In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Casey Jentz, Chief Operating Officer of the American Angus Association, who reflects on a standout year for the breed and the programs driving producer profitability. Jentz stepped into the COO role earlier in 2025 after years as a regional manager, and he says the Angus breed closed its fiscal year on an exceptionally strong note. “We had a tremendous year with registrations, our business was good. Our members are doing good,” he told us, adding that sales across the country “have been record sales here for the last year.”

Jentz highlighted not only the Association but the four key entities under the broader Angus umbrella—Certified Angus Beef, Angus Genetics Inc., the Angus Foundation, and Angus Media. He said all four ended the year in the black. “All the entities were in the positive… we’ve done a lot of business throughout the industry,” he noted, pointing to strong performance in advertising, genetic services, and the continued momentum of Certified Angus Beef.

A major bright spot came from commercial programs—especially Angus Link, which Jentz oversees as part of his COO responsibilities. “We had a record year there, signed up almost 290,000 head of Angus Link calves,” he said. When premiums were totaled, those enrolled cattle earned “over a $20 per hundredweight premium across the board,” creating measurable value for commercial producers who invest in high-quality registered Angus bulls.

When asked about the mood among breeders and cattlemen nationwide, Jentz emphasized optimism. “The mood is really good… those Angus cattle have really brought a premium in the marketplace,” he said. He reaffirmed that profitability for commercial cattlemen leads to profitability for purebred breeders as well, adding that programs helping producers capture premiums “really differentiate them in the marketplace.”

Looking down the road, Jentz said the Association is excited about growth in genomic tools—particularly the GMAX Advantage product from AGI. “I think… that is a program you’re going to see ramp up here, especially in the next three to five years,” he said, pointing to its value in identifying the most productive replacement females. He also praised the strength of the Angus junior program, noting, “I am a product of that junior program… I don’t know that there’s a better way to raise your kids.”

The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.

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