MARKETING...
Efforts to Promote Beef Nutrition and Health Benefits Reviewed
Preparation for 2020 Dietary Guidelines process is under way.
Efforts to continue communicating the health and nutrition attributes of beef to consumers, key opinion leaders and health professionals were discussed by beef industry leaders during the February’s Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, Tenn.
One existing effort is the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative (NEBPI) in the highly populated Northeastern region of the country. Through NEBPI, beef checkoff dollars are successfully being used to host programs, promotions and events to help strengthen demand for beef and veal with consumers and the health community, according to Jennifer Orr, director of public relations for the initiative. Read more.
State Beef Councils Pursue Efforts
To Promote Beef’s Image
Digital efforts concentrate on protecting beef’s image and engaging beef advocates.
The Federation of State Beef Councils, composed of state beef councils from around the country, is diligently at work guiding checkoff programming within state and national efforts to continue to promote beef.
A Federation Forum was hosted Feb. 2 at the 2017 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn., to highlight some of the priorities and projects taking place. Of the collaborative efforts between National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) staff and state beef council staff, Patti Brumbach, representing the Washington State Beef Commission on the Federation Advisory Council, remarked, “We are taskmasters at working together and sharing ideas and then applying and tailoring them to our own states and to national. We have this symbiotic relationship.” Read more.
Prospect of China Opening its Doors to U.S. Beef Could be Boon for Industry
U.S. beef sales to China ended in 2003 after BSE discovery in United States.
It’s been nearly 14 years since China allowed sales of U.S. beef in that country, but that may be about to change. That’s very good news for the U.S. beef and cattle industry, according to a Kansas State University (K-State) agricultural economist.
“As the most populated country in the world, with a large and growing middle-income class, gaining direct access to China is one of the most positive developments the U.S. beef industry could ask for,” said Glynn Tonsor, livestock marketing specialist with K-State Research and Extension, commenting on news that a deal was struck between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump in an April meeting. Read more.
In the Cattle Markets
Export protocol negotiation will decide the timeline for U.S. beef in China.
It was reported in mid-April that China has agreed to allow beef imports from the United States for the first time since 2003. This announcement follows a very similar announcement made in September of 2016, though no actual trade has occurred yet.
Gaining access to the most populated country in the world would be a very positive development for the U.S. beef industry. China represents a multibillion-dollar market and has the greatest growth potential for beef consumption of any country in the world. China has a large and growing middle class and has experienced steady increases in beef consumption. China and Hong Kong combined to be the largest beef importers in the world in 2016. While the United States already exports to Hong Kong, 87% of China’s 2016 beef imports were from Brazil, Uruguay, Australia and New Zealand. Read more.
Ginette Gottswiller
The Source
Like a good branding process, AngusSource® makes marketing fast and efficient.
Springtime brings green grass and black calves running, jumping and bucking around. It is also time for those in the western states to brand their spring calves prior to turning them out on the range.
It was a cool, overcast day, and I was excited. Dave Rutan and his family invited me to tag along to a neighbor’s branding. It was Donna Nelson, owner of Ruby Ranch, who has enrolled her calves in AngusSource® since 2004. She and her family had a bunch of calves caught and ready to work when we pulled up. Read more.
Justin Sexten
Expanding cows or herds.
As the cow herd expands, market prices contract from their record highs and focus more attention on adding value. How to do that commonly comes down to adding what the market values in health and weaning practices from effective vaccinations to bunk training. This month, let’s consider ways to capitalize on the one trait common to all producers and market-price calculations: weight.
For years — and especially renewed in the recent cost/price squeeze — discussion has centered around reducing cow size and increasing cow numbers as a way to increase returns per acre. That’s usually seen as more important than return per cow. Read more.
Angus Calendar
To view the Angus Calendar, a comprehensive list of Angus sales, click here.