Convention 2013: Charting Our Next Course
The Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association is gearing up for the 15th annual Ontario Beef Industry Convention. The event, held in conjunction with OCFA’s annual general meeting, will be held January 10-12, 2013 at the Best Western Lamplighter Inn and Conference Centre in London.
Highlights of this issue:
Introducing Certified AAA Platinum Ontario Corn Fed Beef
A new premium beef product raised by Ontario farm families is now available at 46 Loblaw stores in Ontario.
The Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association and the leading food retailer proudly launched Certified AAA Platinum Ontario Corn Fed Beef in August.
Locally-Sourced Ontario Corn Fed Beef Now Available at Real Canadian Superstore® Locations Across Ontario
Ontarians looking for locally sourced beef can now find Ontario Corn Fed Beef at Real Canadian Superstore® locations across the province, thanks to an expanded partnership between Loblaw Companies Limited and the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association (OCFA). Real Canadian Superstore® is a banner store of Loblaw Companies Limited.
Highlights of this month’s issue:
OCFB Summer BBQ Hits The Road
The Ontario Corn Fed Beef summer barbecue tour is off and running for 2012.
During the tour, the There’s No Taste Like Home mobile kitchen unit will be promoting Ontario Corn Fed Beef products to consumers across the province.
Highlights of this month’s issue:
Loblaws Beefs Up The Meat Case
The May issue of The News Feed highlights the move by Loblaw Companies to offer Ontario Corn Fed Beef at 46 more stores. The leading Canadian grocer has expanded the program to include Ontario Loblaws stores, Loblaw great food, the Loblaws store at Maple Leaf Gardens and Bloor Street Market. With the expansion, OCFB products are available at more than 200 Loblaw Cos. stores across the province.
Based on the positive reception from customers and a commitment from Ontario farmers to beef up supply, Loblaw Companies Limited announced Friday (May 4) that Ontario Corn Fed Beef (OCFB) will be available at 46 more Ontario Loblaw grocery stores, bringing the total to 200 of its stores.
This program involves 500 Ontario beef farmers, with more producers expected to join the program to meet growing market demand.
Highlights of this month’s issue:
Moving Ahead On Traceability
Ontario Corn Fed Beef is taking steps to move its on-farm quality assurance program forward. The next innovation for the program uses traceability technology to transfer the key production information of the Corn Fed program into an electronic format.
Markets: Understanding The Non-Ag Factors
With a new planting season getting underway, market watchers will be monitoring the impact of the weather on grain and oilseed markets. Steve Kell, a grain merchandiser with Parrish & Heimbecker, credits farmers for being good at understanding how the fundamentals of supply and demand in agricultural production affect the prices. But Kell says there are several other factors that are not related to agriculture that also merit close attention.
Safety important but room for brand recognition growth, survey shows
Food safety is top of mind for most retail and food service buyers of Ontario beef, but there are differences in who they think should be responsible for ensuring it.
And that’s where there could be opportunity for the Ontario Corn Fed Beef brand, according to a business-to-business research recently completed by Strategic Research Associates for the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association.
The research included confidential interviews with senior level managers at major Ontario grocery distributors and retail and food service chains, as well as store level managers and butchers.
Ontario Corn Fed Beef is earning rave reviews from officials at Loblaw Companies.
Brad Porter, senior category director for conventional meat and seafood, says they had high hopes for the brand when the company launched it in 156 stores across Ontario last May.
Not only did it meet expectations, the products also played a big role in delivering higher customer satisfaction scores in the meat departments.
Porter shared some of the consumer statistics during his presentation at the Beef Industry Convention.
A recent study in Ontario dispels the notion that consumers are only interested in cheap food. In fact, the survey by Strategic Research Associates (SRA) of Guelph found that consumers are not only willing to pay more for safer food; they will also pay a premium for beef raised in Ontario.
John Vieira, director of client services for SRA, shared the results of the study at the Beef Industry Convention in London.