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Country Of Origin Matters To Only 2-3% Of Shoppers

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What a pain IN the NECK ,Not a very good system for getting your animal BACK.Sure wouldn't work for sick animal tracking,just too slow.
 
Hi again, could be your scoringag.com is the answer. BUT i am sure you must know that convincing us really has no impact. You must go to the top and convince the appropriate government dept. of the merits of your system. Then they will test and test go through all the protocol involved and maybe years from now it will be accepted. What can we do until that time? Have no export markets in either country?
 
Reply to Kevin Wills last post.

You are probably right, by your standards. You might be a person that enjoys good food, WE ALL KNOW that beef really is the best, BUT NOT EVERYONE THINKS LIKE YOU DO. How many people would rather pay $50.00 for a bottle of booze and eat Kraft dinner, would rather buy a ticket to an expensive concert or sporting event and eat toast. To many of us eating and nutrition is important. To many it is not! They decide in their own minds what they will pay for food, and if beef doesn't fit into that budget, they will go without.

We listen to Mt. radio every day, and your market reports sound like maybe the beef price has hit the wall of consumer resistence.

Don't get me wrong, when our 380 baby calves hit the market as grass cattle next spring, we need lots of money for them. Ruining the market by being greedy and turning people off beef like many of you are advocating is short sighted if the result you get is less beef eaters in the USA.

The $3.00 gas they put in their car would have been burned up no matter which meat they bought at the store. Right?
 
Don't get me wrong, when our 380 baby calves hit the market as grass cattle next spring, we need lots of money for them. Ruining the market by being greedy and turning people off beef like many of you are advocating is short sighted if the result you get is less beef eaters in the USA.


How can you say we are greedy? Maybe if the retail price is too high the supermarkets shouldn't be so greedy. If beef prices get too high and people switch to other meats they will come back when the price is beef drops a bit. You can only go with out beef for so long and you start losing brain cells in my oponion.
 
You are so right, Rancher! As I said on another topic, someone other than the producer is getting rich on the backs of all of us. But, the consumer still sees only the price he has to pay. They don't care how their money is distributed.
In Canada they do a study every little while and come up with the fact that no one along the way is making too much.
The reason is that their costs have risen as well. The packers list transportation costs, labor, (especially the unionized plants), and the new big one, SRM removal and disposal.
We, the primary producers, will be squeezed again, as we are the only ones who have no say in our prices.
I have said for years that our busines is the craziest one in the world. We pay what is asked for everything we have to buy, then go on bended knee to the auction, or the order buyer, or the feedlot with our hand out, hoping they will put enough money there that we can say in business long enough to do the same again next year.
 
Tam "Will the beef label mean anything to the respondents if you can't even prove who the producer was or if he practices humane treatment of animals. You have no system in place to do that, R-CALF got M"ID" taken out of M"COOL". "

Sorry, thought that what you were saying with R-calf taking M'ID' out of Cool that they would not be able to prove the producer was practicing humane treatment of animals. Maybe you could clear up your meaning. I posted it right above this one. Thanks.

Well rancher the respondents to this survey want to know things like if the producer practices humane treatment of animals but without M"ID" you don't even know who the producer is. So I ask you what good is M"COOL" to these respondents if the one part that could prove anything about where the animal had lived is missing?
 
Did anyone happen to notice what advertisement directly followed that article written by Joe Roybal in Beef Cow-Calf weekly?

It was this in case any of you miss it:

"ADVERTISEMENT

The POWER of one BRAND can change your future in the beef business.

Certified Angus Beef®, the oldest, most successful branded beef program in the industry returned more than $50 million in grid premiums in 2003. The demand for CAB® brand products translates into fed cattle premiums of $2-$5/cwt. Source-verified, high-percentage Angus replacement females often top auctions by selling for $50-$100 per head above cash market. Sale barn surveys conducted at nine auction markets indicated premiums are paid, not for black-hided cattle, but for high-percentage-Angus cattle.

One brand, one breed-the power of one can change your future in the beef business.

For additional information, please visit www.angus.org."

I find it interesting that advertising and marketing creates a
demand for a product (nothing new here). So far as I can tell there isn't a lot of reason that consumers would look for country of orgin labeling as it isn't being marketed, except until recently with the launch of a campaign started by SDSGA. Not jumping on any bandwagons here, but if you market it, consumers will look for it.
 
Radar said:
I find it interesting that advertising and marketing creates a
demand for a product (nothing new here). So far as I can tell there isn't a lot of reason that consumers would look for country of orgin labeling as it isn't being marketed, except until recently with the launch of a campaign started by SDSGA. Not jumping on any bandwagons here, but if you market it, consumers will look for it.


And most consumers still believe the fraud perpetrated by the USDA, packers and retailers, and totally backed now by NCBA members... that the USDA stamp means a US product-- Many have no idea that the US- a huge beef producing country- would import beef from foreign countries.....Especially now in a time of War when we are so concerned about our food products being contaminated and safety to consumers....
 
I was surprised it was 2-3 %. I thought it would be less than that!!!!! I agree with SH on this one...............COOL is just going to be another producer expense. Hell, the buying public sees a USDA inspected sticker and they think it is USA BEEF! :roll:
 
Oldtimer said:
Radar said:
I find it interesting that advertising and marketing creates a
demand for a product (nothing new here). So far as I can tell there isn't a lot of reason that consumers would look for country of orgin labeling as it isn't being marketed, except until recently with the launch of a campaign started by SDSGA. Not jumping on any bandwagons here, but if you market it, consumers will look for it.


And most consumers still believe the fraud perpetrated by the USDA, packers and retailers, and totally backed now by NCBA members... that the USDA stamp means a US product-- Many have no idea that the US- a huge beef producing country- would import beef from foreign countries.....Especially now in a time of War when we are so concerned about our food products being contaminated and safety to consumers....


Oldtimer I was at a US meat counter today and I notice one thing and that was that none of the meat in the counter had a USDA stamp of any kind on it. You want all of us to believe that a big fraud is being petpetrated but how many other store are like the one I was in that doesn't have any label other than the store label?
 
Tam said:
Oldtimer said:
Radar said:
I find it interesting that advertising and marketing creates a
demand for a product (nothing new here). So far as I can tell there isn't a lot of reason that consumers would look for country of orgin labeling as it isn't being marketed, except until recently with the launch of a campaign started by SDSGA. Not jumping on any bandwagons here, but if you market it, consumers will look for it.


And most consumers still believe the fraud perpetrated by the USDA, packers and retailers, and totally backed now by NCBA members... that the USDA stamp means a US product-- Many have no idea that the US- a huge beef producing country- would import beef from foreign countries.....Especially now in a time of War when we are so concerned about our food products being contaminated and safety to consumers....


Oldtimer I was at a US meat counter today and I notice one thing and that was that none of the meat in the counter had a USDA stamp of any kind on it. You want all of us to believe that a big fraud is being petpetrated but how many other store are like the one I was in that doesn't have any label other than the store label?


What country were you in, Tam?
 
Tam: Only 2-3% of shoppers say they look for country of origin when buying meat, produce or seafood.

How can they POSSIBLY look for country of origin on beef when there is NO COOL on the package? No wonder only 2-3% said they look for it. It's because they obviously didn't know they couldn't look for it. All they see is a USDA Approved symbol and think it's American.
 
Sandhusker said:
Tam said:
Oldtimer said:
And most consumers still believe the fraud perpetrated by the USDA, packers and retailers, and totally backed now by NCBA members... that the USDA stamp means a US product-- Many have no idea that the US- a huge beef producing country- would import beef from foreign countries.....Especially now in a time of War when we are so concerned about our food products being contaminated and safety to consumers....

Oldtimer I was at a US meat counter today and I notice one thing and that was that none of the meat in the counter had a USDA stamp of any kind on it. You want all of us to believe that a big fraud is being petpetrated but how many other store are like the one I was in that doesn't have any label other than the store label?

What country were you in, Tam?

Hey Sandhusker you need to clean those glasses baby. She said "Oldtimer I was at a US meat counter today " Wouldn't that mean the USA :cowboy:
 
Radar: "So far as I can tell there isn't a lot of reason that consumers would look for country of orgin labeling as it isn't being marketed, except until recently with the launch of a campaign started by SDSGA. Not jumping on any bandwagons here, but if you market it, consumers will look for it."

IF IT HAS VALUE, consumers will look for it.

Unenforceable, generic, country of origin labeling on "COMMODITY BEEF" when 95% of the commodity beef would be labeled as U.S. beef HAS NO VALUE. If anything, you give the advantage to the rare, foreign product by differentiating it from the far more common U.S. product.

Certified Angus Beef is a brand name product that is being compared to commodity beef. That is brand name differentiation.


The chief: "How can they POSSIBLY look for country of origin on beef when there is NO COOL on the package? No wonder only 2-3% said they look for it. It's because they obviously didn't know they couldn't look for it. All they see is a USDA Approved symbol and think it's American."

What value does a "GENERIC" U.S. "COMMODITY" beef label have when 95% of the labeled beef would be U.S. beef??

Gosh, let me see......do I want to buy the U.S. beef, the U.S. beef, or the U.S. beef?

If you are going to differentiate YOU HAVE TO DIFFERENTIATE AGAINST SOMETHING.

The reason consumers say that "country of origin" is not a priority with them is because there is many, many products out there with country of origin labels on them that are meaningless to consumsers in comparison with the value and quality of the product.

If that was not the case, how do you explain Wal Mart's success with foreign product sales? Why aren't you going to these companies and explaining how their products would sell so much better if they would just advertise them as U.S. products????

Who has sold the U.S. image more than Harley Davidson and all the Vietnam Veteran bikers yet the highways are still filled with "rice burners". Can you explain that??

I can, PRICE AND VALUE in the eyes of the individual consumer.

Generic Country of Origin labeling on commodity beef is the classic "symolism over substance". County of Origin is a concept that sounds good IF IT IS APPLIED IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

Amazing how many beef marketing wizards there are out there who claim to be in the "cattle industry" and not the "beef industry" yet they think they know more about marketing beef than those who actually market beef.

I prefer to buy U.S. products too but not by sacrificing the quality offered in foreign products such as Benelli or Berretta shotguns or Swarovski binoculars or Lika range finders.

Heck, I know some staunch "BUY U.S." R-CALFers that are rolling bales out with Belarus tractors.

PRICE AND VALUE is where it's at (Branded beef that offers a value added product), not generic Country of Origin Labeling on a "commodity beef" product WHEN 95% OF THE LABELED BEEF WOULD BE U.S. beef.



~SH~
 
Reply to Kevin Wills, sorry I am so slow, this cattle business does not leave much time or energy to keep up with these things this time of the year.

I say you are wrong! Myself, I don't hate you for your good luck, and that is exactly what it was, that the BSE showed up in Canada first instead of the USA. I do hate the bad luck we are experiencing right now but I am intelligent enough to know that you, Kevin Wills were not the engineer of that bad luck, it just happened.

The ranchers here will not cause your bad luck when things get "normal" and I have to believe they will or I would not be out there caring if these nearly worthless mommas and babies are all right.

I have said in previous posts that I have frends in Montana, I don't resent THEM It is their turn! But someday it will be OUR turn. I hope you can accept that when it happens!


ON BSE
If both countries keep testing they might find more.
I live near one of the largest ports of entry between Canada and the US. Depending on what was happening with cattle trade at any particular time, there would be liner loads of live cattle backed up for MILES on one side of the border or other waiting to clear customs and be on their way. I had an Uncle in the purebred Angus business. His best customer for many years was a ranch in Nebraska. He kept his hiefer calves, bred them and shipped some of them off to Nebraska. They thought it was a good deal, gave them access to his good bloodlines, they got a cow and calf and didn't have to pay a fortune for one of his bulls. I"m sure he wasn't the only producer sending seed stock south. Thousands or millions of animals probably went there. The buyers were buying QUALITY they couldn't find in their neighbourhood. I hope none of those cattle carried BSE with them. It will not benefit Canada if the US finds BSE, it's the same as us finding another one.

Because of this trade, if BSE was prevalent in either country at any time I can rememer up until May, 2003, how could that disease possibly not be in both countries? Right now it looks to me it might be confined to a relatively small area in the central part of Alberta. I do know that the vet in our area is so busy euthanizing old, sick, downer cows for BSE testing, he hardly has time to look after any live cow problems. All have tested negative.

I do not say you are greedy. You had no part is causing your good fortune. If you had made this situation for your own gain, you would have been greedy. You say I am whining, I didn't mean it to sound that way, just stating a fact.

One thing I do wish is that the USA hadn't made the Japanese so MAD sometime in history. You and I will probably pay for that for a while yet!
 
In the central part of Alberta. I do know that the vet in our area is so busy euthanizing old, sick, downer cows for BSE testing, he hardly has time to look after any live cow problems. ***************They should be using the German live BSE blood test and if the animal was still saleable their would not be a LOSS of meat.
 
PORKER said:
In the central part of Alberta. I do know that the vet in our area is so busy euthanizing old, sick, downer cows for BSE testing, he hardly has time to look after any live cow problems. ***************They should be using the German live BSE blood test and if the animal was still saleable their would not be a LOSS of meat.

I would say if these cows were as Border Rancher stated, they should not be in the food chain. Besides which, in Alberta a cow supplied for BSE testing pays about $225.00, whereas at the auction a cull cow won't bring $200.00. The loss of meat is hardly an issue, oversupply is our big problem here.
 
The loss of meat is not an issue. No one I know would want to eat the cows they are testing. Horrible cancer eyes (a very undesireable and common afflication of the few Hereford cows left in this area), sickly and crippled ones. One man was sure his tested ones wouldn't have the disease. He said they were so old that they would have died of the disease long ago. The gov. will not allow or pay for the testing of younger, healthy animals at this time. Now this type of animal, worthless before BSE, is worth more than a good cow. No wonder we are confused, frustrated etc.

Kevin Wills, if I'm whining again or calling you greedy again, Please don't bother to forgive me, I really don't care!!!
 
BMR, "Hey Sandhusker you need to clean those glasses baby. She said "Oldtimer I was at a US meat counter today " Wouldn't that mean the USA "

So the US meat counter she was at is selling beef without the USDA label anywhere? That is against the law.
 
Sandhusker said:
BMR, "Hey Sandhusker you need to clean those glasses baby. She said "Oldtimer I was at a US meat counter today " Wouldn't that mean the USA "

So the US meat counter she was at is selling beef without the USDA label anywhere? That is against the law.

Better sic Oldtimer on it as it was in Montana.
 

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