January 2001 - Fort Worth, Texas

The beef industry is important to Texas. Cattle and calves are produced in every county of the state. The inventory totals 13.9 million head and accounts for 14.2 percent of the cattle in the United States. Overall, beef production accounts for 40% of farm and ranch sales in the state. In 1999, the total beef cattle marketings by Texas producers was $5.775 billion, which generated a total economic impact of $12 billion. Compared with the rest of the agricultural production sector, beef cattle represent 44.6 percent of all commodity cash receipts.

The Texas beef industry faces the effects of drought, disease, the cattle cycle, feed costs and low prices. There are concerns about packer concentration and retail price margins, trade relationships and many other factors that affect the Texas and U.S. cattle markets. New information and life science technologies have the potential to reshape Texas agriculture and the beef industry. The changes will affect consumers, producers, meat packers, retailers, researchers, educators, investors and those responsible for public policy. A fuller understanding of the implications for all industry participants and a plan for responding is the goal of this Summit Workshop.

Challenges to the Texas Beef Industry. Review of industry needs and problems has produced the following areas of concern:

      Low Net Returns/High Production Costs              Lack of Consumer Confidence
      Product Inconsistency                                         Environmental Management and Sustainability
      Markets Not Value-Based                                    Diversity of Producer Goals
      Marketing and Competitiveness                            Compatibility with Resource Use Alternatives
      Insufficient Sensitivity to Consumers

The overall goal of this Summit Workshop is to develop a strategic plan that will aid the Texas beef industry (production through retail) to capture the potential of new technology, management strategies, organizational structures, and marketing methods to add value and benefit all segments of the industry, consumers, and the economy of Texas.

A strategic plan is needed for state government, universities and industry to encourage the adoption of new approaches throughout the Texas beef industry. The specific objectives to be accomplished with this Summit Workshop are to:

      1.     Identify and prioritize the issues involved in the production, feeding, slaughtering, marketing, and consumption of beef.

      2.     Propose the research, strategic investment, education, technology transfer, and other actions needed to enhance and guide               industry development.

This Summit Workshop attracted the ranchers, cattle feeders, agribusinesses, meat processors, retailers, and consumer, government, and natural resource leaders who have a particular stake in the beef industry, including many who have participated in past Summit activities.

Publications:   Challenges for the Texas Beef Industry

                            Texas Beef Industry Summit Workshop: Solutions for the Future

The Planning Committee for this Summit included the following individuals: