Members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) passed a directive to continue advocating for transparent labeling and inspection of cell-cultured protein products. While NCBA President Todd Wilkinson says cattle producers aren’t afraid of competition, he knows that consumers will continue choosing real high-quality beef over cell-cultured imitations. “Our priority is ensuring that consumers know the difference between real beef and cell-cultured …
NCBA President Hits Back at Animal Rights Activists and Policymakers Attacking the Beef Checkoff
(NCBA/WASHINGTON, D. C./July 26, 2023) — Today, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Todd Wilkinson, a South Dakota cattle producer, responded to attacks on the Beef Checkoff and NCBA from animal rights activists and their allies in Congress: “As a cattle producer, I know what it means to work hard for every dollar, and I am proud to invest my money …
Spartz Ag Appropriations Amendment Ignites Checkoff Debate
The cattle industry is speaking out against a proposed amendment to the ag appropriations bill, and the Representative behind the amendment is firing back. Introduced by Indiana Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05), the amendment states that none of the funds made available by the bill may be used to carry out commodity checkoff programs. Vice President of Government Affairs with the …
Legislation Would Exempt Farms from Emission Reporting
Last week, a group of lawmakers introduced legislation to exclude reporting of routine emissions from livestock farms to state and local emergency response authorities. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) supports the legislation. Pork producers and other livestock industries have engaged with federal and state regulators for decades over permitting and reporting of air emissions. This engagement has included both …
Manure Recycling on the Farm
It’s another type of recycling on the farm. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Farmers who utilize manure as a fertilizer mostly get the aromatic livestock byproduct from their own operations. New data from USDA’s Economic Research Service shows most manure applied to U.S. cropland, 78 percent, comes from animals raised on the same operation. Meanwhile, 14 percent …
NCBA Urges Opposition to Spartz Ag Appropriations Amendment
The cattle industry is speaking out against a proposed amendment to the ag appropriations bill. Introduced by Indiana Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05), the amendment states that none of the funds made available by the bill may be used to carry out commodity checkoff programs. Vice President of Government Affairs with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Ethan Lane, says it …
USMEF Attending Cattle Industry Summer Business Meetings
Cattle producers from across the nation are in San Diego this week for the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meetings. One key focus of the conference will be industry efforts to bolster global demand for U.S. beef, which these efforts are funded in part by the Beef Checkoff Program and USDA market development programs. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO …
U.S. Cattle Inventory Down 3 Percent, Cattle on Feed Down 2 Percent
Two big reports were released this past Friday afternoon by USDA Economics, Statistics and Market Information System. One was the bi-annual Cattle Inventory Report, where USDA says all cows and heifers that have calved totaled 38.8 million head. That is down 3 percent compared to July 1, 2022. The other was the monthly Cattle on Feed Report which shows the number of cattle …
Beef Cattle Prices Rising and Expected to Keep Rising in 2024
Steer prices are rising higher than expected this year, but will they cool off in 2024? Gary Crawford has a story helping to answer that question. USDA Outlook Chairman Mark Jekanowski has the latest forecast for this year’s beef production. Sponsored ContentFlorida Senator Shares Origins of Florida Cattle Enhancement BoardNovember 14, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 8, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board …
United States Again a Top Beef Supplier to Japan
The United States is again a top supplier of beef to Japan, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service. U.S. market share collapsed in 2004 after a single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly referred to as “mad cow disease,” was detected in a cow shipped from Canada to the United States. In response, Japan placed an embargo on all U.S. …