by Ben Nuelle
Cattle market got you down? Maybe it?s time to invest in a different type of cow. Americans found a new tasty treat. The bison. Dave Carter is with the National Bison Association. He says the commercial industry is on fire.
?The American consumer and customer has discovered this is a pretty tasty product. As they have discovered that and supported by the nutritional benefits, and the fact that it is an all-natural product, our sales have sky-rocketed to where we can?t support the business.?
Carter says they are trying to get more commercial producers in the business. He says operations are similar to the cattle industry.
?The one time of year you work the herd and bring them in from roundup, you have to be on top of it and have the right facilities. But for most of the time, this is a low maintenance animal. You get a blizzard coming through Iowa in the middle of February and you are in the bison business, you get an opportunity to sleep in in the morning. You don?t have to roll out of bed to get feed to those animals because they are going to do just fine.?
Carter says there are profits to be made in the bison industry. According to the USDA, the hot hanging weight for a bison was $4.65 last month compared to $1.60 a beef hot hanging weight. Carter says the market has been above four dollars since 2011.
