Summer is by far beef’s best selling season. Unfortunately for our cattlemen, this summer might not bring in those huge sales.
It’s no secret the global economy is rough and the people feeling it the most are the beef producers. Offals and Tallows are down $5.00 along with a huge drop in hide value.
South Korea along with the auto industry are the biggest purchasers of hides, but nowadays prices are down by 50%.
Almost 60% of consumers are trying to manage their food costs. Most consumers are eating at their home more often than ever, so it’s no surprise beef sales are up and food service sales are down.
Food service sales have been down since 2008 and experts expect them to continue to drop in 2009. That’s grim news for our cattlemen because almost 50% of beef sales come from food service.
Nevertheless, retail beef sales are up 4% around this time compared to the same time last year, but it seems home consumers are trying to buy less expensive cuts of meat, like hamburger. It seems the only time home consumers are interested in buying quality cuts of steak is for a special occasion. When consumer steak sales the beef producers feel the most pain. OUCH.
These and other reasons have our cattlemen asking consumers “hey, what’s the beef?”
If you weren’t aware, it’s the consumer’s dollar that energizes the profitability up and down the beef supply chain, especially our cattlemen and beef producers. One thing to take note of is that our cattlemen aren’t giving up the fight with the economy.
Take A Look At Some Of The Things Our Cattlemen Are Doing To Win Customers.
- They kicked off the grilling season early, moving up promotional plans to early May. Various grilling promotions will run throughout the summer into late September.
- They’re working with consumer product companies to provide consumers with $1- to $3-off coupons for beef. Last year, they had 10 million coupons in the marketplace; this year, they’ll have more than 60 million.
- They’re working with consumer magazines to extend the checkoff’s “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.” advertising; special summer recipe advertorials will reach more than17 million readers.
- They’re helping restaurants tell consumers about the great beef deals to ensure when consumers are eating out, they’re choosing beef.
- They’re even launching a mobile marketing effort so that consumers can dial-up recipes and shopping list on their cell phone when they’re standing at the meat case.
As you can see our cattlemen mean business.
- IN OTHER NEWS:
CATTLEMEN ALL OVER ARE SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE CLEAN WATER ACT LAND GRAB
- In Washington on June 18, 2009 Th Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee proceeded with S. 787, the Clean Water Restoration Act (CWRA) on a party-line vote, bringing the country one step closer to the largest federal land grab in our history.
- Senators Baucus, Klobuchar, and boxer amended the bill. The bill is supposed to take care of agricultural concerns by exempting prior-converted croplands from federal jurisdiction. Cattlemen across the country feel this is a distraction from the real issue at hand, which is the removal of the word “navigable” from the definition of water.
- Currently the federal government has jurisdiction over navigable waters of the United States. If they remove the word “navigable” from the definition of water, then the CWRA would expand federal regulatory control to new levels. This means stock tanks, drainage ditches, any puddle or water feature found on family farms and ranches, (even ground water) under the regulatory strong-arm of the federal government.
- Cattlemen strongly oppose this legislation because they feel it infringes on private property rights, and it limits the state flexibility that have made the present Clean Water Act successful.
- Cattle producers throughout the country are telling the Senate to stop this legislation should it come up for a full Senate vote.
Take A Look At Some Of The Letters Being Sent From Disturbed Cattlemen To The Senate About This Act:
- Reid Blossom of Alabama writes, “This dangerous legislation would open a floodgate of unintended consequences as federal jurisdiction would be granted to monitor and regulate all bodies of water. This means stock tanks, farm ponds, irrigation pools, and more would be subject to federal regulation and oversight. Surely this is not the intention of the bill but it is also certain to be the outcome if its passage becomes a reality.
“As cattlemen, my family protects the water on our land. We do so not because we’re made to by the federal or state government but because we take pride in stewardship. Just as we care for our animals, we care for our environment to see that it too is passed down in a pure state from generation to generation. Additional oversight and regulation by the federal government will only serve to hinder this progression among America’s farming and ranching families.”
- Heather Gessner of South Dakota explains, “As a cattleman in South Dakota, I value water quality for my livestock and my family and I feel that…other bills that are currently in place effectively provide for the regulation and enforcement of public water ways that are utilized for human and animal consumption.”
- Jason McCann of Missouri writes, “As a cattleman in Southwest Missouri, we are blessed with an average of 44 inches of rain per year. And while this is great for growing grass, growing cattle and filling ponds, it could be a detriment if the mark up strikes the word navigable from the Clean Water statutes.
“You see, our part of the country has months where 6 inches of rain is not uncommon. That much rain makes for many ‘wet weather’ creeks which only run in the wetter parts of the year. If ‘navigable’ is removed, the small swale across my pasture which carries water to the creek will fall under the regulatory power of the EPA. The requisite permitting and usage restrictions would debilitate my ability to provide protein for a hungry America and a hungry world.
“The federal government has no business taking away my rights, or any cattlemen’s private property rights by regulating non-navigable water. Focus instead on enforcement of existing law. Adding more legislation is not the solution.”
- Charles Hord of Tennessee writes, “Nothing in the bill addresses the fact that both the [Baucus-Klobuchar-Boxer] amendment and S. 787 as introduced would give federal regulators (and those who would use citizen suits to challenge an activity) the right to control private property. Moreover, by leaving the basic structure of S. 787 in place, Federal and state permitting programs will grind to a halt under the permitting burden created by these amendments to the Clean Water Act.”
- Tom Shipley of Iowa explains, “No amendments will solve the problem with this legislation—it would give federal regulators the right to control private property. It would never accomplish what private citizens are doing already at no cost to taxpayers. This act would actually hamper the government’s ability to maintain clean waters as there is already a backlog of permit requests.”
As you can see many cattlemen are wary about this bill being passed. In my opinion I don’t see the point for the government to interfere with the private lives of people trying to make a living.
I can’t help but express how sorry I feel for our cattlemen. It seems like the economy and consumers are hitting them from the front, while the government takes a shot at them from the back.
Everybody needs some love, but where’s the love for our cattlemen?
