Beef Council Awards University Of Idaho $250K

The Idaho Beef Council recently awarded the University of Idaho $250,000 to support research to strengthen consumer trust in beef production. IBC chair, Jeff Johnson, said just like in any other industry, innovation is vital for product improvement. And he noted the U of I plaed an integral role in that effort.

"The consumer is going to continue to change and the consumer demands in the future are going to be different then they are today so it's really important as an industry that we continue to support our universities and students that are trying to make advancements in our industry.”

Individual gifts and scholarships will be handed out to graduate students studying meat science. Those winners will be selected by the U of I’s Student Financial Aid General Scholarship Committee.

Johnson added gifts like this one are a great way to leverage producer dollars, and he noted the U of I plans on providing matching funds.

"It allows us to help the students we have at the university today, down the road they're going to be the leaders coming into our industry. They are the ones who will be going back to the ranch.  So it's really twofold, it's to help support innovation now and to continue improve the product and it's also to provide for future leaders in the industry.”

Idaho ranks in the top 15 nationally when it comes to beef cattle production. 

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekmedia.com