In order to evaluate the performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of culled ewes finished in pasture or exclusivelywith grain, 41 culled Polwarth ewes, were assigned to six treatments: RY (ryegrass pasture), RYGO (ryegrass and whole grain oats), RYGM (ryegrass and whole grain maize), GM (whole grain maize), GO (whole grain oats), GS (whole grain sorghum). The finishing systemof the ewes influenced weight gain,wherein the GM and GS treatments increased daily weight gain. The GO treatment decreased the dressing percentage. Nonetheless, a*, h*, pH, cooking loss and tenderness were similar across dietary treatments. Using principal component analysis, the variables C18:2n6, h*, n6/n3, TBARS, total lipids, L* and b* were assigned as characteristics of meat from the feedlot animals, while the pasture finishing system produced meat with higher CLA and n-3 fatty acids but lower TBARS values indicating lipid stability.

No abstract

-This is a case study that aimed at proposing a management method based on macroprocesses to determine and achieve strategic goals for a beef cattle enterprise in order to maintain or to increase the company's competitiveness.The method suggests using a series of tools mentioned in the literature that were organized providing logical reasons for the managers to build the management system. When mapping the processes of the studied enterprise, four macroprocesses were identified, which were sustained by 21 support processes, in addition to three management processes. The strategic aims were determined by the internal and external environmental analysis, resulting in five priority items, and the processes considered critical to achieve them were described by flow diagrams. The strategies to achieve the goals were determined by the Porter General Strategies method, where the differentiation option was chosen for the two main macroprocesses, whose action focuses were different.Key Words: agribusiness, agricultural systems, flow diagram, management system Aplicação de modelo de gestão por macroprocessos em empresa de pecuária de corte: um estudo de caso RESUMO -Objetivou-se, por meio de um estudo de caso, propor a implantação de um método de gestão orientado por macroprocessos para auxiliar na definição dos objetivos estratégicos de uma empresa de pecuária de corte, bem como das estratégias para seu atendimento, contribuindo com a manutenção e/ou o aumento da competitividade do negócio. O método propõe a utilização de ferramentas citadas na literatura, ordenadas de forma a orientar o raciocínio lógico dos gestores na montagem do sistema. No mapeamento dos processos da empresa estudada, foram identificados quatro macroprocessos, sustentados por 21 processos de apoio, além de três processos gerenciais. Os objetivos estratégicos foram determinados de acordo com a análise de ambiente interno e externo e resultaram em cinco itens prioritários; os processos considerados críticos para o seu atendimento foram descritos pelo método dos fluxogramas. As estratégias para atendimento dos objetivos foram determinadas pelo método das Estratégias Genéricas de Porter, e a estratégia da diferenciação foi a melhor para os dois principais macroprocessos, diferindo quanto ao foco de atuação.Palavras-chave: agronegócio, fluxogramas, sistemas agropecuários, sistema de gestão

Inclusion of legume in grass pastures optimizes protein values of the forage and promotes improved digestibility. Therefore, we hypothesized that finishing steers on a novel combination of legumes and grass pasture would produce carcasses with acceptable traits when compared to carcasses from steers finished in feedlot systems. In this study, we evaluated the effects of finishing steers on three systems including: grazing legume–grass pasture containing oats, ryegrass, white and red clover (PAST), grazing PAST plus supplementation with whole corn grain (14 g/kg BW (SUPP)), and on a feedlot-confined system with concentrate only (28 g/kg BW, consisting of 850 g/kg of whole corn grain and 150 g/kg of protein–mineral–vitamin supplement (GRAIN)) on growth performance of steers, carcass traits and digestive disorders. Eighteen steers were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments and finished for 91 days. Data regarding pasture and growth performance were collected during three different periods (0 to 28, 29 to 56 and 57 to 91 days). Subsequently, steers were harvested to evaluate carcass traits, presence of rumenitis, abomasitis and liver abscesses. The legume–grass pasture provided more than 19% dry matter of protein. In addition, pasture of paddocks where steers were assigned to SUPP and PAST treatments showed similar nutritional quality. When compared to PAST, finishing on SUPP increased total weight gain per hectare, stocking rate, daily and total weight gains. The increase of weight gain was high to GRAIN than SUPP and PAST. Steers finished on GRAIN had high hot carcass weight, fat thickness and marbling score when compared to PAST. However, these attributes did not differ between GRAIN and SUPP. Abomasum lesions were more prevalent in steers finished on GRAIN when compared to PAST. Results of this research showed that it is possible to produce carcasses with desirable market weight and fat thickness by finishing steers on legume–grass pasture containing oats, ryegrass, white and red clover. Moreover, supplementing steers with corn when grazing on legume–grass pasture produced similar carcass traits when compared to beef fed corn only.

-It was aimed to propose a methodology for implementing a performance indicator system in a beef cattle company. Strategic goals and prioritization of process previously performed in the company was used as a support to the implementation. Possible indicators were listed and confronted with occasional restraints to its implementation and further analyzed by the Balanced Score Card (BSC) point of view. Subsequently, indicators were individually analyzed and their relationship with the company's strategic goals was determined. Seventeen indicators were selected, two under financial perspective, nine under process perspective, four under customer perspective, and two under development and learning perspective. The relationship analysis showed that the indicators support appropriate monitoring of the critical processes to achieve the strategic goals, thereby consolidating the management system.