The CEO of the Minnesota Beef Council is encouraged by the resiliency of U.S. beef demand.
Kelly Schmidt says product interest remains high despite some headwinds.
“We’ve had a lot of things going on in the cattle industry in the last month or so, a lot of news items. Talking about things that effect the cattle industry, what are we going to do with the Mexican border (and) the administration’s comments on things (like Argentina beef imports). But one thing that prevailed in all of that was the reason we’re talking about a lot of those things is because our demand is so high.”
Speaking to Brownfield at the Minnesota Cattle Industry Convention in St. Cloud over the weekend, he said consumers are willing to pay more for beef.
“Because no matter what, you need that. And as the supply ebbs and flows, you can be rewarded when we’re in a low cattle supply (like) right now. That’s why we see the prices where we’re at. We’re short on cattle, but people are really demanding the product.”
Schmidt says research continues to show consumers are looking for great taste, a convenient eating experience, and high nutritional value.
