Carcass Characteristics of Forage-Finished Cattle Produced in Hawai‘i

It is extremely difficult for the Hawai‘i beef industry to compete against the concentrate-finished beef that dominates the U.S. beef industry because of our state’s lack of grain production, lack of economy of scale, and an inefficient processing segment. Nevertheless, produc­ ers continue to keep their faith in the local and emerg­ ing niche markets, looking for opportunities for mar­ keting Hawai‘i-branded beef products. Forage, grass, or pasture-finished beef production is a natural phenomenon because cattle, being ruminants, efficiently utilize forages for its growth. There are 614 delineated watersheds in our state providing the oppor­ tunity to produce quality forages. Thus, producing for­ age-finished beef by matching production requirements with our diverse environmental conditions is a real and viable option for the Hawai‘i beef industry. Recently, market awareness for locally grown and raised products has been on the rise. Programs such as CTAHR’s “A Taste of the Hawaiian Range Agricultural Festival,” the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture’s “Is­ land Fresh” program, activities of the Hawaiian Regional Cuisine Chef Organization, and other independent prod­ uct brand labeling have contributed to the increased awareness of local products. “Buy Local” campaigns have seen a positive development and growth of niche markets within our insular island economy. For the beef industry, a movement toward target marketing of for­ age-finished beef has aroused the interest of several ranchers and end-users, such as restaurants and super­ markets. In the past, quality issues have plagued for­ age-finished beef products. Studies have shown that for­ age-finished beef are generally less tender, slightly darker in color, have a shorter shelf-life, and have unde­ sirable flavor differences compared to concentrate-fin­ ished beef (Bowling et al. 1977; Kim 1995). However, it is known that forage-finished beef has positive as­ pects as well. For example, beef from forage-finished carcasses is leaner and has higher levels of healthy fatty acids (omega-3, conjugated linoleic acid). Therefore, it appears that pasture-finished beef produced in Hawai‘i has the potential to be marketed as natural, health-pro­ moting food, particularly for those groups of people seek­ ing animal products raised in natural conditions without much intervention on animals’ dietary intake or admin­ istration of growth-promoting agents. Understanding the current status of carcass traits of forage-finished cattle produced in Hawai‘i is important in improving carcass characteristics and meat palatabil­ ity. Currently, however, no data are available, so this study was conducted to survey carcass characteristics of forage-finished cattle produced in various subtropi­ cal environments on the island of Hawai‘i.