Originally published on December 17, 2020 9:09 am
Panic buying has slowed down considerably since this spring, but one thing still lingering is higher demand for meat that s easier for people to cook themselves.
Listen / Ground beef, hamburger, to some degree roasts - things people know how to prepare at home and are, you know, pretty comfortable with, said Chelsea Good of the Livestock Marketing Association.
That s not as true for higher-end cuts of beef. With more of those on the market, Good said that translates into lower costs and some discounts at grocery stores. But actually getting the meat to the store is still a bit of an issue - especially for some of those nicer, local cuts.
Virtual meeting During their 81st annual meeting Dec. 2, Idaho Farm Bureau Federation members supported three proposals that seek to make it easier for consumers to purchase meat directly from ranchers.
These proposals could simplify the pathway for cattle producers to sell directly to consumers, while maintaining a safe meat inspection process.
“The idea here is to think outside the box: How do we get safe, inspected beef to consumers in a different way?” said Lori Anne Lau, president of Caribou County Farm Bureau, which supported the proposals.
IFBF’s annual meeting brings together voting delegates from each of the state’s county Farm Bureau groups to vote on policy that guides the organization through the coming year.
4:21 Ground beef, hamburger, to some degree roasts - things people know how to prepare at home and are, you know, pretty comfortable with, said Chelsea Good of the Livestock Marketing Association.
That s not as true for higher-end cuts of beef. With more of those on the market, Good said that translates into lower costs and some discounts at grocery stores. But actually getting the meat to the store is still a bit of an issue - especially for some of those nicer, local cuts.
The problem is processing. Workers at some of the large meat plants were hit hard by COVID-19. That slowed those facilities down, causing many ranchers to turn to smaller butchering facilities. Now, even as some larger plants pick up speed, the smaller ones are still swamped.
Idaho Farm Bureau Federation backs proposals facilitating direct-to-consumer meat purchases postregister.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from postregister.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.