CALGARY -ÊIn the food trade, it’s a competitive world where retailers don’t care if they sell beef or not, says Innisfail rancher Mabel Hamilton.
That leaves the sales pitch up to organizations like the Alberta Cattle Commission promotion committee. The key is to help develop advertisements that click with consumers and gives producers the most value for their dollar. Sometimes risks have to be taken, said Hamilton, who headed the promotion committee and chaired the national Beef Information Centre committee.
The commission, whose main job is to promote beef consumption, collects a $1.50 levy from producers on each animal marketed in the province. That gives the ACC a projected budget of $5.7 million based on an anticipated 3.8 million head being sold in the 1995 fiscal year.
Read Also
Calf hormone implants can give environmental, financial wins
Hormone implants can lead to bigger calves — reducing greenhouse gas intensity, land use intensity and giving the beef farmer more profit, Manitoba-based model suggests.
Alberta programs received a budget of $204,500 for fiscal year 1995 or five cents per animal to pay for beef promotions.
Delegates at the annual meeting Dec. 5-7 voted to add $25,000 to the provincial beef promotion budget. That works out to six cents per head. Another 94 cents or $3.5 million is directed to national advertising handled by the Beef Information Centre.
Delegates urged more money be spent on beef promotions and asked that extra money be drawn out of the producers’ equity fund of more than $3 million in 1994.
A postcard campaign featuring two world class athletes and an Alberta cowboy were mailed out by producers to urban consumers this fall. Each producer was asked to write a short note and invite people to view their operation.
The ACC has also gone into Calgary high schools where food science students are taught beef preparation and given facts about its nutritional value. In 1995, Edmonton students will receive the same program.
On the national level, the BIC has found a cost effective way to sell beef is in co-operation with advertising other products. Successful initiatives included working with Kraft barbecue sauce, Nabisco and Del Monte stewed tomatoes.
The latest will be a partnership with Uncle Ben’s rice where a stir fry recipe will be attached, said Hamilton.
