Agricultural News
Beef Producers Begin Seeing Solid Results from Beef Checkoff Dollar Investments
Thu, 05 Dec 2013 14:21:17 CST
With the value of checkoff dollars being eroded by inflation with each passing year, the Oklahoma Beef Council set about looking for ways they could increase the value of the dollars spent on behalf of Oklahoma cattle producers. Heather Buckmaster of the Oklahoma Beef Council said their board made some conscious decisions a couple of years ago in that regard. She spoke about the effects of those decisions recently with Oklahoma Farm Report's Ron Hays. (You can listen to their conversation by clicking on the LISTEN BAR at the bottom of this story. Buckmaster will also appear on this weekend's "In the Field" segment on News 9 about 6:40 a.m. Saturday.)
"Recognizing that the Oklahoma population represented less than two percent of the U.S. population, we really wanted to find a way to stretch those dollars and leverage those dollars. So, we made the conscious decision to invest with the U.S. Meat Export Federation knowing that our dollars would be matched up to three and four times through government and industry resources. And we felt like that was the best investment to insure that our farmers and ranchers from Oklahoma were getting the best bang for their buck."
Buckmaster said they are now seeing solid results for their investments.
"When the Japanese market to beef from cattle under 30 months of age, we made a significant investment in the Japanese market through U.S. Meat Export Federation. Some examples of the success of those promotions: USMEF was able to leverage Oklahoma Beef Council checkoff dollars and other funding in a highly-visible promotion with 9,500 retail stores. With the focus on beef short plate which is an undervalued item here in the U.S. but loved in Japan, it generated a 64-percent increase in beef short plate sales. That was a great success for us."
Another highlight, Buckmaster said, is that USMEF capitalized on the popularity of both U.S. beef and baseball in Japan and it involved Japanese baseball legend and Oklahoma state Senator Randy Bass in an extremely popular Beef and Baseball campaign to promote U.S. beef. More than 140 outlets participated in the campaign with U.S. beef sales increasing an average of 30 percent over the same time period the previous year.
Overall, Japan remains the top export market for U.S. beef in 2013. Exports to Japan are up 52 percent in volume and 35 percent in value for the year. Buckmaster said that Oklahoma ranchers can know there dollars help play a part in this growth. Sales to foreign consumers added about $250 per head to cattle raised in the U.S.
Buckmaster also said that ranchers and farmers have the opportunity to fine tune their cattle handling skills with one of the nation's most sought after clinicians, Curt Pate on Tuesday, December 17, 2013 in a seminar hosted by Ratcliff Ranch in Vinita, Oklahoma and sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and the Oklahoma Beef Council.
The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with registration and a dinner followed by the clinic beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 17, 2013.
More information on the seminar is available online at www.oklabeef.org.
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