Y'all are aware that the beef checkoff is funded through my dollars and cattle farmers like me all over the US? Feeders are struggling. Weather was tough on the entire beef farming sector. Supplies are tight. We really don't have the money to be funding meat cutting competitions.....
No offense intended, but I would not back this (as a cow-calf'r) and none of my farmer customers would back this either and I process for 100's of cattle farmers. I don't see how this would increase beef demand...which is the purpose of the checkoff.
MeatMaven, no offense taken, this isn't Washington, DC lol we are meat men that speak our minds.
You ALWAYS welcome to speak yours here, may not agree with you but never take offense.
When I get time I will try to get you up some info on this, where other competitions increase their demand. BUT they are out of the UK, AU, NZ not the USA
The only way I see to increase beef consumption is to increase cattle production which necessitates increased grain production to be used in the U.S. We have to give incentives for cattle ranchers to increase herd stocks and distribute domestically for production. This would, hopefully, keep the cost of retail beef at a resonable rate. Right now, it's absurdly high. But not to the fault of the cattle ranchers. Their incentive to raise is currently very low. I don't see this really changing until at least 2014. For me, as a market manager having direct influence with company/ad merchandising, pork will be promoted extensively. That is, until beef comes down or at least stabilizes.
