Economics of Raramuri Criollo and British crossbred cattle production in the Chihuahuan desert: Effects of foraging distribution and finishing strategy

Authors: TORELL, G - New Mexico State University; TORELL, L - New Mexico State University; ENYINNAYA, J - Colorado State University; Spiegal, Sheri; Estell, Richard - Rick; CIBILS, A - New Mexico State University; Anderson, Dean; Gonzalez, Alfredo

Submitted to: Journal of Arid Environments
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/12/2022
Publication Date: 1/11/2023
Citation: Torell, G.L., Torell, L.A., Enyinnaya, J., Spiegal, S.A., Estell, R.E., Cibils, A.F., Anderson, D.M., Gonzalez, A.L. 2023. Economics of Raramuri Criollo and British crossbred cattle production in the Chihuahuan desert: Effects of foraging distribution and finishing strategy. Journal of Arid Environments. 211. Article 104922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2022.104922.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2022.104922

Interpretive Summary: Many challenges exist for raising beef cattle in the arid and semi-arid regions of the United States. Low forage availability and small profit margins are major concerns for ranchers in the Western U.S. One option for ranchers in arid regions is using alternative cattle genetics such as the Raramuri Criollo (RC), a Mexican heritage biotype brought to the Americas by Spanish Conquistadors. Previous research has shown that compared to more common commercial beef breeds, RC cattle exhibit behavior traits that could reduce the environmental footprint on rangelands. We examined the profitability of raising this biotype in a grass fed production system in the Chihuahuan Desert by comparing enterprise budgets for a herd of RC cattle on the Jornada Experimental Range to an Angus x Hereford (AxH) herd raised in a traditional cow/calf system at the same location. RC cattle had lower operating and overhead costs than AxH crossbred cattle in this case study. This reduction in costs caused the Raramuri Criollo cattle operation to have higher net returns to land and risk when compared to the AxH cattle operation. Raising RC cattle could be a means of strengthening the economic sustainability of desert beef cattle ranching in the United States.

Technical Abstract: Significant challenges for raising beef cattle exist in the arid and semi-arid regions of the United States. Limited forage availability and small profit margins are among the largest concerns in Western U.S. ranching operations. One potential option for ranchers in these regions is using alternative cattle genetics, such as Raramuri Criollo (RC), a Mexican heritage biotype of cattle brought to the Americas by Spanish Conquistadors. Previous research has shown that compared to commercial beef breeds, RC cattle exhibit behavior traits that result in foraging patterns which could reduce the environmental footprint of rangeland animal agriculture. We investigated the profitability of raising this biotype in an alternative production system (grass feeding) in the Chihuahuan Desert by producing enterprise budgets for a herd of RC cattle on the Jornada Experimental Range. Results show that RC cattle have lower operating and overhead costs when compared to Angus x Hereford (AxH) crossbred cattle. This reduction in costs caused the Raramuri Criollo cattle operation to have higher net returns to land and risk when compared to an AxH cattle operation in the same location. Raising RC cattle could be a means of strengthening the economic sustainability of desert beef cattle ranching in the United States.