Beef, It’s What Consumers Want
All the buzz this week is about cattle, beef products and how New World screwworm (NWS) being found in Texas and New Mexico may impact the price of meat, especially beef.
The best answer is it shouldn’t have any effect with the control efforts already in place.
For a number of years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been aware of the NWS infestation in Central American countries.
These countries have, in a sense, been living with the problem and not doing much to control the fly. USDA has been helping Mexico produce sterile male flies to control the pest, in hopes of stopping the fly from coming into their country. USDA set boundaries in southern Mexico to stop the fly, but has had to keep moving the boundaries north.
The U.S. built a facility in Texas to produce sterile male flies domestically, which opened in May, and the USDA has been scattering sterile flies along the Mexican border for some time now. However, NWS still found its way into the U.S.
The last major outbreak of NWS was in the 1950-60s, but was eventually eradicated from the U.S.
This time around, USDA and livestock producers have many new ways to control NWS. The problem is the fly will lay its eggs in any animal with an open wound, and its larvae will eat flesh in and around the wound. This effects all wildlife, pets and livestock.
Although producers can check livestock for open wounds, wildlife is a tougher issue.
USDA and many others knew the fly entering the U.S. was a possibility. In fact, they expected it to happen last summer. Now there is an all out war along the border and, wherever NWS is found, it will be controlled.
There are many new products out there to assist livestock producers in controlling NWS, while still allowing them to move livestock around.
The outbreak shouldn’t affect the price of meat, especially beef.
For those looking for a high-quality protein source, beef is in high demand.
Last year, beef sales accounted for 56 percent of all retail meat sales dollars and beef’s portion of protein sales represented about 75 cents of every new dollar. Beef counters have been dominating the marketplace and have even managed to collect the biggest portion of new dollars spent.
According to BEEF Magazine, “Between 1980-98, new spending for beef grew by just six dollars a person. Meanwhile, pork and broiler spending grew by $106. During the last five years, beef spending has increased by $181 a person, while pork and broiler spending has combined for only about $100 per capita.”
If one wants to know how this all happened, we need to look no further than our state beef councils and the checkoff which educate consumers, along with beef producers and improved cattle genetics.
With new tender beef cuts and beef’s outstanding flavor, consumers are not wrong in wanting more beef for dinner.
