North Dakota To Offer Beef Grading Services
Cattlenetwork.com
BISMARCK – North Dakota will soon offer beef grading services to meat slaughtering operations in the state.
“North Dakota cattle producers and meat packing companies can add significant value to their products by having their beef graded to accepted standards,” said Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson. “With the state handling the process, the cost will be significantly lower to producers and packers.”
Johnson said the grading service is made possible by a legislative appropriation and through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).
“AMS already offers meat grading service to North Dakota,” Johnson said. “It can be very expensive, however, since the producer or packer must pay the necessary fees, plus the expense of having a federal grading specialist come to the state.”
