Environmental factors and management practices associated with beef cattle carcass quality in the mid-west of Brazil.

The "Precoce MS" program, established by the Brazilian government in Mato Grosso do Sul in 2017, aims to encourage beef producers to harvest animals at younger ages to enhance carcass quality. About 40% of the beef produced in the state now comes from this program, which offers tax refunds ranging from 49% to 67% based on carcass classification and production system. Despite the program success, with participants delivering younger animals (with a maximum of 4 incisors), there remains significant variability in carcass quality.