers consider their herds commercial operations, mar- keting their calf crop at weaning, but having the flexibility of a seedstock operation, offering STAR 5 replacement females and taking advantage of a growing composite bull market. Approximately 14 percent raise Santa Gertrudis for show purposes. Although the survey did not specify, I think it’s safe to assume a sizable percentage of show operations are focused on supporting SGBI’s junior program. Eighty-six percent of SGBI membership derives less than 40 percent of their annual income from their cattle operation, and 14 percent indicated they derive a “high” level of annual income from farming and ranching.

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 43  A cattle breed association comprised of a group of like-minded people working to achieve a common goal of advancing the Santa Gertrudis breed.

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