Modernizing the Yield Grade

By Brianna Smith

For more than 50 years, cattlemen have relied on the USDA’s yield and quality grading systems to guide decisions and improve profitability. Grid marketing systems, which pay based on carcass merit, reward producers for both pounds of usable product and quality, offering premiums or applying discounts accordingly. For years, many in the industry have questioned the accuracy of the yield grade formula. Now, a group of professionals are working to address it.

Yield grading, developed in 1965, estimates the percentage of boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts from a carcass. The system considers four key factors: fat thickness, ribeye area, kidney/pelvic/heart (KPH) fat percentage, and hot carcass weight. Carcasses are assigned a yield grade from 1 (leanest) to 5 (fattest), with grades 4 and 5 often discounted.  

Alongside yield grading, USDA may also apply quality grades based on marbling and maturity. As consumers seek more flavorful beef, high-marbled cattle earn premiums.… Continue reading