DATE:     10/10/00
CONTACT:  James Rathwell, (864) 656-3475; jrthwll@clemson.edu
WRITER:   Diane Palmer, (864) 656-4741; spalmer@clemson.edu
  
Beef producers marketing
school set for Oct. 22-25
  
     CLEMSON - The Southeast Beef Cattle Marketing School will 
be held Oct. 22-25 at the Madren Center on the Clemson University
campus.  
     The main objective of the school is to aid cattle producers 
in developing a marketing plan to meet the challenges of the new
century. 
     School topics will include setting marketing goals, developing 
a target price, analyzing market fundamentals, understanding the 
use of marketing tools like futures and options to manage risk, 
using marketing alliances to focus marketing efforts, and 
evaluating marketing strategies for 2001.
     "This school is designed to help cattle producers find a way 
to effectively participate in the industry's return to better 
bottom lines and bigger profit margins," said James Rathwell, 
Clemson Extension Service agricultural economist. 
     "We are very excited about this program," said Gene Cornett,
president of the South Carolina Cattlemen's Association. "Beef
producers can't continue to conduct business as usual. We've got 
to start focusing on marketing, see what consumers want and give 
that to them."
     The conference is a joint effort of Southeastern land grant
universities, the S.C. Cattlemen's Association, USDA and industry.
     The conference will be over 20 hours long and will include 
hands-on instruction and case studies. Seating is limited to 25.
     For more information on the school, contact James Rathwell,
(864) 656-3475.
                            END