TIME TO WORK TOGETHER

DENVER (August 5, 1998) – As the first of four, full-page national ads to encourage consumers to buy more beef appears this week, the Livestock Marketing Association has issued a release critical of organizations that represent beef producers. The release is another in a series of misleading statements by LMA to confuse producers, according to George Swan, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association president-elect.

An NCBA-managed and checkoff-funded effort kicks off August 5, with ads in USA Today each Wednesday throughout the month. In addition, the industry will carry out aggressive plans to target key industry players including top retailers, foodservice companies, and business and consumer media to increase ongoing efforts to move the plentiful supply and promote good beef values to consumers.

The LMA release, meanwhile, was issued July 31 and questions decisions made by beef producers attending the Beef Industry Summer Conference in mid-July to restore producer communications program spending to level of a few years ago.

"With beef supplies near record levels, this is a time for all segments of the beef industry to work together to solve our problems," Swan notes. "It doesn’t make sense for LMA to be at odds with NCBA during this critical time for our industry.

"NCBA and Cattlemen’s Beef Board members agonized over the decision to spend additional checkoff dollars on producer communications," Swan said. "But our research told us clearly that we needed to step up our efforts." The independent producer attitude research found four out of 10 producers knew little or nothing about the beef checkoff.

"And the decision wasn’t made by some small anonymous group without a lot of debate. Seven different boards or committees – all controlled by producers – each voted to approve of the increased spending. And when that was done, the checkoff portion of the plan had to be approved by USDA. Despite objections lodged by an LMA representative and LMA’s Washington-based attorney, USDA approved the plan," Swan noted.

"We are listening to producers. We know they want more information about how their checkoff dollars are being spent. They have a right to know. I can’t believe LMA really wants to keep them in the dark," Swan said.

"Who does LMA represent? What is it that LMA wants? And where is LMA’s plan to increase beef sales?" Swan asked. "NCBA officers and boards have consistently been willing to listen to LMA concerns. But LMA isn’t willing to talk to us. They prefer, it appears, to make unfounded accusations about how we producers decide our programs should be run. Producers are working together to rebuild beef demand. It won’t be easy. And we can’t guarantee everyone will make a profit.

"But together we can make a difference," Swan concluded. "I invite LMA to come to the table with a better alternative or to join producers in their efforts to regain our markets."

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.

– NCBA –