News Update
Sept. 30, 2009

When it Comes to Food, Consumers Say Price Does Matter

As consumers place more emphasis on price and value as they fill their grocery carts, America’s conventional beef producers are helping ease the financial burden of rising food costs.

According to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) 2009 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends, nearly 70% of shoppers say the recession is affecting their food shopping — up from 48% in 2008. Consumers in every income bracket are checking prices before checking out at the grocery store.

“U.S. consumers are facing rising food costs in a very challenging economy. What most consumers don’t know is that conventional production systems and using modern technologies keep beef affordable,” says Jan Lyons, owner of Lyons Ranch near Manhattan, Kan. “Conventional beef production significantly increases the volume of beef produced while conserving natural resources and reducing production costs across all segments of the industry. The result is more affordable beef for everyone.”

Conventional beef production keeps meatcase prices down. A 2009 analysis by Iowa State University (ISU) agricultural economists John Lawrence and Maro Ibarburu shows if conventional beef production practices were replaced by organic- or natural-only practices, beef production would decrease by 18% and retail prices would increase by 11%.

“Conventional grain-fed beef production utilizing safe growth-enhancing technologies that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) makes beef production more economical and sustainable for both producers and consumers,” adds Lyons, former president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and past chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB). “It’s an important message for the beef industry to share with consumers, especially after the recent misinformation about food production in America as reported by Bryan Walsh in TIME magazine.

“Contrary to the TIME article, Americans are lucky to have the safest, most affordable food supply in the world. On average, Americans spend only 10% of their income on food compared to 30% or more in less industrialized economies,” Lyons continues. “The technologies used in conventional beef production certainly contribute to this efficiency and affordability.”

To provide beef producers and other beef-industry stakeholders with key messages about the “eco-friendly and eco-nomical” benefits of conventional beef production, the Growth Enhancement Technology Information Team (GET IT) recently introduced a marketing campaign focused on the economical and environmental benefits of conventional beef production. The campaign encourages the industry to share the facts with family, friends and neighbors who might not be familiar with the benefits of modern beef-production systems.

The GET IT campaign includes both print and electronic advertising in producer publications, electronic newsletters and web sites. Special-edition newsletters and videos also will be developed.

To learn more about the “eco-friendly and eco-nomical” benefits of conventional beef production, visit www.beeftechnologies.com/eco.

— Release provided by The Growth Enhancement Technology Information Team.

Fitting and Showing Video Available on YouTube.com

To assist beginning showmen of all ages, the American Angus Association® and the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) have developed a Fitting and Showing video, taking viewers through step-by-step instructions on how to wash, rinse, comb, dry, clip and fit an animal. The video includes tips for show day preparations, needed supplies, final touches and proper showmanship. It also provides detailed instruction on how to lead, use a show stick and keep animals calm. Read more.

For more information on the video, please visit www.angus.org.

Winner of LMA’s First Qualifying Contest Will Be Competing For 2010 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship in His Home State

Veteran contestant Brian Little said he felt “a little relieved” after winning the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) first quarterfinal qualifying contest for the 2010 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC).

Little is from Wann, Okla., and next June’s WLAC will be at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City. With the 47th annual WLAC to take place in his home state, “I wanted to make sure I qualified, and so it’s a relief to have it over with.”

Winning the first qualifying contest at the Public Auction Yards in Billings, Mont., Sept. 25 guaranteed Little a spot in the Championship. That’s also true for Billings reserve champion Ted Odle, Brush, Colo.; runner-up champion Mike Nuss, Minatare, Neb.; and the next five highest scorers.

Those five, in alphabetical order, are Nick Caspers, Wishek, N.D.; Chuck Cozzitorto, Hilmar, Calif.; Duane Rus, Rock Valley, Iowa; Kyle Shobe, Lewistown, Mont., and Preston Smith, Nunn, Colo. There were 27 contestants.

A cash award and a custom-made belt buckle goes to the winner in each quarterfinal competition. The reserve and runner-up champions in each contest also receive custom belt buckles.

The remaining quarterfinal qualifying contests are Oct. 9 in Crawford, Neb.; Oct. 15 in Calhoun, Ga., and Dec. 2 in Parsons, Kan.

The eight qualifiers from each quarterfinal contest, along with the reigning International Auctioneer Champion — Paul Ramirez, Tucson, Ariz., — make up the field of 33 for the 2010 WLAC.

At the WLAC, three titlists will be selected, and the winners take home thousands of dollars in cash and prizes. LMA conducts the WLAC and the qualifying contests to put the focus on competitive livestock marketing, and the continuing vital role of the auctioneer in that process.

— Adapted from an LMA release.

Visionary Rancher to be at American Agri-Women’s 34th Annual Convention

Oregon Women for Agriculture (OWA) will be in the heart of the Willamette Valley and capital city of Salem. OWA will be celebrating its 40th birthday this year, and the state of Oregon is celebrating its 150th birthday. “Celebrating American Agriculture” will add to the festive spirit of their time together.

On Thursday evening, rancher Jeanne Carver will share her story of history, land management and sunlight products, during a fun party celebrating Oregon’s birthday. She and husband, Dan, own and operate their ranch in the Bakeoven area near Shaniko, Ore., where, faced with changing markets and growing pressures from consolidation and industrialization of food and textile products, the economic viability of raising sheep was severely threatened in the late 1990s.

Carver will speak at the American AgriWomen (AAW) convention. For information about the convention and to obtain a registration form, visit the AAW web site at www.americanagriwomen.org.

— Compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.