ANGUS BEEF BULLETIN EXTRA

July 7, 2020 | Vol. 13 : No. 6

Marketing

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COVID-19 Is Shifting Buying Preferences

Pandemic has changed consumer buying habits, raised awareness of supply chain.

In what can feel like a sea of adversity, there are reasons for optimism in the food industry during the global pandemic caused by the new coronavirus. With COVID-19, there are so many unfortunate things that have happened, but one bright spot is that there is an awareness now of the importance of not wasting food, and a new understanding of the complexity of the food chain, said Jeanette Thurston, director of the Kansas State University Food Science Institute.

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Risks and Responsibilities

At-home animal slaughter involves risk, challenges.

Supply chain and distribution challenges are leaving producers stranded with animals ready for market but no place to go. Some may consider custom slaughter or butchering at home as a way to relieve this pressure. While producers are able to slaughter their own animals, this practice comes with risks and responsibilities, says Bailey Harsh, assistant professor, University of Illinois Department of Animal Science, Meat Science and Muscle Biology.

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Cattle-on-feed Adjustments Continue

Adjustments show signs of stabilizing back toward normal trends.

The cattle-feeding part of the industry has been in the midst of dramatic adjustments during the last couple of months, just like the rest of the industry. USDA released its June Cattle on Feed report June 19. It showed some more adjustments, but this time toward normal.

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Shift Mindset, Shape New Opportunities

Successful operations can rise from the ruins of the pandemic by taking advantage of opportunities.

Turn on the news recently and it can be overwhelming with bad news. Many around the country, including those in agriculture, are in survival mode. Hearing gloom and doom on the news certainly doesn’t help matters, especially when that news includes anti-ag groups taking advantage of the chaos. The world needs more good news and good deeds, says Amanda Radke, South Dakota cattle rancher and BEEF Daily blogger.

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In The Cattle Markets

Changing grid premiums and discounts due to underlying changes in the fed-cattle industry.

In recent weeks there has been increased attention given to the role of Alternative Marketing Arrangements (AMAs) in the fed-cattle market. The use of these AMAs varies greatly by region, and some of the more common AMAs used include grid and formula pricing. AMAs pay producers premiums and discounts from a “base price” based on a combination of the yield grade, quality grade and weight of dressed cattle. It is common for the negotiated cash price to serve as the “base price” for AMAs using either the geographical region or the five-market average.

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The Link

To market, to market.

To market, to market to buy a steer … not quite the right words for this nursery rhyme, but marketing this year has not exactly had much of a rhyme to it either. Many farmers and ranchers are trying to figure when there will be highs and avoid the lows. That in itself is not much different, but this year’s rhythm is different.

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Depopulation and Meat Shortages

Consumer research looks to answer the tough questions.

While many Americans fired up their grills this Memorial Day weekend and looked forward to Independence Day, some may have found limits on meat purchases, near-empty meatcases or no fresh meat at all at their local grocery stores. At the same time, they saw headlines about pork and poultry farmers having to euthanize entire barns of animals. Such a confusing contradiction presents an opportunity for agriculture to engage with consumers on the complexities of the food chain and the emotional toll this current situation is taking on farmers, says Terry Fleck, executive director of The Center for Food Integrity.

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