Value-Added Beef Growing

Beef producers are learning the values of selling value-added products in the marketplace.

Rob Holland Jr. of University of Tennessee said these decisions are driven by economics, but not taken lightly.

“Developing a very strong local market for value-added meat or value-added beef product is really a longer term venture, longer term investment for them.”

Consumers are wanting to connect to producers, buy local and find those value-added options.

Holland said there are many challenges including fewer producers finishing animals and finding a processor.

“A processor, off the farm, that can harvest animals on the schedule that the farmer needs and process them and package those products to the farm marketers desires. That has improved over the years. There is still a huge opportunity for more processors to match the demand from local cattle producers that are trying to direct market.”