BEEF INDUSTRY TAKES ACTION TO HELP MOVE BEEF SUPPLY

DENVER (July 29, 1998) – With beef supplies near record levels, the beef industry will launch immediately an eight-point action plan to move beef supplies, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said here today.

The plan includes four, full-page ads in the USA Today to alert consumers to beef’s great value. The ads focus on beef’s affordable price and will provide summer grilling recipes to motivate consumers to purchase beef at their supermarkets. The ads will debut in the cover section of USA Today beginning Wednesday, August 5, and will continue each Wednesday throughout the month.

In addition, the industry announced aggressive plans to target other key industry players including top retailers, foodservice companies, the USDA, and both business and consumer media to increase ongoing efforts to move the plentiful supply and promote good beef values to consumers.

"We are implementing this aggressive plan to push beef during such a critical marketing period," said Nancy Pellett, a producer from Atlantic, Iowa, and chairman of the NCBA Consumer Marketing Group. "Near-record high production combined with low prices have led the beef industry to take extra efforts to ensure producers that we are doing everything we can to let consumers know that high-quality beef is plentiful and very affordable.

"Our efforts are designed to move additional beef product through the different beef marketing channels," Pellett added.

Pellett said the industry’s summer beef push will be a coordinated state and national effort and includes plans to distribute copies of the USA Today ads to run in state publications.

In addition to the full-page ads, the beef industry effort will include:

• Letters to the top 100 retail chains from NCBA President Clark Willingham asking their cooperation to promote immediate beef sales. The letter will include a copy of the USA Today ad and the August ad schedule.
• A letter sent to USDA Secretary Glickman urging him to purchase beef for international food aid.
• An "Issue Alert" about beef featuring activity to 100 retailers.
• An "Issue Alert" about beef supply to key foodservice companies calling for continued and increased menu promotion.
• An "Issue Alert" to retail and foodservice media.
• An alert to business and consumer food media - beef is plentiful - good value - now is time to buy and enjoy.
• Press briefings in major metropolitan areas focusing on new pot roast products – price/supply message will also be communicated.

--NCBA--

Consumer marketing programs are funded through the national beef checkoff, which is administered by the Beef Board. This 111-member board is appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to oversee the collection of the $1-per-head checkoff, certify state beef councils, implement the provisions of the Federal order establishing the checkoff and evaluate the effectiveness of checkoff programs.

Initiated in 1898, NCBA is the marketing organization and trade association for America’s one million cattle ranchers and farmers. With offices in Denver, Chicago and Washington D.C., NCBA is a consumer-focused, producer-directed organization representing the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry.