In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Chief Executive Officer Colin Woodall of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Hays and Woodall talk historic consumer demand for beef, getting ready for the New World Screwworm (just in case) and how cattlemen are interacting with lawmakers ahead of the November midterm elections.
Demand Driving the Market
Woodall says the current strength in cattle markets comes down to one key factor—consumer preference.
“Markets are great, and it’s because of that demand, demand that we have spent decades building. And it’s a demand that’s at a 40-year high.”
Even with higher prices at the meat counter, he emphasizes that consumers are still choosing beef over other proteins. “They can choose any number of meat proteins, pork, chicken, turkey, or beef. They choose beef. They don’t have to. They want to.”
According to Woodall, that distinction is critical. “Consumers don’t have to buy beef. They don’t have to buy beef. They want to buy beef. That is a very significant distinction in this entire discussion.”
He adds that quality has played a major role in maintaining that demand. “They like the quality we’re serving them—the best beef we have ever produced in the history of this industry—and that’s why we’re seeing demand.”
Staying Ahead of New World Screwworm
Woodall says preparedness is the top priority as the industry monitors the potential threat of New World screwworm.
“This is all about preparedness… what do you need to look for? What does the fly look like? What do the larva look like? What do these wounds look like?”
He stresses that early detection is critical due to the pest’s rapid lifecycle. “If you go out on a Tuesday and you don’t have a problem, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not going to have a problem on Wednesday.”
While treatment tools are available, vigilance remains key. “We can treat the cattle, we can kill the larva, but we have to make sure we catch them early, and that really is the focus of our education.”
Dietary Guidelines and Beef’s Role
Woodall says NCBA remains pleased with how beef is represented in the latest dietary guidelines.
“We are still thrilled with what the Secretary did… we had the science to give him, and that factored in to the changes that we saw.”
He notes that decades of research helped shape the outcome.
“We’ve got 40 years of research that went in to making this change, and we finally have a recognition from the government that beef is real food raised on real grass for real people.”
Farm Bill and Producer Engagement
Looking to Washington, Woodall says passing a new farm bill remains a top priority.
“We have definitely advocated for that farm bill to be brought up on the House floor… all of us in agriculture want to have the game plan for the next several years.”
He says producers should also take advantage of opportunities to engage directly with lawmakers back home.
“When they have town halls, show up… make sure that you grab their ear and tell them what you need, because that’s the way our government works.”
Woodall says that kind of involvement is essential as decisions are made that will shape the future of the cattle industry.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR above for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
