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ALABAMA BEEF CHECKOFF VOTE SET FOR JULY 29
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner.” While that familiar refrain from long-running promotional radio and television advertising is familiar to many U.S. consumers, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association says it’s critical that the message reaches foreign consumers as well. “Record high prices for feed, fuel, and fertilizer, coupled with a stagnant domestic economy, means the area for significant potential growth in beef sales lies in the foreign marketplace,” says Dr. Billy Powell, Executive Vice President of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. To help get out that message, Alabama cattle owners are urged to vote July 29 to continue the Alabama 50-Cent State Beef Checkoff, a program directly responsible for advertising beef to domestic and foreign consumers. The referendum vote will be held at each county Extension office from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. All cattle owners are eligible to vote once regardless of their county of residence or the county where they own cattle. No proxy or absentee voting is allowed. The National Beef Checkoff committed more than $4.7 million to foreign marketing in fiscal year 2007 with continued focus planned for 2008. In Alabama, cattlemen voted to send additional dollars from the Alabama 50-Cent State Beef Checkoff to the U.S. Meat Export Federation, a group that has played a key role in re-opening the export markets in South Korea and other Asian countries. “I’ve personally kept a close eye on the Korean market and am glad to see our beef is finally being allowed back into that country. More exports of U.S. beef means stronger demand and higher prices for me when I sell calves at the local auction market,” says Orland Britnell, a cattle producer in Franklin County and president of the Alabama Cattlemen's Association. In addition to foreign marketing, the Alabama 50-Cent State Beef Checkoff is also helping to sell more beef here in the state. Through partnerships with retailers, food service vendors, restaurants and county cattlemen’s associations, a series of promotions touting the “Summer Grilling Season” have increased awareness of Alabamians that beef really is what’s for dinner. The 2008 Checkoff Marketing Plan, detailing exactly how and where checkoff dollars are spent, can be viewed by visiting the Beef Checkoff link on
www.bamabeef.org
or by contacting the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association at (334) 265-1867.
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