Page 8 - Beef_Week

Stock Journal Beef Week | 2021
Purchases made on price and fat level

By SALLY GALL
RICE and levels of
fat are the biggest
Pdeterminants for
consumers making beef
shopping choices, a
CQUniversity study has
found.
Professor John Rolfe
told the Developing
Northern Australia
conference held in
Rockhampton recently
that greenhouse gas
factors associated in
some quarters with
beef production were
insignifi cant in the minds
of shoppers when buying
beef.
These were some of the
results of a study done
into consumer demand,
labelling different cuts
of beef with a variety
of different messages
surrounding health, animal
welfare, environmental
credentials, taste and
organic production.
This type of information,
termed credence factors
can’t be measured
objectively, Professor Rolfe
said, although there is a Rockhampton butcher Geoff Elliott, with his daughters Leah and Hayley plus Jye Murphy, says the large
rapid growth in customer majority of his customers’ purchases are beef. Picture: Sally Gall
demands for information
about these aspects. “As soon as you add in forward though - younger had a lot more fat than it
As well as identifying information about fat, it’s people show more concern does today.”
the relationship between a huge negative, so the about this and they have a It’s no surprise that
meat consumption health message is really greater fl exitarian diet.” customers in the beef
and different credence getting through. He also said the results capital would have a
information strategies, “There was a small may refl ect a “woke” preference for beef but
such as branding for negative with animal generation, in which there Mr Elliott said that for
organics or animal welfare welfare claims, the may be a disconnect people in a workingman’s
standards, the study also greenhouse gas factor was between what people say town, he aimed to buy
aimed to fi nd the best way insignifi cant, being organic is important and what good quality graded rib
to communicate credence was a small positive, which they do. fi llet that he wasn’t making
claims to consumers and indicates a niche market, “It’s hard to advise much profi t from, for his
what benefi t there was and price is a negative.” producers what to do,” he customers.
to the beef industry in Professor Rolfe said said. “In our region, we don’t
doing so. he was surprised by the According to a butcher have a clientele that are
Specifi cally, it wanted fi ndings, given the media who has served the looking to pay $80 a kilo
to assess the potential to focus on the relationship Rockhampton public for for rib fi llet,” he said.
align with existing Beef between beef production 34 years, 70 per cent of his There was a lot of
Sustainability frameworks. and greenhouse gases turnover is beef. demand for grassfed beef,
Involving 300 in recent years, to the Geoff Elliott, who started largely for its taste, Mr
respondents with six extent of the MLA promise butchering in Blackall 40 Elliott thought.
choices, it resulted in 2000 that Australian red meat years ago before moving to He wasn’t sure how great
pieces of information. industry would be carbon Rockhampton and working a role lotfeeding animals
Professor Rolfe said neutral by 2030. for Angliss then branching played in his customers’
there had not been much “Clearly consumers out on his own, people are minds.
differentiation for meat are going to reduce their looking for leaner meat “Of 10 items that a
cuts once price had consumption further but these days. customer buys from me,
been stripped out of the there is much less concern “Not like the old days, eight or nine of them are
equation. about greenhouse gases they’d want to cut your beef,” he said. “People
“We found that taste was than expected,” he said. hand off if you went to cut might have cut back
important but not hugely “I think it’s important the fat off,” he said. “And their quantity just a tad
so,” he said. for the industry looking back 40 years ago, meat though.”
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