It’s been 11 months since it was first published and six months since the comment period ended, but it will be several more months yet before USDA makes a decision on the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule. “There were 66,000 comments, about 30,000 of which are unique,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told an agriculture committee meeting …
Beltway Beef Commentary
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has launched its first ever Beltway Beef audio program. The weekly commentary will feature NCBA members, leaders, staff and more. The talk is all policy all the time, honing in on critical issues inside the nation’s Beltway that have a direct impact on U.S. cattle ranchers across the country. This week you’ll hear Colin …
Lots of Trade Talking This Week
Since May is World Trade Month, you would think it would be a great time for Congress to pass those pesky pending Free Trade Agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama that have been awaiting approval for years. Several of the nation’s largest agricultural organizations who testified before the House Agriculture Committee this week on why it is so important to …
Speaking Up For Animal Agriculture
The past Chair of the Animal Agriculture Alliance is Dr. Elizabeth Parker, Chief Veterinarian, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Dr. Parker welcomed us all to the Stakeholders Summit of the Animal Agriculture Alliance and I caught up with her on our morning break. Dr. Parker says that when she took over as Chair for the Animal Agriculture Alliance her goal was …
Agriculture Excited About Colombia Free Trade News
It’s taken over four years to get to this point, but some action is finally happening on the Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) and U.S. agriculture interests are thrilled. President Obama announced today that an agreement has been reached on the deal that was signed by the U.S. Trade Representative and the Colombian trade minister on Nov. 22, 2006. The …
Congress Repeals Stupid 1099 Provision
Put this in the “who thought this was a good idea in the first place?” file. By a vote of 87-12, the U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to repeal the idiotic health care reform provision that would have required businesses to file a 1099 form with the IRS any time they spend more than $600 a year with another business, sending …
Ag Council Board Members Speak Out at Ag Day
During National Ag Day activities I visited with some big time supporters who are urging other companies and organizations to get involved. I’m going to share their thoughts with you here starting with Barry Nelson, John Deere, who is serving as Secretary/Treasurer for the Agriculture Council of America (pictured center). John Deere is one of the partner sponsors of Ag …
Beltway Beef Improving Cattle Communications
This week’s ZimmCast is with our good friend Mike Deering, Communications Director for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. We spent most of last week with Mike at the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Denver, but he was too busy to do an interview there so I had to catch up with him over the phone after we …
New NCBA Officers Excited About Cattle Industry Future
The 2011 Cattle Industry Convention wrapped up on Saturday in Denver for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) with a new slate of officers and a new vision for the future. The industry unanimously voted to approve the new Beef Industry Long Range Plan with a vision statement of “An industry united around a common goal of being the world’s …
NCBA Committees Address Tax and Environmental Issues
They say that nothing is sure in life except death and taxes, so you should be prepared for a combination of both in the end. Cliff Polk, estate planning specialist and founder and president of Rocky Mountain Financial Group, provdedd members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Tax and Credit policy committee meeting on Friday with an in depth …