Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Funding Drives Impactful Beef Research
The Florida Cattle Enhancement Board (FCEB) continues to play a vital role in advancing beef cattle research across the state, providing a level of support that sets it apart from many other state-funded research programs. This funding not only supports scientific innovation but also ensures that research remains closely tied to the practical needs of Florida’s cattle producers.
We spoke with Dr. Dean Pringle, Center Director for the North Florida Research and Education Center, to learn how FCEB funding impacts research within Florida’s cattle industry.
“First of all, I’d say it has a huge impact.
For no other reason just the size of the investment into the research programs within the state and other states have, you know, state checkoff programs and I was able to participate in that when I was at the University of Georgia, but it typically was pretty small awards, you know, maybe you could pay a graduate student out of it, but not nearly to the level of support that the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board is able to provide to the scientists and researchers, you know, here at the University of Florida.”
According to Dr. Pringle, one of the most valuable aspects of FCEB funding is its emphasis on applied beef cattle research, an area that can be difficult to fund through traditional research grants.
“I think one of the other really important aspects of the FCEB is being able to also support applied beef cattle research. Sometimes that’s a little challenging to find the support dollars for those applied types of projects out there and as we start to go after and chase money, sometimes we get directed in areas that are a little bit further removed from the real application of that research.”
This flexibility allows researchers to focus on projects that directly benefit producers.
“And so for the scientists being able to really focus in on those applied aspects of beef cattle research, I think is really important as well as part of that.
And then, you know, also being able to focus in on specific needs of the Florida cattle industry, I think is really, really important as well there.”
Beyond research outcomes, FCEB funding also supports the next generation of industry leaders through graduate education.
“And one of the things, the collateral benefit of the dollars that are invested into the research programs from the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board is the training of future leaders through the graduate programs and that is a huge benefit, I think, you know, to the industry as a whole and to the Florida industry as well.”
Through sustained investment in applied research and education, the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board continues to strengthen the long-term competitiveness and resilience of Florida’s cattle industry.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.