Speaker at Idaho cattle conference encourages social media

An executive in the beef industry told attendees at the Idaho Cattle Association Summer Round-Up to use Facebook to share information consumers may not hear anyplace else.

The message to promote the nutritional benefits of beef and the care provided for livestock was shared with almost 500 members during the opening session of the conference. Rick Stott, executive vice president of business development for Agri Beef Co., said the self-promotion is necessary in a time when per capita meat consumption is falling.

"Today, the world isn’t friendly to our product like it was in the 1950s," Stott told The Times News. "Not every dinner today is steak and potatoes."

Stott acknowledged the global market for beef is good for U.S. ranchers and encouraged attendees to give their product a special brand consumers can identify and trust.

State of the industry

Idaho Cattle Association Executive Vice President Wyatt Prescott said bills for feed and transportation are higher for producers, but his outlook was optimistic because of current low supplies and good demand.

The Magic Valley Times-News reports some attendees were less satisfied with current conditions. Blair Kauer of Lemhi said small operations like his were struggling against government regulations including the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act.

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