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Fortitude – Today’s Producers Need A Healthy Dose!
By Darrell D. Anderson, NSR Chief Executive Officer
With depressed hog prices, volatile grain prices, and uncertainty throughout the general economy, this is not a time for the faint in heart. My dictionary only lists two words to define “fortitude”. They are “courage” and “grit”. Perhaps we in animal agriculture can best relate to “grit”. There are many producers in all phases of our industry that are hanging on waiting to see what the future will hold. Many are facing some difficult decisions and are looking for answers. I didn’t think I would ever quote William Shakespeare in this column, but this famous quote from Hamlet seems appropriate at this time in our industry:
“To be or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?”
We are all being attacked by many “slings and arrows” from all sides. I’ve listened to some web broadcasts of debates involving animal activists this week, and boy is that scary! One even suggested that bacteria may have “feelings”. I was encouraged though that they did agree on one fact – chimps should not be allowed to vote! Though I know the argument could be made in some cases, they might do better than we have been doing lately. If you would have asked me five years ago about the influence of animal rights groups, I would have said they will continue to diminish. Boy was I wrong! It is clear to me now that they will continue to greatly influence our industry, and we must be prepared at all times to defend our production practices. I am fairly sure that the amendment that is going to appear on the Florida ballot this month regarding elimination of gestation crates is only the “tip of the iceberg” regarding these types of issues.
From a consumer standpoint, the continued preference for chicken is also very challenging, and continues to erode our market share of the protein pie. A recent Bruskin Research study quoted in Meat & Seafood Merchandising revealed these findings from consumers when asked how strongly they agreed with the following statements:
• Can be prepared in many different ways
Chicken - 86%, Beef – 81%, Pork – 64%
• Tastes Good
Chicken – 78%, Beef – 71%, Pork – 62%
• Is easy to prepare
Chicken – 70%, Beef – 58%, Pork – 46%
• Is healthy and nutritious
Chicken – 64%, Beef – 34%, Pork – 30%
• Is reasonably priced
Chicken – 47%, Beef – 18%, Pork – 26%
• Is consistent in quality
Chicken – 37%, Beef – 24%, Pork – 25%
It’s that last one that bothers me most – if only one-fourth of the consuming public believes that our product offers consistency, they aren’t very likely to keep taking a chance with their purchases. There is some good news in this arena though – for the first time in 40 years there are signs that demand for chicken is leveling off. I think many are dealing with “chicken fatigue,” and they are ready to experiment with some other products. That is where our industry needs to capture the consumers imagination and supply a product that is tasty, nutritious, easy to prepare, and affordable. I know we can and I know we will!
I found myself seated next to a USDA regional manager on a plane flight last week. He supervises a large staff of meat inspectors. It was interesting to hear his comments about how bright the future of the pork industry is compared to some of our competing protein sources. He said that his staff rarely confronts any food safety issues with pork products and they view our industry as a leader in this area.
So, the challenges are pretty overwhelming, but I’m confident if you’re still around reading this column, you’ve been blessed with an abundance of “grit”. You’ve seen peaks and valleys before, and you’re committed to the future of our industry. You all are aware that our NJSA program is growing by leaps and bounds – from 400 junior members in 2000 to over 3,750 today! Obviously, our future leaders have received a dose of fortitude from those of you mentoring them, and they are excited about this industry.
Regarding the commercial business, let me close with a quote from Mark Meurer, our Director of Seedstock Marketing in his report to the NSR Executive Committee last week. After highlighting some of the recent activity of the UltraCROSS program, Mark said, “The time is right to do everything possible to become more visible in the industry. We can’t afford to wait and miss the best opportunity we’ve had in several years to sell more breeding stock. We are the answer to everyone’s grandparent system and their answer to more productive market hogs.” I couldn’t have said it better myself!
