July 7, 2009
US beef industry urged to look ahead; beef demand to rebound
The US beef industry, as well as all other agricultural segments, should look ahead and grab the presented opportunities instead of looking back in hesitation, according to Tom Field, the director of producer education with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
The livestock industry is facing challenges, but some of those challenges offer opportunities as the world demand for protein could double by 2050, said Field at the 11th annual meeting of the Colorado Livestock Association late last month in Denver.
Beef demand with rebound with the economy and that will offer opportunities to young people, and consumers will not leave behind beef products, Field said.
Field said success in the industry requires hard work and dedication, and those are the qualities that separate who succeeds and who doesn't.
Citing historical events for inspiration, Field said the success of people like Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, did not come from looking back but from looking forward at what is ahead.
That is an attitude which livestock industry players must now take, Field said.
