NCBA Has Several Priorities In 2023

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Cattle Industry Convention took place earlier this month down in New Orleans.  NCBA CEO Colin Woodall said it was an opportunity to do the business of NCBA.

“We have our policy committees that are meeting this week. They are producers who are appointed by their state cattlemen’s associations to be their representatives. We debate the issues, we decide where we want to be on different issues. And if it passes through those committees, our board directors and ultimately gets passed by every member of this association has a chance to vote on it, then it becomes our policy and that's what we take to Washington D.C. to be that advocate for our members.”

And the biggest topic of 2023 is the Farm Bill.

“The current farm bill expires on September 30 of this year, so we're about eight months away. That's a lot of work to do for Congress in eight months and history is not on their side," Woodall pointed out.  "History says that this thing will be extended at some point in time before it's finalized. But you know what, we are going to do everything we can to support Chairman Thompson and Chairwoman Stabenow and their effort to get it done.”

Woodall said NCBA’s priorities for the farm bill are pretty simple.

“We want to maintain funding for the Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine bank, this something that we got established in the last farm bill. We also want to make sure that programs like Environmental Quality Incentives Program stay well-funded. That is a very popular program among cattle producers. We spend a lot of time protecting the research dollars that are included in a farm bill. Research is so incredibly important for us to be able to become better at what we do. And we also want to make sure that the risk management programs for cow calf producers in particular are strong and affordable.”

Woodall said there’s many other conversations for NCBA members are focused on.

“Over regulation by our federal government is top of mind. The disease traceability rule, but we also have Waters of the United States, we had the proposal from the Securities and Exchange Commission to regulate greenhouse gases, an area where they have no expertise or no jurisdiction, but they're sticking their finger in that. And, of course, also what we're seeing with the Packers and Stockyards proposals that would just further dictate how producers can or cannot market their cattle."

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