RUSSELL, Man. – If cattle producers here have their way, the next food catch phrase will be “Where’s the Hereford?”
An international burger chain’s commercials made “where’s the beef?” popular in the 1980s.
Now, the Canadian Hereford Association is seriously considering a program that will try to identify meat from their breed as having the most consistent taste.
The association’s annual general meeting in this western Manitoba town June 22 heard how a Certified Hereford Beef program in the United States is already paying dividends after just one year.
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“If we could find the financing and support to go ahead, I think that would be one of the greatest advances we would have embarked on in my lifetime as a Hereford breeder,” said association president Mike Mueller.
He and other association officials have already gone south to see how the new program works.
Gordon Reisinger, president of Mid-Ag Inc. in Iowa, leads the U.S. program. He told the meeting identity preservation is the way of the future because the deck is stacked against individual beef producers in the U.S.
Beef is in a struggle with chicken and pork for the consumer’s dollar. But it suffers from an inconsistent product, he said, adding some studies show that when consumers eat a steak, a third of the time it is a disappointing experience.
Also, the beef packing industry is dominated by three companies who see their role as distributing a commodity rather than merchandising a distinct product, Reisinger said.
“As long as these three parties controlled my destiny, I probably needed to look for something else to do with my life … because there wasn’t a lot of future in the cattle business,” he said.
The alternative was to develop a branded beef program that would offer consumers a consistent quality product.
Tender and tasty
The American Hereford Association worked with the Colorado State University on a study that found Herefords and Herefords crossed with other British breeds produce a more consistently tender, juicy and flavorful meat than non-British cattle.
Producers of Angus, another British breed, already have a certified product, but Reisinger believes it is too closely linked to the big three packers and doesn’t give producers a superior return.
Mid Ag developed a plan to keep control of the process from pasture through to the store shelf.
He has signed an exclusive marketing agreement with the American Hereford Association and sold 40,000 head last year, with plans for 100,000 this year.
Cattle in the program must follow a superior herd health and feeding program. After fees, program cattle net a dividend of about $20 U.S., he said.
The cattle are now custom slaughtered, but Reisinger hopes to have his own slaughter plants soon.
Mueller said the Canadian Hereford Association scored well in an identity trial conducted in Alberta Safeway stores a few years ago, so there is an indication a Certified Hereford Beef program would work here.
