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 cattle markets to create conditions that support both a reliable, affordable supply of U.S. beef and the continued financial viability of American cattle farmers and ranchers.
“The roadblocks that are depressing profits for our cattle producers and endangering the steady supply of affordable beef have really captured the attention of lawmakers,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “The continued momentum we are seeing on expanding processing capacity, both on Capitol Hill and at USDA, is a positive sign. We look forward to continuing to work with members of the House Agriculture Committee to advance solutions like the Butcher Block Act that would alleviate some of the chokepoints that are hurting our producers.”
Cattle industry concerns have seen increased attention recently from both sides of the aisle as NCBA has advocated for commonsense solutions that address the most urgent challenges facing producers.