As lawmakers and the Ag industry look to determine how to ensure beef producers and the packing houses both receive fair pay, and have a good working relationship, one University of Idaho assistant professor said it all starts with communication. Phil Bass, with the U of I's Meat Science Department, said not only do producers and packers need to sit down and have more open and honest conversations, but more producers need to get into those packing houses.

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“Cattle producers are not just making weaned calves and fat beef, you’re making meat, ultimately, and we need to get that meat through the process.  We have to take the raw product which is that finished animal so we can get it through, and out the door and ready for the consumers.  I do believe we need to have more dialogue, there’s no question about that.”

Bass said openness is vital during those conversations as well.

He added labor remains a big stumbling block for the packing industry. Bass said many packing houses are struggling to get workers through the doors and to keep them there.

“Packers are kind of in a good position right now because there’s an enormous amount of demand on the other side of the packing house for the consumers but we still need to process those animals.  And the cost of doing business continues to go up at the packing house.  These folks are working really, really hard to try to get the cattle through, and we’re starting to see the U.S. packing base start to come back to normal capacity but we still have an enormous backlog of cattle.”

Bass was quick to point out that producers need to take pride in the fact that everyone, Americans and those overseas, wants U.S. beef products. He pointed to the fact that beef flew off grocery store shelves during the first days of the pandemic.

“Once the packing base is able to absorb some of these turbulent times, hopefully we’ll start to see just a little bit more even exchange of funds across the entirety of the system, and hopefully be able to get that money back into the hands of producers.  But good times are coming, people want beef, we just got to stay the course.”

Bass noted as 2021 marches on, producers need to keep an eye on international markets, which will help them get high value for their cattle.




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