Beef Buzz News
American Angus Assoc. CEO Mark McCully Reflects on the Angus Breed's Role the Beef Industry Today
Thu, 12 Sep 2019 11:49:11 CDT
Mark McCully has been around the cattle industry all his life. Earlier this year, he took on a new challenge as Chief Executive Officer of the American Angus Association. According to him, the landscape of the beef market is changing and it is his goal to help keep the Angus Association ahead of the game.
“This summer in the marketplace we’ve seen lots of changes, lots of interesting dynamics being played out. On the positive side, we’ve seen some movement on trade negotiations both with Europe and more recently with Japan, which I think has been overall very supportive to beef demand and the boxed beef trade,” McCully said. “I think most people have seen that as positive moves in this global marketplace we operate in.”
McCully contends that the US, led by the Trump Administration, has been a strong negotiator in ensuring American producers have a level playing field in which to do business with foreign consumers and to meet their demand for high-quality US beef. He admits that the industry continues to struggle with the fallout that resulted from reduced harvest capacity due to the recent Tyson packing plant fire, but says things are beginning to bounce back from that and praised the industry for a job well done in keeping up with consumers’ demand for premium beef.
“Beef demand has been awfully, awfully solid. We see the cuts continue to move. Specifically the choice/select spread has been quite wide and there’s really been a demand for the premium end of products - in particular the Certified Angus Beef brand.”
The latest data shows an obvious uptrend in premiums with the choice/select spread most recently clocking in at $22/cwt. In addition, McCully says there is now more prime graded beef on the market than ever before, with prime cuts showing up not just in food service but retail outlets as well. McCully believes the key for continued success in the beef industry is to nip the alternative meat problem in the bud by making sure the promoters of alternative meat products are held to the same standards as conventional beef producers and compelling them to tell consumers the truth about their products versus real beef and keeping the playing field level for all players.
“Let’s make sure these products are represented to the consumer for what they really are and then let beef compete on that level playing field,” he said. “Really, when the true message is made available to the consumer, I think we’ll be in really fine shape there.”
Listen to McCully talk more in depth about these topics and others, on today’s Beef Buzz with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
Listen to McCully talk more in depth about these topics and others, on today's Beef Buzz, click below.
right-click to download mp3
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Beef News
Colin Woodall on Defending the Beef Brand Wed, 19 Feb 2020 09:02:09 CST
Colin Woodall Explains Why Trade Victories are a Big Deal for The Cattle Industry Tue, 18 Feb 2020 10:09:44 CST
Danny Jones of Superior Livestock Talks about Feb 20th Sale in Norman, OK Mon, 17 Feb 2020 14:37:09 CST
Scott Yager Says its Important to Showcase Cattle's Role in Preserving the Environment Fri, 14 Feb 2020 11:55:40 CST
NCBA's, Scott Yager Explains The Difference Between The EPA's Old WOTUS and New WOTUS Thu, 13 Feb 2020 17:41:50 CST
Ben Weinheimer With TCFA Talks Traceability Throughout The Industry From Calf To Slaughter Wed, 12 Feb 2020 11:57:36 CST
New NCBA President Marty Smith Lists His Priorities For 2020 Tue, 11 Feb 2020 11:56:06 CST
Don Close with Rabo Agrifinance Talks Currrent Cattle Inventory Numbers Mon, 10 Feb 2020 14:34:34 CST
Kevin Good Predicts Continued Strong Demand, Higher Prices In 2020 Fri, 07 Feb 2020 11:28:22 CST
Ethan Lane Says There’s a Lot to Celebrate in Beef This Year Wed, 05 Feb 2020 10:56:02 CST
Katelyn McCullock says 2020 is the Year for Boosting Live Cattle Prices Tue, 04 Feb 2020 09:22:26 CST
Dr. Derrell Peel Sees No Big Surprises from Friday’s USDA Cattle Inventory Report Mon, 03 Feb 2020 06:33:25 CST
State Vet Dr. Rod Hall Believes the Animal Disease Trace-Back Program May Resurface in Early 2020 Fri, 31 Jan 2020 14:04:41 CST
Montana Judge Rules in Favor of USDA and State Beef Councils in Litigation Brought by R-Calf Thu, 30 Jan 2020 06:32:01 CST
Dr. Glynn Tonsor Not Expecting any Surprises with Friday's Cattle Inventory Report Wed, 29 Jan 2020 10:11:51 CST
Cattle Market Watcher Derrel Peel Previews This Friday's Cattle Inventory Report Tue, 28 Jan 2020 06:42:32 CST
Dr. Derrell Peel Talks Cattle on Feed and Marketing Placement Numbers Mon, 27 Jan 2020 15:01:57 CST
Scott Yager of NCBA- Navigable Waters Protection Rule Is a Huge Positive for Rural America Fri, 24 Jan 2020 06:55:16 CST
Alisa Harrison says When Consumers Have Options, They Still Choose Beef Thu, 23 Jan 2020 08:35:50 CST
Alisa Harrison Reminds Producers Their Beef is Still the Preferred Choice to be Found in the Meat Aisle Wed, 22 Jan 2020 06:48:34 CST
Even With Growing Meat Supplies- Demand Has Stayed Strong as a New Decade Arrives Tue, 21 Jan 2020 06:07:28 CST
Masters Of Beef Advocacy Program Helps Beef Producers be AgAdvocates for Their Industry Mon, 20 Jan 2020 10:35:34 CST
Cattle Industry Will Provide Watchful Eye as US and Chinese Trade Officials Work to End Non Scientific Trade Barriers for US Beef Fri, 17 Jan 2020 12:23:42 CST
NCBA’s Kent Bacus Hopeful China May Soon Be a Billion Dollar Beef Market for US Producers Thu, 16 Jan 2020 20:49:14 CST
OSU’s Dr. Derrell Peel Says Preconditioning and Risk Management Are Tools to Help You Prosper in 2020 Wed, 15 Jan 2020 06:48:10 CST
Dr. Derrell Peel Sees Cattle Marketplace in 2020 Starting on a Positive Note Tue, 14 Jan 2020 08:26:13 CST
When They Meet the Criteria of the Certified Angus Beef Program, Those Calves Are Worth More Mon, 13 Jan 2020 05:35:18 CST
LMIC's Katelyn McCullock Previews the 2020 Cattle Inventory Report and Expected Beef Cow Numbers Sat, 11 Jan 2020 10:43:26 CST
Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association is Ready to Roll up their Sleeves and Review Policy at their One Day Winter Policy Conference Thu, 09 Jan 2020 07:10:54 CST
New Deal, New Opportunities for U.S. Beef in the European Market Wed, 08 Jan 2020 06:33:06 CST
If Trade Rules for US Beef Are Relaxed in US-China Phase One Deal- Erin Borror Sees Mind-Boggling Trade Ahead Tue, 07 Jan 2020 07:34:48 CST
USMEF's Erin Borror says Just Implemented US-Japanese Trade Deal Puts US Cattle Producers Back in the Game in Japan Mon, 06 Jan 2020 10:20:59 CST
McDonalds Proud to be a Part of Continuous Improvement in Sustainability in the Beef Value Chain Fri, 03 Jan 2020 12:28:31 CST
It's a Great Resolution for 2020- Resolve to Tell Your Beef Cattle Story to Consumers Via Social Media Thu, 02 Jan 2020 16:36:26 CST
NCBA's Ethan Lane on the Goals for Labeling U.S. Beef Fri, 07 Feb 2020 09:31:47 CST
