Beef Production Research Articles

Whole Genome Sequence Analysis of Listeria monocytogenes Isolates Obtained from the Beef Production Chain in Gauteng Province, South Africa

Whole Genome Sequence Analysis of Listeria monocytogenes Isolates Obtained from the Beef Production Chain in Gauteng Province, South Africa

U.S. beef producer perspectives on “sustainable beef” and implications for sustainability transitions

Beef production systems are at the center of ongoing discussion and debate on food systems sustainability. There is a growing interest among beef producers, consumers, and other beef supply chain stakeholders in achieving greater sustainability within the industry, but the relationship of this interest to general sustainability issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, livelihood risks, and animal welfare concerns is unclear. Specifically, there is very little research documenting how beef producers define and view the concept of sustainability and how to achieve it. Producer perspectives are critical to identifying constraints to sustainability transitions or to help build agreement with other producers about the shared values such transitions may support. Through a secondary analysis of survey data of U.S. beef producers (n = 911) conducted in 2021 by the Trust in Food division of Farm Journal, a corporation that provides content, data, and business insights to the agricultural community (e.g., producers, processors/distributors, and retailers), we investigated what “sustainable beef” means to U.S. beef producers, highlighting the key components and constraints they perceive to achieving desirable sustainability outcomes. Leveraging the three-pillar model of sustainability as a framework for analysis, we identified key themes producers use to define “sustainable beef.” We found that producers collectively viewed sustainability as: (1) multidimensional and interconnected; (2) semi-closed and regenerative; (3) long-lasting; and (4) producer-centered, although an integrated perspective uniting these aspects was rare. We discuss how these perspectives may be the basis for sustainability efforts supported by producers and raise future research considerations toward a shared understanding of what sustainability is and what is needed for enduring sustainability solutions in the U.S. beef industry.

A review of grass species yields and growth rates in Northland, New Zealand

ABSTRACT Pastoral farming is a major land use in New Zealand's Northland region, with 3,171 farm holdings and a total area of 637,500 hectares in 2022. The region's pasture grasses include temperate (C3) and subtropical and tropical (C4) grasses which support dairy, and sheep and beef production from grazing. In lowland areas, C3 and some annual C4 grasses are prevalent where cultivation occurs, while perennial C4 grasses dominate areas with low soil fertility and summer dry conditions. Grass-based pasture growth rates (kg dry matter/ha/day) from published and unpublished sources were assembled into the AgYields database. Among the resident and sown grasses tested in Kaitaia, Kaikohe, Whangarei and Dargaville, perennial ryegrass represented ∼60% of the total data points. Dominant kikuyu pastures represented 23% and the remaining species represented 17%. Rates of growth ranged from 5 to 120 kg DM/ha/day, being lowest in late autumn-winter and highest in early summer. Data were compared and agronomic traits (i.e. drought tolerance, biomass production and tillering) are discussed to assess species suitability for the Northland environment. The medium-term prospect suggests an urgent need to improve research into management of cocksfoot and tall fescue-based pastures to provide viable alternatives to overcome the decreasing persistence of perennial ryegrass.

Social capital in transactions: The role of economic and social trust in the specialty beef production system in Brazil

Abstract This study aims to understand the social capital inherent in agents and the role of social and economic trust in transactions between beef cattle producers and slaughtering cooperatives in the specialty beef production system in Paraná state, Brazil. This qualitative research involved 31 semi-structured interviews with beef cattle producers, cooperatives, and key agents. Results revealed that social capital, comprising networks and informal norms, favors the condition of trust, enabling the construction of a hybrid governance structure under a complex institutional environment. Social and economic trust between agents facilitates transactions, reduces behavioral and market uncertainties, enables ex-post adaptations, and consequently, reduces monitoring costs and transaction costs. Trust based on social aspects, i.e., social trust, was more relevant for the construction of arrangements, while trust based on economic aspects, i.e., economic trust, had a greater impact on the continuity of arrangements. This reveals that looking at only one of them is not enough to understand contractual arrangements. Thus, this study highlights that unfolding the concept of trust and investigating whether it comes from an economic or social basis is important to understand the complexity of such arrangements, which may influence specialty beef production system design and coordination efficiency.

The veterinarian’s role in reducing GHG emissions from beef and dairy production

The beef and dairy industries make significant contributions to sustainability objectives by providing our society with nutri­tious food, supporting farmers’ livelihoods, generating billions of dollars in economic activity, and contributing to healthy ecosystems. However, cattle production also generates negative environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emis­sions. Veterinarians have a unique opportunity to interface with beef and dairy farmers to assist with the implementation of products and practices that reduce GHG emissions, such that their clients can be more profitable and more sustainable. In general, the GHG intensity of beef and dairy production can be reduced by increasing output yields of beef and milk, while re­ducing inputs and maximizing efficiency. Some of the specific interventions include: early entry of feeder cattle to a feedlot, dry manure management, optimized inorganic nitrogen fertil­izer use, increased fat in the ration, use of anti-methane feed additives and ionophores, sourcing low-carbon corn, select­ing genetics for high feed efficiency, raising moderate/small mature beef cows and feed efficient dairy cows, improving pregnancy rate and reducing dystocia, conducting pregnancy checks, implementing artificial insemination, promoting herd health products and practices to reduce death loss, using growth-promoting implants, and utilizing SOP Lagoon®. As a trusted source of scientific information, veterinarians can be a conduit of information for producers and contribute to the ongoing effort to improve the resiliency of the beef and dairy industries.

Beef’s intersection with ESG Metrics

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics are in­creasingly important to businesses for evaluating their perfor­mance in non-financial indicators to investors. Currently, the largest intersection of the beef industry with ESG metrics is re­lated to the area of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reporting and goals and targets. Many companies that sell beef products have made public commitments to reduce Scope 3 GHG emis­sions, which includes GHG emissions from all inputs, including emissions associated with the raising of cattle for beef. Cur­rently, there is a gap between company commitments and the U.S. beef supply’s ability to document and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from cattle production. Research filling these gaps, including improving models used for reporting and find­ing practical and scalable solutions to mitigate enteric methane emissions is a key focus of Colorado State University’ AgNext. Animal health and veterinary medicine is a key part of main­taining and achieving ESG metrics outcome goals, as lower rates of morbidity and mortality can lower resource inputs and GHG emissions per pound of beef produced. Additionally, animal health and well-being are fundamental components of the social license to operate for beef supply chains, thus bovine veterinari­ans can play a key role in ESG metrics related to beef production.

Heifer spay: A practical approach

I learned how to spay heifers in the Kimberley region of West­ern Australia. The extensive practice of beef production, lack of fences, seasonality of access to cattle, and the need for non-pregnant cattle for live export made the practice of spaying heifers commonly used.

Calf Care & Quality Assurance program – best management guidelines for the calf raising sector

The cattle raising sector has played an important role for devel­oping male or female calves with dairy genetics destined for the dairy breeding herd or the beef production system. Quality as­surance programs have become commonplace for food produc­ing enterprises to build consumer confidence that food is ethi­cally and responsibly produced. Calf raisers are a critical piece to this. Healthy calves are the cornerstone of every beef, dairy and veal facility. As no single organization or program covers all calves to ensure optimal health and welfare throughout the supply chain, the Calf Care and Quality Assurance program (CCQA; funded by the Beef Checkoff) was created through the collaboration of 4 industry groups. The National Dairy Farm­ers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM), Beef Checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA), Veal Quality Assurance (VQA), and the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) are na­tional recognized programs that collaborated to create the CCQA program. Included in the program are science-based guidance for calf raisers covering employee training, continuing educa­tion, emergency preparedness, calf health, animal handling and stockmanship, and management and care. Producers and veterinarians are encouraged to review the tools and resources, get certified in CCQA, and ensure they are following best man­agement practices for calves in their care. It is important that the education that producers, veterinarians and transporters receive is current and up to date, and adapts to this changing industry.

Validation of genomic tools to improve production efficiency, health resilience and the carbon footprint of beef production

Genomic tools and accuracy of molecular breeding values (MBVs) for economically important traits continue to improve and are being applied in commercial crossbred beef cattle. Ge­nomic breed composition and retained heterozygosity of an individual animal can be used to further improve female fertil­ity, stayability, lifetime productivity and calf health resilience. But this is just the first step. Within specific crossbred popula­tions, researchers at Livestock Gentec have used large numbers of cattle phenotypes and genotypes, combined with advanced statistical genomic analyses to generate MBVs for 18 traits with moderate to moderately-high accuracy (0.35 to 0.60). This accu­racy is equivalent to 10 to 20 progeny records. These MBVs are economically balanced into multi-trait profit indices such as the Replacement Heifer Profit Index Score and the Feeder Profit In­dex. The use of these genomic tools will improve the sustainabil­ity of beef production by improving profitability, lowering the carbon footprint, and improving an animal’s ability to adapt to changing environments. The following paper outlines the valida­tion of these genomic tools and their potential benefits.

Exploring the genetic control of sweat gland characteristics in beef cattle for enhanced heat tolerance

BackgroundThermal stress in subtropical regions is a major limiting factor in beef cattle production systems with around $369 million being lost annually due to reduced performance. Heat stress causes numerous physiological and behavioral disturbances including reduced feed intake and decreased production levels. Cattle utilize various physiological mechanisms such as sweating to regulate internal heat. Variation in these traits can help identify genetic variants that control sweat gland properties and subsequently allow for genetic selection of cattle with greater thermotolerance.MethodsThis study used 2,401 Brangus cattle from two commercial ranches in Florida. Precise phenotypes that contribute to an animal’s ability to manage heat stress were calculated from skin biopsies and included sweat gland area, sweat gland depth, and sweat gland length. All animals were genotyped with the Bovine GGP F250K, and BLUPF90 software was used to estimate genetic parameters and for Genome Wide Association Study.ResultsSweat gland phenotypes heritability ranged from 0.17 to 0.42 indicating a moderate amount of the phenotypic variation is due to genetics, allowing producers the ability to select for favorable sweat gland properties. A weighted single-step GWAS using sliding 10 kb windows identified multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs) explaining a significant amount of genetic variation. QTLs located on BTA7 and BTA12 explained over 1.0% of genetic variance and overlap the ADGRV1 and CCDC168 genes, respectively. The variants identified in this study are implicated in processes related to immune function and cellular proliferation which could be relevant to heat management. Breed of Origin Alleles (BOA) were predicted using local ancestry in admixed populations (LAMP-LD), allowing for identification of markers’ origin from either Brahman or Angus ancestry. A BOA GWAS was performed to identify regions inherited from particular ancestral breeds that might have a significant impact on sweat gland phenotypes.ConclusionsThe results of the BOA GWAS indicate that both Brahman and Angus alleles contribute positively to sweat gland traits, as evidenced by favorable marker effects observed from both genetic backgrounds. Understanding and utilizing genetic traits that confer better heat tolerance is a proactive approach to managing the impacts of climate change on livestock farming.

Stressors Inherent to Beef Cattle Management in the United States of America and the Resulting Impacts on Production Sustainability: A Review

Stressors are directly related to major events throughout the beef cattle production cycle. Understanding the impact stressors have on productive outcomes is critical for the efficient implementation of management strategies. Such stressors include environmental extremes, nutritional deprivation, and common management procedures. Environmental extremes such as thermal stress can disturb gestating cows’ normal physiological responses, hindering reproductive efficiency. Thermal stress during the breeding season can affect embryo development causing a decrease in conception rates, although adjusting the scheduling of breeding activities can minimize losses. Additionally, suboptimal nutrition may negatively impact reproductive performance if management strategies including modifying seasonal grazing practices are not implemented. As gestation progresses, nutrient requirements increase; thus, without appropriate dietary management, poor calf performance, the loss of the body condition score, and reduced reproductive performance may result. While weaning is a common management procedure, this event is another major stress within the production system. Applying efficient strategies such as creep feeding or two-step weaning to mitigate weaning stress can maximize production efficiency. This review will explore in-depth the stressors associated with production events in the beef cattle industry and give insight into researched management strategies targeting these stressors that will improve the sustainability of the production system.

Estimation of genetic parameters for maintenance energy requirements and residual feed intake in Nellore cattle.

We estimated heritabilities and genetic and phenotypic correlation estimates for maintenance energy requirements (NEmR), residual feed intake (RFI), growth, carcass and reproductive indicator traits, using data from 41 feed efficiency trials in Brazil, comprising 4381 males and females. Continuous traits were analysed using a linear animal model and threshold traits were analysed using a threshold animal model. The heritability estimates were low for RFI (0.190) and NEmR (0.193); other heritabilities were mainly moderate (growth and carcass traits) or high (sexual precocity traits). The genetic correlation of RFI with NEmR was high (0.701). The genetic correlations of NEmR were low with carcass and reproductive traits, and moderate with growth traits. Thus, selection to improve weaning weight and female sexual precocity indicator traits would not affect maintenance energy requirement. Genetic selection to reduce maintenance energy requirements is feasible and would also reduce DMI and RFI. Selection to improve RFI can be used to identify animals with lower maintenance energy requirements. Long-term selection to reduce RFI and NEmR would have favourable effects on yearling weight, carcass muscle indicator traits and female sexual precocity. Genetic (co)variance component estimates for NEmR, in conjunction with economic values of selection criteria, may be used to develop novel approaches for genetic selection to improve efficiency of beef production.

62 Implications of factor analyses and Bayesian network learning to develop composite traits of size attributes in developing beef heifers

Abstract Advancements in phenotypic data collection methods provide opportunities to capture complex biological traits more efficiently. Even so, interpreting those phenotypes and using them in selection decisions is challenging in beef cattle production. Objectives of this study were to 1) develop composite phenotype(s) of economic importance in beef heifers given attributes of their body conformation and ultrasound-based measures of reproductive and carcass traits, and 2) identify associated genomic regions under selection using the structure equation modeling (SEM) approach. In this study, we hypothesized that the interplay of factor analysis and Bayesian Network Learning (BNL) approaches would better define the complex composite traits for size and carcass-related traits in beef heifers. Phenotypic data of admixed beef heifers (n = 336) for different reproductive, body conformational, and carcass-associated phenotypic traits (n = 16) were collected. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, two latent variables explaining 14 phenotypic traits were identified, herein called Body Size (BS; n = 7 traits represented) and Body Composition (BC; n = 7 traits represented). To efficiently model them in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), fixed effects of data collection year, dam age, and primary breed group as well as causal network structure identified through BNL were used within SEM model of GWAS. Body Size was directly or indirectly contributing to BC based on BNL structure. Given the data-driven approach and novelty of the data, BayesCπ model was applied with the sliding window of 1 Mb to avoid noise and linkage disequilibrium implications. Regions capturing large amounts of genetic variance (Posterior Probability of Association, PPA ≥ 0.8) were mapped to their closest gene for enrichment analysis. Twenty-four different genes were identified associated with both composite phenotypes. Functional enrichment analysis of significantly involved pathways (FDR < 0.05) indicated that genes from the HERC family (HERC3, HERC6, and HERC5) were found involved in cellular growth, and those from desmosomes (DC2, and DC3) were involved in morphogenesis like BS. Genes related to energy metabolism like IMPAD1, and PIGY, along with genes associated with traits like muscular development, and other carcass traits (i.e., FAM184B, NCAPG, and LCORL), were also found associated with BS and BC. Heritability ranged from 0.551 ± 0.048 to 0.897 ± 0.145 for BS and BC, respectively. The combined heritability of reproductive and carcass traits (BC) was much greater than the heritability of any related individual trait reported to date and was comparable for individual BS-related traits. Given this, we conclude that the implications of factor analyses with BNL can provide better biological insights for improved genomic selection in beef cattle, even for traits of low heritability.

92 Factors influencing bull selection in Illinois beef producers: Analysis of retained and non-retained ownership producers

Abstract The objective was to understand decision-making factors for bull selection of producers participating in the Illinois Performance Tested (IPT) bull sale. The IPT bull sale has served Illinois beef producers for the last 54 yr offering around 50 bulls annually. A comprehensive survey targeted a diverse group of beef producers that had previously attended the IPT bull sale. The survey was developed through Qualtrics and provided to producers via email. The survey consisted of 40 questions based on four categories: farm location, herd demographics, bull selection criteria, and feedback from previous experiences at the IPT bull sale. There were a variety of question types including multiple choice, select all that apply, open-ended, ranking of importance, and select on a scale from one to ten. Specific responses on bull selection criteria focused on expected progeny differences and functional traits. Survey results were grouped based on whether producers retained ownership of feedlot cattle; regularly retained ownership (RET; n = 12) and never retained ownership (NRET; n = 15). Data were analyzed with the MIXED and GLIMMIX procedures of SAS 9.4. For RET and NRET producers, there were no observed differences in mature cow body weight and herd size (P ≥ 0.42). Most producers responded that they calved in March and April. Producer groups did not differ (P = 0.99) in the percentage of respondents retaining replacement heifers, as 66% of RET and NRET producers retained replacements. However, RET producers tended to be more likely (P = 0.07) to regularly sell freezer beef. Specifically, 75% of RET producers regularly sell freezer beef compared with 13% of NRET producers. Additionally, RET producers tended to prioritize (P = 0.1) carcass trait expected progeny differences in bull selection more than NRET producers (66 vs 33%, respectively). There was no difference (P = 0.2) in the percentage of respondents that selected the weaning weight expected progeny difference in their top three traits. However, NRET producers were much more likely (P < 0.01) to prioritize yearling weight expected progeny difference in their bull selection decisions. Specifically, 66% of RET producers used yearling weight expected progeny difference in their bull selection compared with 0% of NRET producers. Lastly, there was no difference (P = 0.61) in the percentage of respondents who included docility in their top three functional traits. In conclusion, bull buyers at the IPT bull sale that regularly retain ownership of feedlot cattle were more likely to prioritize expected progeny differences for yearling weight and carcass traits while functional traits priorities were similar to producers that did not retain ownership of feedlot cattle.

PSIV-A-13 The relationship between breed-wide expected progeny differences, genomic predictors, and phenotypic values in mature Angus cows

Abstract For many years, selection for improved beef production centered on heavier weaning weights and more rapid post-weaning gain. More recently, measurement of post-weaning feed intake has facilitated direct improvement in feed efficiency in the feedlot. However, intake on a high concentrate diet is controlled by different biological mechanisms than intake on a high roughage diet. For this reason, the question remains whether an animal that efficiently converts calories from a high-quality concentrate-based ration similar to that of a feedlot diet where the expected progeny differences (EPDs) and genomic predictors (GPs) are developed would also be an efficient forage utilizer as a mature cow. To evaluate this relationship, we compared breed-wide EPDs and predictors to performance on a roughage diet and on a concentrate diet in mature cows. The objective of this study was to determine if EPDs and GPs developed and used in feedlots are applicable to commercial cow/calf producers utilizing forages and other roughages as the main diet ingredient. Data for this study were collected at Oklahoma State University from the fall of 2018 to the spring of 2021. Tissue samples from 64 mature Angus cows were submitted to Neogen for profiling according to genetic potential for 16 different traits. In each trial, retained energy (RE), dry matter intake (DMI), milk production (MILK), mature weight (MW), and average daily gain (ADG) were recorded and compared with the corresponding EPD and GP. Pearson correlations were determined between phenotypic values, GPs, and EPDs for both diets on each trial. No EPD or GP was significantly correlated to any measured trait on the forage diet. The DMI EPD was strongly correlated with DMI on a concentrate-based diet, however, did not predict DMI on a forage diet in mature cows. Based on the evaluations performed in this study, selecting for animals that perform well in the feedlot may be inadvertently selecting for mature cows that perform poorly on a typical mature cow diet of medium to low-quality forages.

Divided Cowboy Hat: Exploring the Digital Divide among Beef Cattle Producers around the Texas Panhandle

The Texas Panhandle is crucial for beef production in America. However, how information and communication technologies are being used by cattle producers around the region in relation to the digital divide has been barely studied. Through phenomenological interviews, this study explored the technological realities of cattle producers. Findings revealed producers faced unequal technological realities based on the sizes of their operations, echoing pattern of the digital divide. According to the finding of the study, it is recommended that government or technology business entities in agriculture consider more carefully about if new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are better than old practices and if such ICTs are compatible with producers’ experiences, values, and financial capacities.

Tree contributions to climate change adaptation through reduced cattle heat stress and benefits to milk and beef production.

Cattle heat stress causes billions of dollars' worth of losses to meat and milk production globally, and is projected to become more severe in the future due to climate change. Tree establishment in pastoral livestock systems holds potential to reduce cattle heat stress and thus provide nature-based adaptation. We developed a general model for the impact of trees on cattle heat stress, which can project milk and meat production under future climate scenarios at varying spatial scales. The model incorporates the key microclimate mechanisms influenced by trees, including shade, air temperature, humidity, and wind speed. We conducted sensitivity analyses to demonstrate the relative influence of different mechanisms through which trees can impact cattle heat stress, and how tree impacts are influenced by climatic context globally. Trees hold the greatest potential to reduce cattle heat stress in higher latitudes and altitudes, with minor benefits in the lowland tropics. We projected the future contributions of current trees in mitigating climate change impacts on the dairy and beef herds of Aotearoa-New Zealand (A-NZ) in 2070-2080. Trees were simulated to contribute to A-NZ milk yields by over 491 million liters (lower CI = 112 million liters, upper CI = 850 million liters), and meat yields by over 8316 tonnes (lower CI = 2431 tonnes, upper CI = 13,668 tonnes) annually. The total economic contribution of existing trees in mitigating future cattle heat stress was valued at $US 244 million (lower CI = $US 58 million, upper CI = $US 419 million). Our findings demonstrate the importance of existing trees in pastoral landscapes and suggest that strategic tree establishment can be a valuable adaptation option for reducing cattle heat stress under climate change. Tree establishment in the next few years is critical to provide adaptation capacity and economic benefit in future decades.

Stakeholder Perceptions of Animal Welfare as a Component of Sustainable Beef Programs in the United States-A Pilot Study.

This study aimed to investigate how stakeholders in the United States beef industry incorporate animal welfare into their sustainability programs. A survey was administered online to the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef membership. Twenty-seven surveys were analyzed. Most respondents (n = 26, 96%) had sustainability programs that incorporated animal welfare. Most respondents believed that welfare positively impacted environmental (n = 25/26, 96%), economic (n = 25/26, 96%), and social (n = 26/26, 100%) sustainability. The thematic analysis of five free response questions identified ten themes: Animal Care, Regulations and Guidelines, Responsibility, Consumers and Stakeholders, Performance and Efficiency, Financial Impact, Connectedness, Critical Component, Animal-based Outcomes, and Employees. When asked to define welfare, the most common themes were Animal Care and Regulations and Guidelines. When asked why welfare was a component of their sustainability program, the top factors from a provided list were: cattle health (n = 20, 74%), cattle performance (n = 12, 44%), and consumer perceptions (n = 12, 44%). Findings suggest a widespread recognition of animal welfare's importance within sustainable beef production.

Analysis of the Relationship Lag Between Beef Production Amount and Average Meat Price in Turkey Using the Koyck Model

This research was obtained from statistical tables published by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) between 2001 and 2018. In the resulting tables, the meat production amount of slaughtered cattle represents the dependent variable, while the average meat price represents the independent variable. Analysis was carried out with the help of the Koyck model to determine the relationship lag between the dependent variable and the independent variable. As a result of the research, it was found that the average meat price was affected by the meat production amount of slaughtered cattle in a maximum of two years, and that a change in the meat production amount of slaughtered cattle required 0.007 years to significantly affect the meat price. In addition, it was determined by the analysis that a 1 ton increase in the meat production of slaughtered cattle in year t increases the meat price by 0.994390, and a 1 ton increase in meat production in the t-1 period increases the meat price by 0.007731.

Beef Cattle Production and Market of Beef Cattle Farmer in Lamphun Province

The objectives of this research were to study: 1) beef cattle production of farmers, 2) beef cattle markets in Lamphun province, and 3) problems and recommendations on beef cattle production in Lamphun province. The research samples consisted of two groups. Group 1, for quantitative research, were 210 beef cattle farmers in Lamphun province who had more than 21 head of beef cattle each. The data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed by descriptive statistics as percentage, mean, maximum, minimum and standard deviation. Group 2, for qualitative research, were 13 key informants who were representatives of beef cattle farmers and stakeholders in beef cattle production and market in Lamphun province. The data were collected by in-depth interview and analyzed by content analysis. The results showed that: 1) Most of farmer were male (about 93.33 %) with average ages of 42±34.58 years. Approximately 43.81 % were educated at primary level and had 35±26.15 years of experience in beef cattle production. Lamphun province had two types of beef cattle production which were 95.24% independent beef cattle farmers and 4.76% beef cattle community enterprise members. Farmers raised 4 types of beef cattle which were purebred beef cattle (50.71%), fattening beef cattle (31.44%), culled beef cattle (13.31%) and fattening quality beef cattle (4.54%). 2) Beef cattle markets in Lamphun province included beef cattle markets and beef markets. Beef cattle were sold at the farms, at beef cattle and buffalo markets and beef cattle fattening market, while butchered beef was sold through local markets in Lamphun province. And 3) the problems in beef cattle production were in beef cattle breeds, feed and farm management. The recommendations for beef cattle production were that beef cattle farmers should establish collaborative groups to develop beef cattle fattening quality production, and relevant agencies should advise and help farmers in farm management, implementing standard slaughterhouse and sources for selling beef cattle.