Backgrounding Capitalization — Partner with your cattle

Why partner

One more stage, without adding costs or structure

Backgrounding requires land, pastures, water, infrastructure, animal health and daily care. If you don't have them —or prefer not to tie them up— you can partner: you remain the owner of your cattle and we background them on grass under regenerative management, sharing the result.

You stay the owner

Your calves remain yours throughout the cycle. You don't sell your cattle: you put them to work for one more stage and recover their value at close, plus your share of the spread.

The farm provides everything

We provide land, grass, water, infrastructure, animal health and the daily care of the herd during the 180 days. Backgrounding is done without you having to add your own structure.

Professional technical management

Veterinary and agronomic direction by El Mangrullo Ganadero: animal health, nutrition, grazing management and the technical decision on when to sell each lot.

Backgrounding with backing and clear rules

Regenerative management

Your animals are backgrounded on multispecies pastures with planned grazing: they gain kilos while the soil improves. Production and environment in the same direction.

Production risk on the farm

The climate and forage risk is borne by the farm. If grass is scarce, we guarantee the lot's feeding without passing extra costs to you.

Traceability and open doors

Herd monitoring throughout the cycle and an open farm so you can come see your animals, the grass and the management whenever you like.

EOV monitoring sheet for the La Cecilia farm

Regeneration verified by Savory (EOV 2025)

Your calves are backgrounded on farms with the Savory Institute's Ecological Outcome Verification: kilos produced on land that is regenerating, measured and certified. Learn more →

The business

How does partnered backgrounding work?

In one sentence: you provide your weaned calves, we background them on grass for 180 days to heavy backgrounding weight, and when they're sold you recover the value of your herd plus 40% of the spread generated.

You provide your calves

Weaned calves of 180 to 260 kg come in (for now, a male-only lot). Entry and exit freight are on your account.

Intake and quarantine

Every lot goes through a quarantine period and an intake health protocol. Health costs are borne by La Cecilia.

Grass backgrounding · 180 days

Planned grazing on multispecies pastures, with a reference gain of 0.600 kg/day. Staggered exit between November and January.

60/40 split

The herd is valued at entry and at exit according to the market, and the spread generated is split: 40% for you, 60% for the farm.

Where the value is: the kilos on grass

The partnered backgrounding business is not about buying cheap and selling dear: it's about turning grass into kilos of beef. Each animal comes in at ~200 kg and leaves between 310 and 340 kg, with a ceiling of ~360 kg (above that it drops in commercial category). Those new kilos, produced on grass under regenerative management, are the value later shared between the two parties.

The numbers

Base parameters of the model

Example at reference values, per head. The economic model uses 100 head as the calculation base. Amounts in Argentine pesos (ARS).

Investor's contributionWeaned calves of 180 to 260 kg (example: 200 kg)

Cycle length180 days (entry June → exit November–January)

Cycle gain+110 to 140 kg per animal on grass (reference ADG 0.600 kg/day)

Exit weight~310 to 340 kg depending on the cycle · maximum ceiling of ~360 kg

Spread split40% investor / 60% farm (La Cecilia)

Calculation baseExit value (kg × $/kg × head) − entry value

What the investor collectsValue of their herd at exit + 40% of the spread, in pesos

MortalityUp to 3% shared 60/40; above that, borne by the farm

Your share by exit price

Scenario A · Exit at today's value

The steer sells at the current price

—

Heavy backgrounding projected at $5,300/kg. Spread per head of —; your share (40%) of —. The kilos produced on grass create value even with flat prices.

Scenario B · Sustained exit

The price follows the demand window

—

Heavy backgrounding projected at $6,000/kg. Spread per head of —; your share (40%) of —. The November–January window tends to hold the value of restocking cattle.

The seasonal factor: the November–January window

The exit is staggered at the peak of feedlot restocking demand (Nov–Jan), ahead of summer consumption. Your result (40% of the spread) by exit price, based on the 200 kg entry example:

Exit price ($/kg)	Total you receive per head	Your share (40% of the spread)	Return for the period

The farm controls the production of kilos; the market sets the value of those kilos. The split is on the economic result: both parties share the price tailwind or headwind. Reference prices: DeCampoaCampo (primary source) and CACG (cross-check).

Simulator

Simulate your backgrounding

Choose how many calves you want to background, their entry weight and the exit price. The entry price is editable: use the market value of the day's category. The calculation follows the model parameters: +110 to 140 kg on grass (360 kg ceiling) and a 60/40 spread split. Amounts in Argentine pesos (ARS).

How many calves do you want to background?

100 calves

Entry weight per animal (kg)

200 kg

Exit weight per animal (kg) — up to the 360 ceiling

320 kg · +120 kg on grass

Entry price, calf category ($/kg) — editable Steer exit price ($/kg) — editable

$5,300/kg · exit at today's value

Calves you provide—

Exit weight per animal—

Kilos produced on the farm—

Value of your herd at entry—

Lot exit value—

Spread generated—

Your share (40% of the spread)—

Total you receive at close—

Return on the value of your herd

—

The exit weight is limited by the ~360 kg ceiling (above that, the animal drops in category). The entry and exit prices are market variables: update them to the day of your inquiry. The simulation does not constitute a guaranteed return; percentages, terms and conditions are agreed in each contract. Freight and marketing are on the investor's account.

Transparency

Partnering with clear rules

Climate / forage risk

Absorbed by the farm owner. If grass is scarce, we guarantee the lot's feeding without passing extra costs to you.

Mortality

Up to 3% (technical historical average), the loss is shared in the same 60/40 proportion. Above 3%, the farm absorbs the loss.

Quarantine and animal health

Every incoming lot goes through quarantine and an intake health protocol. Health costs are borne by La Cecilia.

Timing of the sale

El Mangrullo's technical team sets the cut-off point for each lot based on weight and price category, near the ~360 kg ceiling.

Freight and marketing

On the investor's account. Animals are delivered to and picked up from the farm at no freight cost to La Cecilia, and marketing is handled by the investor.

Settlement and close

A single settlement at the close of all the cycle's lots: results are consolidated and the spread split is applied in pesos.

Who's behind it

Farm and technical management

Grupo La Cecilia — Farm / Capitalizer

Regenerative mixed production · Lincoln, Buenos Aires.

Carina Margaria — General Director
Guillermo Mansilla — Operations Manager

El Mangrullo Ganadero — Technical management

Veterinary and agronomic direction · General Villegas, Buenos Aires.

José Villegas — Veterinarian (M.P. 14358-CVPBA)
Mariano Ottini — Agronomist
@ElMangrullo.Ganadero

*The returns shown come from scenarios projected at reference values and do not constitute a guaranteed return. Percentages, terms and conditions are agreed in each contract.

Frequently asked questions

What every producer wants to know

Do I stay the owner of my animals?

Yes. Your calves remain yours throughout the cycle. You provide the cattle and we do the backgrounding; at close you recover the value of your herd plus 40% of the spread generated.

What weight do the calves need to come in?

Between 180 and 260 kg at weaning. For now, the lot is male-only. Each animal is backgrounded until it approaches the ~360 kg ceiling within the exit window.

How is the result shared?

The herd is valued at entry and at exit according to market price, and the value spread generated is split: 40% for you and 60% for the farm. Both parties are paid in pesos.

What happens if an animal dies?

Up to 3% mortality (the technical average), the loss is shared in the same 60/40 proportion. Above that threshold, the loss is absorbed by the farm.

And if there's not enough grass due to drought?

The climate and forage risk is absorbed by the farm owner. If grass is scarce, we guarantee the lot's feeding without passing extra costs to you.

Who pays for freight and animal health?

Entry and exit freight and marketing are on the investor's account. The intake health protocol costs are borne by La Cecilia.

How is the price of the animals set?

Market prices by category are used: DeCampoaCampo as the primary source and the Argentine Chamber of Livestock Consignees (CACG) as a cross-check, on the entry and exit day of each cycle.

Discover the proposal

Add backgrounding to your cattle business