And growth in demand is coming from all age groups and income levels. Gary Mickelson of IBP, the nation's largest beef packer, agrees that the strong economy has much to do with better demand. But so does a changing consumer perception that beef can be part of a healthy diet. There is also the high-protein fad diet that has recently become popular, although neither Orn nor Mickelson think that's a big factor. The rediscovery of beef's flavor is another important factor that has more staying power than fad diets and parties that come along every 1,000 years.
Beef tastes good.
Another factor could be high quality branded fresh beef, including Excel's Sterling Silver brand, he says. Klein says packers are rewarding quality. He argues that some antitrust bills in Congress, including one that bans packer ownership of livestock, will make it harder for packers to reward quality beef production. Texas cattle feeder Michael Bezner chuckles when he hears that Excel rewards quality beef with better prices. Bezner credits Cargill for improving beef quality.