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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "jay gee" <JayGee AT jghelp.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] mad cow effects on direct market meat
  • Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2004 13:53:46 -0800 (PST)

Greetings!

I've been wondering how those of you producing beef were
reacting to the mad cow scare and the future of meat marketing
in the global economy.


On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 17:06:20 -0700, Alderspring wrote:

> I urge you all to talk to your processor, and if they have similar concerns,
> to contact your representatives. You may also want to contact your patrons
> and encourage them to contact their representatives. IMO, regulations
> should encourage small processors rather than discourage them; our food
> supply would be safer with fewer 400 animals/hour processing plants and more
> family owned small facilities.

We might all be better off if regulations were size neutral,
and more concerned with the the safety and quality of the
product being inspected. If that means paying a little more
for beef, so be it!

If you are a small producer and completely certain of the
quality of your herd, you should be willing to spend the
money for mad cow testing of every animal you send to
the slaughterhouse for the plain and simple reason that
"tested safe" animals can be advertised as such.

If you don't think that U.S. consumers are ready and willing
to pay extra for the guaranteed safety of the food supply,
you better take another look. Government credibility is
going down the toilet.

On top of that, many of you may find that small independent
processors are not so important if a firm like Jack In the Box
decides to start processing its own patties because it can
no longer rely on a major processor to guarantee the quality
it must have to protect its brand name and investment.

Use universal testing to guarantee your customers "no mad cow,"
and back it up with a $5 million insurance policy. Advertise your
meat's safety and don't worry about the other guy who is too cheap
to test and advertise his/her meat.

Use the marketplace to your advantage. Stop worrying about
politics and start worrying about your customer base. If you
have to pay a small processor more to be in compliance, pay
it and pass those costs along to your customers.

If you don't think your customers care, ask them.

A happy and prosperous New Year to you all,


jay gee
not a farmer -- but interested in farming



Free marketing aids for farmers at:
http://jghelp.com/farming







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