Tri State News - Livestock News
February 16, 2005 2:30 PM CST
PIERRE - According to South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture Larry Gabriel, producers will begin to see opportunity to add value to South Dakota-raised cattle utilizing the SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ Beef Program prior to, and even independent of whether or not the cattle will be harvested in South Dakota during the first couple of years. This could include unweaned calves, backgrounded calves, feeder cattle and fat cattle.
"The beauty of this program is that it allows producers to participate at whatever level they are comfortable with," said Gabriel. "As we develop our processing industry in South Dakota to absorb our cattle supply, we can utilize already existing branded beef markets because our protocols cross-qualify."
The SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ Beef Program was created to add value for South Dakota producers by branding South Dakota cattle and beef as the safest, highest quality and completely source- and age-verified product available. Backed by verified state protocols and an aggressive marketing campaign, the SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ seal will soon symbolize the elevated standards that go into South Dakota cattle and beef production creating universal recognition to the state and the brand.
It is evident that there is a shift from "commodity" beef production to more "value-enhanced" beef production with incentives for branding products with distinct claims that address specific feeding, production and management practices. Source and age identification verified by an accountable and reliable system is becoming increasingly important within our country's beef markets and appears to be essential to restoring trade with our export markets. Identity preservation, traceability and age verification are becoming essential to assist in pledging confidence in food safety, quality assurance and disease surveillance.
The SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ Live Cattle Program will allow livestock producers in South Dakota the opportunity to market their cattle in a non-commodity fashion as SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ for eligibility into new and existing claim-specific beef markets; including the SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ Beef Program. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture has identified a minimum set of standards to adhere to at each level of production in order to market cattle under the Seal.
"We want to implement protocols that raise the bar on the way livestock are raised and marketed in South Dakota," said Eric Iversen, livestock development and marketing coordinator for the South Dakota Department of Agriculture. "We want this seal of confidence to emphasize that South Dakota producers are delivering the most reliable, highest quality, most wholesome and safe products to their customers. To do that, we as producers need to remove ourselves from the commodity livestock business and begin marketing the information that makes our cattle more valuable. A reliable and credible branded beef program that includes a traceback mechanism can enhance the marketability of South Dakota source- and age-verified cattle and beef."
With the forward progression of a national animal identification system to respond to the risk of a foreign animal disease outbreak and the need for differentiation in the marketplace from imported beef, the need for a traceback mechanism within the cattle industry is becoming apparent. A system that enables cattle and beef to be merchandised as source- and age-verified, while simultaneously collecting the essential information for animal health agencies such as the South Dakota Animal Industry Board is a perfect combination. The market will ultimately drive the National Animal Identification Program.
The SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ Beef Program will allow for the enhanced marketability of South Dakota beef, as well as assist in improving the value of South Dakota feeder cattle and finished cattle raised according to the protocols. Utilizing demand for claim specific cattle from already existing branded beef companies while developing the in-state processing infrastructure will allow producers to capture premiums for qualifying cattle and assist in gaining producer participation in the program.
To learn more about the SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ Beef Program, contact the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, Division of Ag Development at (605) 773-5436 or (800) 228-5254. Or visit southdakotacertifiedbeef.com.
