As we begin 2018 I believe the outlook for the independent processor and AAMP continues to be one of opportunity. Members I have spoken with continue to report strong sales and increasing numbers of opportunities to grow. I believe that there are still some obstacles we will face when it comes to regulatory issues, but I also feel that we will continue to have a more business-friendly atmosphere in the coming year. I have listed below some of the areas I feel will directly affect you in your business in the coming year.
1. The local food movement continues to be a great thing for our members as people continue to look to buy local and go to small butchers for their protein needs. They desire to know where their food comes from, and they’re feeling more comfortable buying from someone local they can talk with rather than a big store. Right or wrong, they feel they get a higher quality of meat or protein from the small processors versus the larger ones. This opportunity continues to grow because of the hard work you have put in to give customers a quality product at a good price; consumers see that and become repeat customers.