With the U.S. cattle supply at its lowest level in years, every ounce matters. Cargill’s CarVe program is one way the company is working to get more from every animal, reduce waste and make protein production more efficient and sustainable from start to finish.
What is CarVe?
CarVe is Cargill’s proprietary, patent-pending computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) system used to maximize red meat yield in real time while reducing waste and helping refine cutting techniques.
The CarVe system uses a network of cameras and data analytics positioned on the fabrication floors, collecting fine-grained metrics on every aspect of the production line.
According to Leon Fletcher, Cargill’s vice president of operations for North America beef, the philosophy behind the system is to harness AI’s capacity for real-time, actionable insights.
Currently, CarVe technology has been implemented in two Cargill facilities: Friona, Texas, and Fort Morgan, Colo.
“As we start to build out our CarVe program, the focus is on yield improvements,” Fletcher says. “We are using cameras on our production floors to provide us real-time insights.”
The Benefits
“Before CarVe, yield data was always yesterday’s news,” explains Jarrod Gillig, senior vice president of Cargill’s North American beef business. “Now, we’re making decisions in the moment and saving product that would’ve been lost.”
Even a 1% improvement in yields could save hundreds of millions of pounds of beef annually. Fletcher explains incremental gains of even one ounce, applied at scale, can equate to roughly 1.2 million quarter-pound servings.
“So, it’s a huge impact to the supply chain,” he says.
To summarize the potential of CarVe’s financial impact:
- Consider the chuck roll market value of approximately $6.49 per lb.
- If the plant can pick up just 0.1 lb. per head more through CarVe
- A plant running about 1.2 million head per year could generate roughly $778,000 in incremental product value, based on prevailing market conditions
Gillig adds Cargill is actually targeting about 0.25 lb. per carcass, especially around the neck bones, which could equate to about a $2 million gain at a single site. When you multiply that across multiple facilities, the potential impact “gets exponentially large extremely quickly.”
“This is about maximizing yield, making sure more beef is available to help meet demand, and strengthening value across the entire supply chain,” Gillig adds.
CarVe is also changing plant culture by providing individualized, actionable feedback. It provides real-time coaching capabilities with details for the stakeholder to see.
“The other piece of it is a training device, so obviously there’s a lot of training that goes on when you have 2,500 team members in each facility,” Fletcher explains. “With our CarVe system, we’re able to use video technology to show our employees where they’re at, how they’re performing and things we can do better again in real time.”
Time is money, and a little piece of product adds up to so much in the packing industry.
“It’s a huge tool for our supervisors,” Fletcher says. “We are able to do some great coaching, whether it’s pacing, whether it’s knife work or whether it’s safety and food safety opportunities.”
He adds: “We can actually see the results for each individual. The employees, as they started to see the scoring, actually got more engaged with the process and realized, ‘How can I get better?” and actually soliciting that feedback from the supervisor.”
Gillig says the CarVe system “gamifies” performance with ranking systems, turning improvement into a friendly competition among employees. This makes feedback immediate and engaging for employees, enhancing motivation and job satisfaction.
“I started out on the processing floor,” adds Steve Rodriguez, fabrication floor manager at the Fort Morgan plant. “CarVe is a game changer. I wish we’d had it 20 years ago.”
Together, Cargill’s investments in people, technology and community partnerships reflect its long-term commitment to Fort Morgan and the broader food system.
Additional Technologies
CarVe is just one strategy within Cargill’s Factory of the Future initiative, aimed at improving operational efficiency, yield and worker safety.
“We’re just at the tip of this from a technology standpoint,” Gillig summarizes.
He explains during his 27 years with Cargill, he has watched how technology has increased rapidly in the meatpacking industry. From the use of cameras, AI and auto saws, technology is helping the industry better use the carcass and improve decision-making in the meat industry.
Beyond CarVe, the company has implemented a variety of technology tools in its packing plants to improve efficiency, safety and productivity in its beef facilities, including:
1. Automation (Packaging and Palletizing): Cargill uses auto-packaging systems to streamline the handling of products at both the front and back ends of its operations. Palletizing robotics perform repetitive “pick-and-place” tasks, reducing manual labor and increasing throughput.
2. Safety Saws & Vision Technology: Safety saws equipped with advanced sensors and vision technology are in place to minimize direct human interaction with large cutting equipment. Fletcher says implementing the saws has greatly improved worker safety.
For example, in the Dodge City, Kan., facility, two chinesaw (spinal process or chine bone saws) lines are changing the game, helping separate meat from bone. Previously, two product line workers per shift pushed a large cut of beef into a bandsaw. They did this up to 3,000 times a day by hand.
Now a 3D vision system handles this product process in real time. It scans the meat to find the best cutting path after loading it into a cradle. The meat travels on a conveyor belt through a bandsaw that adjusts for the best cut.
Cargill employees only need to load the cradle, which minimizes the risk of injury from the blade.
3. Robotics: Robotic arms and automation are used to handle heavy or repetitive tasks, lessening labor strain and injury risk.
4. Process Optimization Technology: Cargill continually upgrades older facilities by integrating the new tech infrastructure, helping make operations more structured and efficient.
Together, these technologies drive efficiency, reduce risk, improve safety and enhance product quality — all while supporting Cargill’s focus on making jobs better for their employees.
Gillig stresses CarVe and related technologies are not about replacing employees but enhancing and supporting their work.
“With CarVe, we are not replacing employees. It is empowering them to work more efficiently and effectively and helping us optimize yield,” Gillig summarizes. “It’s actually making their jobs better and enhancing what they’re able to do.”
Through technology implementation, Cargill is not only improving operational metrics but reshaping how employees experience their work — through real-time feedback and improved safety.
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