Beef Industry Long Range Planning Task Force Sets Priorities
In the second meeting of the Beef Industry Long Range Planning Task Force, November 22-23 in Denver, 20 beef industry leaders developed the framework for a three-year strategic plan. The task force, representing every segment of the U.S. beef industry, drafted a vision and mission statement and outlined six core strategies vital to the future of the industry.
The draft vision: “An industry united around a common goal of being the world’s most trusted and preferred source of beef products.”
The draft mission: “To work collectively in providing the safest, highest-quality beef and beef products for our growing and increasingly diverse domestic and global customers to ensure sustainability for the environment and future generations.”
The six core strategies vital to achieving the vision and mission are to:
- Capitalize on global growth opportunities
- Increase domestic demand for beef
- Grow the U.S. cow herd
- Strengthen beef industry image
- Protect and enhance our freedom to operate
- Improve intra-industry relationships, trust, and openness
“I’m excited by the discussion and depth of thinking around this table,” says co-chair Charles Miller, owner of C&J Cattle Co., Nicholasville, Ky. “We’re going to bring some innovative thinking to the core strategies we identified.”
“This is a work in progress and we will be gathering additional input from stakeholders in the industry,” says co-chair Robert Rebholtz, president and CEO of Agri Beef Co., Boise, Idaho. “This plan will guide the entire industry over the next three years. It is important to get it right.”
The task force will meet again in January to complete a draft of the long-range plan in early 2011 for consideration by the directors of various industry organizations.
