03/24/06 Bison Production

03/24/06 Bison Production

Bison production taking off. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. 2006 bison processing numbers are starting of at a record pace. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture records, 3,839 bison were processed under federal inspection during the first four weeks this year, compared to 2,825 processed during the identical period in 2005. Dave Carter, executive director of the National Bison Association is pleased. CARTER: Our production year to date is up about 25% over 2005 which in itself was a record year for us. And what is most encouraging is that this is all being driven by consumer demand for good quality bison meat. We are really starting to see consumers now not only discover the taste of bison but they're really beginning to embrace it and come back for seconds and thirds. We've got a number of ranchers out there that have invested a lot of time, a lot of money and a lot of their energy in building their herds and trying to bring this product to the public, now that it's starting to catch on, they're very pleased that their investment has been worthwhile. The bison industry experienced a 17 percent overall growth in USDA processing numbers in 2005. Carter says a lot of people are starting to discover bison products for more than its good taste. CARTER: We have a very good nutritional profile. Bison is very low in fat. We're very high in iron which makes it one of the foods that women ought to take a look at eating. And so this is a product that people are discovering that it's not only healthy for you but it tastes great and if you use it for entertaining or cooking out, it's one of those things that has a bit of a mystique about it. That if you invite the neighbors over for a cookout and you've got bison on the grill, you're all going to end up talking about what is on the dinner table that night. Carter adds that there is still a bit of a misunderstanding regarding bison meat. CARTER: I think a number of folks&they're still concerned that maybe if they are eating the bison that this is an animal that at one time was endangered and gosh are they doing a service eating it, well you bet they are. The best way for us to bring back bison these days is to introduce them to more consumers and give those ranchers more incentive to raise them. If you'd like more information about the bison nutrition or production, visit the National Bison Associations website at bisoncentral.com. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
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