The U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing Wednesday to examine urgent challenges within the beef supply chain. After hearing testimony from agriculture economists, land-grant university faculty, and cattle industry stakeholders, many members of Congress echoed the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association‘s (NCBA) longstanding call to expand processing capacity. Members also noted the need for greater transparency in …
Program Increases Beef Quality and Consumer Confidence
As the Beef Checkoff celebrates its 35th anniversary, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) highlights the successful promotion and research programs that drive the demand for beef. The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program has improved beef quality and increased consumer confidence for more than 30 years. Managed by NCBA, the Checkoff-funded voluntary BQA program ensures U.S. beef is produced under stringent animal …
Navigable Waters Protection Rule Challenge Dismissed
Back in May, various environmental groups asked a federal court to vacate the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) enacted during the Trump Administration. The motion, filed in a South Carolina U.S. District Court, asked the court to vacate the rule based on what they call undisputed facts, including what they say has been lost protection for U.S. waters. But last …
NCBA Working to Change Fresh Beef Labels
Late last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a top-to-bottom review of the “Product of the USA” label. It was move that pleased the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), as they have long-advocated for voluntary labels that meet consumer demand. NCBA Senior Director of International Trade and Market Access, Kent Bacus, explains how they are working to change fresh beef labels.
NCBA Region 2 VP on Issues of Importance to Southeast Producers
Various issues continue to keep cattle producers concerned, and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is very involved in each and every one of them. But a few of those are specific to producers here in the Southeast, something that Fred Smith from Clayton, North Carolina is very aware of. Smith serves on the NCBA Executive Committee as Policy Vice President for …
NCBA President Discusses “Product of the USA” at FCA Convention
The 2021 Florida Cattlemen’s Association Convention has been taking place this week in Marco Island, Florida and one person attending is National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President, Jerry Bohn. NCBA recently filed a petition with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to eliminate the use of “Product of the USA” (POTUSA) and other broad U.S. origin labeling claims for beef products that are …
NCBA Takes Action to Increase Producer Profitability
Last week, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) to eliminate the use of “Product of the USA” (POTUSA) and other broad U.S. origin labeling claims for beef products that are potentially misleading to consumers. NCBA believes that current “Product of the USA” labels are a disservice to …
Cattle Market Legislation Introduced in U.S. House
For quite some time, cattle producers have seen the decline of a negotiated fed cattle trade, an issue the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has been discussing on how to increase opportunities for producer profitability. This week, Representative Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-4) introduced the Optimizing the Cattle Market Act of 2021 in the U.S. House of Representatives. If enacted, the bill would direct …
NCBA Pushes Congress to Address Areas of Concern
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), with the support of 37 affiliate state cattle organizations, sent a letter this week to the leadership of the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committees urging them to address critical areas of concern in the cattle and beef industry. Specifically, NCBA pushed Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Rep. David Scott (D-GA-13), and Rep. …
Recognizing the Importance of the Beef Cattle Industry to Corn
May is National Beef Month, and according to the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) there’s no better way to celebrate than to recognize their largest animal ag customer and throw a sirloin on the grill this holiday weekend. According to NCGA, one out of four bushels of added corn demand is due to beef and pork exports. With such demand, NCGA recognizes the …