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R-CALF weekly roundup

elwapo

Well-known member
I sincerely hope your cool succeeds. It may open a niche market for barley fed beef with a big maple leaf on it. After all it works for maple syrup, lobster, and whisky. Personally, I think consumers look for a consistantly good product, and we are ready to supply it! Kick open the border and get out the stamp.
 

QUESTION

Well-known member
The problem with cool is that they want to only label foreign meats and do negative attack ads. Not promote how much better US beef is, just that foreign beef is substandard. A tried and true tactic in the US just look at the electoral process it is full of negative ads bases on speculation the a tiny retraction in the paper on the corner in the back page.
COOL will help if you work to promote the white fat in barley fed beef as a determination that your are getting prime young beef. It is a fact and printed in many publications that yellow fat indicates advanced age as well as calcification, Although yellow fat can also be attributed to corn fed beef. The same guys that want cool may change their mind they have done it many times before.
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Question, "The problem with cool is that they want to only label foreign meats and do negative attack ads."

You can promote your product over another without being negetive. In fact, the most sucessful promotions are not negetive.

US producers make money only if beef from US cattle are purchased. We don't make a dime if consumers buy beef from cattle from Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, etc... On the contrary, purchases of foreign beef even take profits away via lost sales. Now how in the heck can a consumer buy our product over the competition's if they can't even differentiate it? This is basic marketing! You learn it the first day of class! Does Ford tell you to just buy a new pickup or do they suggest you buy a Ford? Are they negetive when they tell you so?

About a year ago in Korea, where they have a COOL law like most of the developed world, a whole bunch of mutton dealers got wrung up because they were deliberately mislabeling imported mutton as domestic. Now why in the world do you think they were doing that? Any ideas at all?

The anti-cool / pro-ID crowd is telling us that we have to have pasture-to-plate ID or we lose foreign sales but domestic customers don't even care what country their beef comes from? That makes sense?
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
elwapo said:
I sincerely hope your cool succeeds. It may open a niche market for barley fed beef with a big maple leaf on it. After all it works for maple syrup, lobster, and whisky. Personally, I think consumers look for a consistantly good product, and we are ready to supply it! Kick open the border and get out the stamp.

What's stopping you from doing it now?
 

DiamondSCattleCo

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
elwapo said:
I sincerely hope your cool succeeds. It may open a niche market for barley fed beef with a big maple leaf on it. After all it works for maple syrup, lobster, and whisky. Personally, I think consumers look for a consistantly good product, and we are ready to supply it! Kick open the border and get out the stamp.

What's stopping you from doing it now?

We DO do it right now, Sandhusker. Every single box of beef that leaves here is proudly stamped "Product of Canada". Its not our fault that US BUSINESS removes that stamp.

As Elwapo said, I'd welcome COOL, as long as we could have some guarantee that the costs of the program wouldn't be atronomical, as it was with the seafood COOL program. Your USDA (like our CFIA) doesn't exactly have a great track record with keeping costs under control.

Rod
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Elwapo said, I'd welcome COOL, as long as we could have some guarantee that the costs of the program wouldn't be atronomical, as it was with the seafood COOL program.

You are right Elwapo, Problem is that Great Canadian beef is not Labeled in the store because Most in the processing,fabracation wholesaling and retailing meat chain don't want labeling of your beef. We are all in the same BOAT.
 

QUESTION

Well-known member
SandH I find it funny that you want COOL and don't want a Nat. ID system. Why not have the same burden of proof on US beef as foreign beef. The problem is that COOL is designed to tilt the table in favor of the american producer unfairly. Just another non-tarriff trade restricing barrier.
I find it funny all the excuses as to why COOL is so important and simply pointed out a possible flaw. Let's talk more COOL labeling flaws IE) i buy a salami will it be labeled the amount of beef in the salami from 6 countries and what percentage of beef is from each country and then can i go get a freedom to information request and have the producer prove what is on the label. Yeah i see that happening. Or will a salmi made in mexico with US beef carry a COOL stamp for the US.
In all reality the consumer is more concerned about price than where it comes from, And that is a major problem with COOL. Is the consumer worried about where the oil comes from that is refined into gas in the US are they concerned about whether it is middle east oil or alaskan oil. NO
As for basic marketing promote your product. But how do you do that differenciate you product by proving quality . COOL is differentiating by country appealing to patriotism. The problem is that once differentiated by country if proved that another country can produce beef the same or better quality you will be lost.
Without a trace back system how can your prove an animal is born ,fed ,slaughtered and processed in the US. So if you want to prove it a Nat ID program is needed or will there be loopholes.
 

DiamondSCattleCo

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
Our USDA doesn't exactly have a good record with anything! :roll: :lol:

And therein lies my objection to COOL. Excessive costs mean an artificial trade barrier, which I despise, no matter who erects it.

I used to object to COOL because I knew that certain groups like R-CALF would then erect a negative campaign against our beef using half truths and outright lies, but I've now grown to realize that people will eventually learn the truth.

Rod
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Question,In all reality the consumer is more concerned about price than where it comes from?

Can you site where you can prove your above statement ?Question

Reason is that every poll from farmers to city slickers that I have seen is just the other way around,from 67% in favor to 96% .Just want to see your group with those views.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Country-of-Origin Labeling Has Widespread Support


January 20, 2004

A new national poll released yesterday shows that U.S. consumers overwhelming want food at stores to be labeled with country-of-origin.

The poll was conducted by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, Inc. for the National Farmers Union on January 13 to 14 and included a sample of 900 likely voters from across the country. Key findings include:

� 82 percent of Americans think that food should be labeled with country of origin information;
� 85 percent of Americans would be more inclined to buy food produced in the United States, while only 2 percent would be less inclined; and
� 81 percent of Americans would be willing to pay a few cents more for food products grown and/or raised in the United States.
Country-of-origin labeling is essential. Opponents of country-of-origin labeling (COOL) are putting domestic and foreign consumer confidence in the safety, quality and value of U.S. food products at risk. The two-year implementation delay in the omnibus was orchestrated by large processors and their supporters in an effort to kill COOL.

Consumers support COOL. Eighty-six percent of consumer respondents in a national survey favor COOL. While COOL cannot prevent a food safety problem or a disease, it provides consumers with the information to make decisions about their food purchases.

Producers support COOL. According to a poll by the National Public Policy Committee, 98 percent of U.S. producers support COOL and believe there will be real economic payoffs from it. It is an important marketing tool for U.S. producers to differentiate their products from products of other countries. Over 165 agricultural and consumer organizations, representing more than 50 million Americans support COOL.

Our trading partners support COOL. Two of the top three foreign beef customers (Japan and South Korea), have asked for assurances that beef products are of U.S. origin. The United States has lost 90 percent of the beef export market since the discovery of mad cow
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
DiamondSCattleCo said:
Sandhusker said:
Our USDA doesn't exactly have a good record with anything! :roll: :lol:

And therein lies my objection to COOL. Excessive costs mean an artificial trade barrier, which I despise, no matter who erects it.

I used to object to COOL because I knew that certain groups like R-CALF would then erect a negative campaign against our beef using half truths and outright lies, but I've now grown to realize that people will eventually learn the truth.

Rod

Where are the excessive costs? When your beef hits our border, it's already labeled - the work is already done!

If you truly feel you have a product that is superior to ours, you're getting shorted on price since it's lumped with that inferior product. You're giving away money by not having COOL.
 

QUESTION

Well-known member
porkr do you want specific cases? I would like to see the studies that showed people are so patriotic, i would like to see the poll questions and see if they were also asking about food safety.Although a poll may give one result the real world response is different. I wonder how many unemployed people in Flint, Michigan on social assistance buy burger and try to get the most for their dollar would really pay more of certified US grown beef ? Think about it everything comes down to the all mighty dollar. To be honest when was the last time you were at a burger joint and heard someone ask where the beef used to make the burger came from. The retail trade is only a small part of the trade in beef. the restaurant trade is way bigger and i would like to see how many times you can find a COO statement in a menu. ie) This beef is from Colorado.
As for finding a group that expresses the view where food comes from is more important than price. How many people drink only US wine it has won many awards but people still buy wine from foreign countries that are not best buddies with the US. Could you please explain why inexpensive wines from 3rd world counties are selling well in the US market if they are inferior. The answer is it is more affordable and no mattle the negative advertizing the are just as good tasting as the US made wines.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
I wonder how many unemployed people in Flint, Michigan on social assistance buy burger and try to get the most for their dollar would really pay more of certified US grown beef ? Think about it everything comes down to the all mighty dollar.

I know as I have a uncle and two cousins that lost their jobs in Michigan. Not Funny ,but I am supplying them beef at half the price then The Big 5 retails it at. Eats much better then that tough what ever its origin beef they are buying. They have all got gardens this year as there are not any jobs. One of cousins has started rabbits, another cheap enterprise and good eating.
 

DiamondSCattleCo

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
Where are the excessive costs? When your beef hits our border, it's already labeled - the work is already done!

And if it were that simple, we'd be set. But in the case of seafood, the cases were already labelled and the USDA set out a bunch of other rules and regulations that both exporters and importers had to adhere to, raising the costs significantly and pricing Canadian seafood out of the market. In other words, an artificial trade barrier.

What about sides of beef? What happens after its processed? Requiring Canadian beef to be labelled but NOT US beef adds extra cost and labor to processing Canadian beef.

You advocate a fair and just COOL that requires not just Canadian beef to be labelled, but US beef to be labelled as well, and I'll be standing right beside you, hollering for it. Why shouldn't the US beef be labelled? Using one of OT's favorites: If clothing is made in the US, its required to be labelled as such.

Rod
 

DiamondSCattleCo

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
As far as I know, Rod, COOL is COOL, not FCOOL (foreign country of labeling).

Of course, I haven't remotely seen all the legislation as it pertains to COOL, but what I've seen thus far, it appeared to me as though it were only legislating labelled foreign beef, not US as well. This I won't agree with. As far as a cost thing goes, if it does pertain to US beef, you, as a US cattle producer, should be very concerned that the USDA doesn't go wild with the rules and regs, adding costs at every corner.

Rod
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
DiamondSCattleCo said:
Sandhusker said:
As far as I know, Rod, COOL is COOL, not FCOOL (foreign country of labeling).

Of course, I haven't remotely seen all the legislation as it pertains to COOL, but what I've seen thus far, it appeared to me as though it were only legislating labelled foreign beef, not US as well. This I won't agree with. As far as a cost thing goes, if it does pertain to US beef, you, as a US cattle producer, should be very concerned that the USDA doesn't go wild with the rules and regs, adding costs at every corner.

Rod

I have no doubt the USDA will try to make this as unworkable as they can. The AMI is already starting. But, we're onto them and know their game plan. Hopefully, we can minimize the damage.

Us COOL guys want everything labeled, ESPECIALLY US so we can promote it. You can't make any money if you can't sell it and you can't sell it if the customer can't find it.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Us COOL guys want everything labeled, ESPECIALLY US so we can promote it. You can't make any money if you can't sell it and you can't sell it if the customer can't find it.

AMEN
 
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