…  New Beef Board members appointed by USDA.

 

…  Beef Issues Quarterly Vol. 1, No. 2 has been released.

 

… Promising new research shared at Beef Industry Safety Summit.

The new beef checkoff advertising approach, called “Profiles,” which continues to build on the popular “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner” tagline and slated to debut in May, focuses consumer attention on specific cuts (e.g., T-bone, top sirloin) and communicates that these cuts not only taste great, but are lean and powerful sources of protein too. In creating the new theme, the advertising committee reviewed and discussed recent consumer market research, new print concepts and radio spot scripts. The “Profiles” campaign reinforces consumers’ passion for the great taste of beef, while awakening their beliefs about beef’s body benefits. Americans have a love affair with beef but traditionally hold back from choosing it because of nutritional concerns. Yet, beef provides 10 essential nutrients needed for a healthy, active lifestyle. The campaign delivers against two drivers: the eating experience and how it fuels the body drives a consumers’ protein selection. For more about the checkoff-funded advertising efforts, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.

April 22 will mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and once again, the beef checkoff’s issues management and producer communications teams are helping cattle farmers and ranchers across the country share their environmental sustainability message with consumers. This year’s Earth Day campaign highlights the tradition and longevity of cattlemen’s environmental stewardship practices and reinforces cattlemen’s geographic diversity yet unity around being “green” with the resources in their area. Throughout the coming weeks, the checkoff will be providing tools for producers to use in order to promote Earth Day activities, including:  advertisements that can be tailored to their state or their own operation, customizable letters-to-the-editor, e-mail signature graphics, school outreach ideas, social media tips, fact sheets and environmental stock photos. Producers interested in getting involved on a local level in Earth Day activities should contact their state beef council. To read more about today’s farm families and modern beef production, visit the checkoff-funded www.ExploreBeef.org.

The checkoff’s Joint Producer Education Committee recently passed a resolution to allow all interested states to implement a nationally organized online BQA certification program. The national program will design and fund the program modules, while the certification data in the database will be the property of the state beef council or cattlemen’s association who will receive the reports. This soon-to-be-launched program will allow states limited by tight resources to fund certification programs. For states with current programs, it will allow them to reduce costs if necessary. For more information on the BQA program, go to www.bqa.org.

The Research, Education & Innovation department has produced a number of materials that help share checkoff-funded research findings from the product enhancement, human nutrition and beef safety research programs. These publications cover a variety of topics, ranging from information on factors that affect tenderness to beef nutrition information and updates on safety research. Among the booklets available from the checkoff-funded product enhancement program are two publications on pre-harvest factors affecting beef tenderness. In addition to the materials developed through the checkoff-funded product enhancement program, there are numerous fact sheets from all departments to help you stay abreast of the latest research findings. To access a listing of these publications, go to research materials.

The checkoff receives numerous requests for the Beef Made Easy Beef Cuts Chart, a wonderful resource for meat department employees and consumers. The handout is a great tool to educate meat associates and their customers on all the available cuts of beef and how each cut can be prepared. Find a downloadable version here.

Looking for the latest information on beef prices? The beef industry’s Wholesale Price Chart is an average of the reported prices on beef sub-primal cuts from the previous week. In addition, the chart reflects year-ago pricing and the current Choice-Select price spread. All of this is presented in a visual representation of a beef animal for easier sub-primal identification. The Wholesale Price Chart is a top line view of wholesale beef prices. The chart is prepared using data from Cattle-Fax, the industry leader in cattle and beef industry statistics, and market and economic analysis. Get the latest information here.  

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