NCBA COVID-19/Coronavirus Response Update

REMINDER: All of our response materials can be found at: https://www.ncba.org/coronavirus.aspx

1. Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) watch – still no final CFAP program details out of USDA, but we received word today that they are close. Just as soon as we have those details, we will get them to you.

1. The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, like all of you, are having conversations about the cattle markets and how we evolve. They have provided an outline of their process, and Terry Fankhauser approved me sending it to you (attached above). It is a structured approach to the conversation that can roll into the work being done by the NCBA Cattle Marketing Working Group.

1. Attached is an updated and USDA-approved Q&A document regarding beef trade. I have attached it as a Word document so you can use it in your communications and outreach.

1. As of this afternoon, the Cargill beef plant in Schuyler, Nebraska, remains the only beef packing plant closed, but as we have discussed throughout the week, we still have localized shortages of beef. Attached are updated USDA-approved talking points on the current state of the supply chain.

1. NCBA continues our social media outreach to generate support for the supply chain and to spotlight the need for all segments to work together to get through this crisis. With all of the negative social media we have seen, we are trying to change the narrative. Over the past week, our content has generated over 38,000 views and 1,350 shares. This campaign is also spurring more positive grassroots support from producers like Kacy Atkinson who used her blog this week and added to the growing number of reasonable voices discussing the topics facing the industry. Here are links to some of our other videos. More are in production.

Bradfield Evans

Matt Pearce

Clint Raulerson

Caleb Beason

1. Week-end Coronavirus, Beef Media, and Social Media Monitoring Report (courtesy of NCBA’s checkoff-funded Issues Monitoring and Response Team)

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• During the past two weeks, traditional media and social media volume and reach are at the highest levels we've seen since starting COVID-19 monitoring, and this is largely due to the convergence of several topics: Wendy's supply issues, retailers limiting meat purchases and plant-based burger companies taking advantage of the meat shortage. Virtually every major national media outlet has covered these stories. Issues like packing plant closures and worker safety in those plants also continued to be covered nationally.

• Coronavirus stories/posts mentioning beef as part of all coronavirus stories/posts

• Traditional Media: 0.73% (of 3.27 million total coronavirus stories)

• Last Week: 0.63%

• Social Media: 0.12% (of 40 million total coronavirus posts)

• Last Week: 0.03%

• Coronavirus stories/posts mentioning beef as part of all beef stories/posts

• Traditional Media: 23.08% (of 104,000 total beef stories)

• Last Week: 21.63%

• Social Media: 2.74% (of 1,760,000 total beef posts)

• Last Week: 0.82%

• As in past weeks, consumers are turning to feel-good stories and humor to mitigate stress, fear and anxiety caused by the pandemic. Consumer data is also showing that people are increasingly worried about how they will pay for food.