I’m sure we can all think
of several problems the beef industry is facing today, and I think the overall
picture has to do with consumers and their demand for our product. This is a multi-faceted problem, with
consumer confidence being undermined by anti-beef organizations, increasing
global demand, and trying to keep up with this demand while using less land and
resources. Each problem must be tackled
differently, so I will discuss each further in depth.
Consumer confidence plays
a huge role in marketing our product.
Lately, it has fallen some with the onslaught of negative images
plastered by anti-beef organizations such as PETA and HSUS, which the media has
taken up due to their sensationalism. We
all know that this is not how we raise our animals, and that everything we do
is in their best interest. Thus, it is
important that we, as producers, start sharing our story. Whether it be through social media outlets,
which allow for quick and easy communication to the masses, or talking to our
neighbor at the grocery store, there is never a bad time to strike up a
conversation about beef. I personally
have the opportunity to speak with hundreds of consumers through my role as a
National Beef Ambassador, and I find that many consumers just can’t find the
connection to make with a farmer or rancher, and thus rely on what they see on
the news. If we start telling people how
we raise our animals, and the logic behind it, I am positive we can increase
their confidence in our product, and possibly exceed previous levels.
While
our native consumers may have some doubts, globally, our product is in high
demand. Asian-Pacific markets know the
quality of American Beef and are willing to pay a premium for it. This influx of consumers has lowered our
supply and caused some amount of price escalation. By all means, I believe trading on the global
market is a fantastic idea, and adds dollars to the value of that carcass, but
it is a factor we need to keep in mind when we assess the amount of beef we
need to produce to feed the growing population.
This
brings me to my final point about raising more cattle with less land and
resources - in essence, our sustainability.
It is commonly known amongst ranchers that we care for the land and want
to leave it good condition, because it is a large part of our livelihood. We increase our efficiency drastically by
using exogenous hormones, ionophores in feed and increasing heterosis amongst
breeds. These are terrific advancements,
and there are many more on the horizon that we are beginning to see progress
in, such as fetal programming and transgenetics. I believe these last two technologies, along
with the expansion of legal hormones and beta-agonists, will maximize our
production and allow us to raise cattle effectively and efficiently, while
still producing the quality product consumers desire.
As a whole, my generation
is being set up to have an industry full of opportunities ripe for the
picking. We are in need of innovators
that will perform the science behind these technologies and ensure they are
quality, while also discovering new ones.
Personally, I plan to continue advocating for the beef industry by
talking with consumers about their concerns, and sharing my own beef story and
those of others. Along with this, I plan
to spend some time on Capital Hill lobbying on behalf of the beef industry and
making sure regulations and laws are passed that benefit the our industry,
while also convincing our nation’s leaders that beef is a delicious, wholesome
and safe product.
No comments:
Post a Comment