Santa Gertrudis Source January 2025

Global Influence America’s Original Beef Breed Makes Its Mark on Beef Production Around the World JESSIE TOPP BECKER | SANTA GERTRUDIS SOURCE MANAGING EDITOR

M ore than a century has passed since the first efforts to pro duce the Santa Gertru dis breed began on the native grasses of the South Texas brush country. It was 1910 when King Ranch started systemically crossing its Shorthorn and Her eford cattle with Brahman. Ulti mately, the ranch found a cross of 3/8 Brahman and 5/8 Shorthorn as the optimum blend and, in 1940, the cross received official recognition as a distinctive beef breed from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It didn’t take long for the influence of America’s original beef breed to spread around the world. Australia

the Santa Gertrudis breed, this paradigm shift has ensured the breed’s commercial rele vance continues.” In addition to focusing on muscle com position, a stringent focus and contin ued emphasis on fertility has also been a continuing trend among Santa Ger trudis breeders in Australia, according to Sinnamon.

“The opportunity and benefits from crossbreeding with Santa Gertrudis are the greatest source of growth potential for the breed here in Australia,” he says. “This is proven through continued market demand in the seedstock arena, commercial cow and calf production, feeder steer demand and supe rior financial return for the end product being a preferred protein source.”

In 1952, King Ranch Australia imported 75 bulls and 200 heifers to Australia, marking the breed’s arrival in the land down under. Another import would occur in 1954 shortly before a total embargo on bovine imports as the Australian government worked to prevent the introduction of blue tongue disease; the next import of Santa Gertrudis cattle wouldn’t occur until 1981. “Buyers have emphatically told the market this year that if you want the beef job done right, you buy Santa Gertrudis.” – Brad Cooper Following Santa Gertrudis’ arrival in the country, the breed spread to all states in Australia. Since then, the breed has become a dominant source of beef genetics for the country’s beef producers. “As market specifications have evolved and matured, Santa Gertrudis have phenotypically kept pace with the change,” says longtime Australian Santa Gertrudis breed er Rob Sinnamon. “Possibly the most significant change to the breed in recent times – directly addressing sustain able production and humanely ethical demands – has been the dominant implementation of polled-ness in the Santa Gertrudis breed. Without compromising performance of

Santa Gertrudis’ reputation for being low-maintenance, low-input cattle that can thrive in a myriad of environ ments made them highly sought after at sales in Austra lia this year. According to the Santa Gertrudis Breeders’ (Australia) Association (SGB(A)A), of all the Santa Ger trudis stud bull auction sales held across Australia in 2024, the majority in New South Wales and Queensland from August to October, 92 percent of the bulls offered sold to buyers at an average of $11,450 (AUS), the highest of any beef breed excluding Wagyu. SGB(A)A General Manager Brad Cooper says buyers are seeking cattle with a history of proven performance as margins continue to tighten for producers. “Beef producers are no different to all business own ers and managers – they want a product that is efficient to produce and is in demand by the customer who is will

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SANTA GERTRUDIS SOURCE

JANUARY 2025