A third generation Arizona rancher is working hard to leave his ranch land better than he found it for the next generation. The Jim O’Haco Cattle Company is this year’s winner of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association National Environmental Stewardship Award, presented during this year’s Cattle Industry Convention in Phoenix. O’Haco owns two ranches totaling nearly 90,000 acres. “We have …
Sustainability a Focus for Beef Supply Chain
Many of those gathered at this year’s Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show in Phoenix are working toward sustainability within the beef industry at all levels of the supply chain. “Sustainability, as defined by NCBA, is about producing safe and nutritious beef with economic viability, environmental stewardship and social responsibility,” said Dr. Sara Place, Sr. …
Cattlemen Release 2018 Policy Priorities
A number of topics are priorities for cattle producers in the coming year, beginning with the passage of a new Farm Bill. “Everybody is trying to push completion of the Farm Bill before the current one expires, and we are no different,” said Colin Woodall, senior vice president of government affairs with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “We want to …
CattleFax Predicts Large Supply and Strong Demand in 2018
It appears strong demand will continue to support the cattle industry in the coming year, even though the supply continues to grow. “The cattle cycle is pretty well on track,” said Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax. “We saw the USDA numbers released yesterday that indicated the herd expanded again in 2017. We expected that would be the case. But it …
Report Outlines Animal ID & Traceability Recommendations
A key report regarding U.S. beef cattle identification and traceability systems was released this week and the Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trade Show in Phoenix. Developed by World Perspectives, Inc., the report contains conclusions and recommendations based on surveys and interviews with industry stakeholders as well as other research. “I think a few things emerged from …
NCBA President Reflects on 2017
During his time as president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Craig Uden has had the opportunity to see a lot of cattle country and meet with many producers like himself. He believes the grassroots nature of the organization continues to be one of its most important attributes. “These challenges that come from these states are the backbone of why …
#CattleCon18 Kicks Off in Phoenix
The 2018 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show is underway and cattlemen and women are ready to Blaze a Trail in Phoenix, Arizona. We caught up with NCBA CEO Kendal Frazier to talk about the convention and what draws producers to the event year after year. “We are going to have a big crowd here in Phoenix. We expect …
Proposed Rule to Modernize Swine Inspection
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced its continued effort to modernize inspection systems through science-based approaches to food safety. USDA is proposing to amend the federal meat inspection regulations to establish a new voluntary inspection system for market hog slaughter establishments called the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS), while also requiring additional pathogen sampling for all …
New Coalition Advocates For NAFTA Preservation
More than 30 organizations have joined to form Americans for Farmers & Families (AFF), a coalition dedicated to preserving and modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by educating political leaders about its importance to agriculture. The groups represent growers, refiners, producers, transporters, retailers and consumers, including major industry organizations such as American Farm Bureau, Corn Refiners Association, National …
Cattlemen Kick Off Campaign to Prevent Regulation
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) kicked off a media campaign aimed at spotlighting and correcting a recent court decision that will require livestock producers to comply with laws that are only meant to apply to highly toxic Superfund sites. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) was enacted to provide for cleanup of the worst industrial chemical …