CONTACT:      Dean Conklin              303-850-3387              dconklin@beef.org   

            Joe Schuele                303-850-3360             joeschuele@beef.org 

BEEF CHECKOFF PARTNERS WITH MOSNER, FOOD EMPORIUM

FOR JOINT VEAL PROMOTION           

Centennial, Colo. (September 1, 2005) – In an effort to increase veal sales in the New York metropolitan area, the Beef Checkoff Program teamed with Food Emporium grocery stores and Mosner Veal for a promotion featuring the veal loin chop August 19-25.   

Increasing veal demand and sales are important goals of the Beef Checkoff Program. Veal promotion, research and education programs are coordinated on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the Federation of State Beef Councils by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).  The NCBA serves as one of the Beef Board’s contractors for checkoff-funded programs. 

“Through the checkoff program, we’ve been able to make great strides with veal in terms of public relations and consumer awareness,” said Richard Ayers of Argyle, N.Y., veal director for the New York Beef Industry Council. “But we need to take these efforts to another level in terms of actually increasing sales. This was exactly the kind of promotional effort we need to impact sales.” 

During the promotion, veal was a featured item for sale at Food Emporium’s New York-area stores, which sell veal under the private label name “Veau Naturel.”  Veal was promoted in radio advertisements, in-store flyers and point-of-sale materials, with the veal loin chop being the featured grilling cut. Initial figures show the Food Emporium stores sold nearly four times their usual amount of veal during the promotion.  

“The New York Beef Industry Council was very excited to collaborate with Mosner Veal, Food Emporium and the Beef Checkoff Program for this promotion,” Ayers added. “It was a great opportunity to expose more consumers to the attributes of veal and get veal into their shopping carts. And we accomplished that in a big way.”   

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The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval. The checkoff assessment became mandatory when the program was approved by 79 percent of producers in a 1988 national referendum vote. Checkoff revenues may be used for promotion, education and research programs to improve the marketing climate for beef. 

The New York Beef Industry Council is a non-profit organization working on behalf of New York’s cattlemen, dairy and veal producers. The Council seeks to promote the beef industry in New York and educate consumers through a variety of programs and resources, including Nutrition Education, Student Education, Beef Safety, Beef Quality Assurance Programs, Meat Marketing Management, Retail, Foodservice, and Consumer Promotions.  

Producer-directed and consumer-focused, the NCBA is the trade association of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers, and the marketing organization for the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry.