January Beef Briefs
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Look for Beef Briefs to be delivered each month -- your snapshot of beef checkoff news affecting the dairy and beef industries. Editor’s note: please feel free to use these beef “blurbs” as space allows in your publication or online content. If you would like to expand on a certain topic, please e-mail Melissa Slagle at mslagle@beefboard.org.
Industry Gears Up for Convention
Cattle and beef producers from throughout the United States are getting ready for the 2009 Cattle Industry Convention in Phoenix, Ariz., Jan. 28-31. The event brings together more than 5,000 individuals looking to increase their knowledge of industry trends and technologies, improve their profitability, network with fellow producers and help plan for the future of their industry.
You’re invited to observe and report on the decision-making process for the beef checkoff. The Cattlemen’s Beef Board will hold its annual meeting at the event, reviewing and evaluating checkoff-funded promotion, education, research and information programs intended to increase demand for beef. Members also will begin setting priorities for a national checkoff budget for Fiscal Year 2010, which begins Oct. 1, 2009.
Leader to Share Views in Capital Press
CBB member Neil Kayser, Centerville, Wash., writes in an upcoming issue of Capital Press that producers that improving dairy producer profitability can be found in research conducted throughout the Beef Checkoff Program. He uses example tips from the 2007 National Cow and Bull Beef Quality Audit to show how it can be done.
Kayser penned a similar column for use in other publications throughout Washington. In both versions he recommends checkoff Web sites for more information. Kayser was CBB secretary/treasurer in 2007.
Export Sales to Korea Expanding
Checkoff investments have been helping the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) promote U.S. beef with South Korean butcher shops and neighborhood restaurants since early September. Meanwhile, South Korea's three major discount retailers – E-Mart, Home Plus and Lotte Mart – resumed sales of U.S. beef on Thanksgiving Day in Seoul, giving an enormous boost to U.S. beef throughout that country. Company representatives say sales of U.S. beef provide value and convenience, and help stabilize consumer prices. USMEF is providing promotional support to all the chains and believes initial sales at these three major retailers will prompt sales at other retail outlets.
States Get BQA Certified
The checkoff’s first National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Train-the-Trainer Certification Program held via the internet was conducted Dec. 1. Thirty-five BQA State Coordinators participated in the program, which featured presentations from Drs. Bob Smith, Dee Griffin and John Maas of the BQA Advisory Board on national BQA guidelines and standards for national certification recognition.
Presenters also visited with state coordinators about consumer expectations of producers in the information age. As of Dec. 15, coordinators in 13 states had already completed all course work and fulfilled requirements to be a state with ability to nationally certify their producers in BQA. For information about the national BQA guidelines, go to National Guidelines.
Consumers Confident in Beef
Consumer confidence beef has been on an upward trend for the past five years, and a November checkoff-funded survey gives further foundation to that movement. The checkoff-funded food safety tracking survey found that 91 percent of consumers have "strong confidence" in the safety of steaks/roasts and 84 percent have “strong confidence” in the safety of ground beef – both historic highs. Consumer confidence in the safety of steaks and roasts currently is statistically on a par with confidence in fruits and vegetables, which are at 90 percent "strong confidence."
Confidence in ground beef safety is higher than consumer confidence in chicken. About half of consumers, however, believe that recalls and illnesses from foodborne bacteria are increasing – only 5 percent believe they are decreasing. To review some of the checkoff efforts aimed at maintaining or improving consumer confidence in beef, go to Pasture to Plate.
Best Practices Promoted
A working group of the checkoff-funded Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo) met in Dallas recently to update the BIFSCo Best Practice documents, as part of the checkoff’s efforts to improve the quality and consistency of producers’ end product – beef. The slaughter and Ground Beef Best Practice documents were updated to include verification activities that can be implemented in processing facilities.
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
Funded by the Beef Checkoff.
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