AgWired

The political needs of cattle producers across the country may seem like a no brainer for many, but they are not well known or well supported by enough current senators. That is why it is so important for the beef industry to have representation on the Hill. And that’s why the Political Action Committee (PAC) plays such an important role for the industry.

Phil Hardy is the chair of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Political Action Committee (PAC) and he educated me on what the mission of the PAC is. “What we try to do is raise money so that we can elect people who understand and appreciate our business and our needs.”

Hardy said the PAC’s goal is to raise $1 million per election cycle, which equates to $500,000 a year. “Our goal in the 2012 election year is to hopefully elect enough more conservative senators that we’ll have the majority in the Senate who understand our business and appreciate and support our issues,” explained Hardy.

He said that today we have a conservative body in the House and would like to maintain the general make-up of the House. However, although the industry has gained some seats in the Senate, more support is needed. The PAC committee is hoping that more pro-cattle senators are elected in the 2012 election.

The fundraising campaign is well underway and thousands of dollars were raised during the Cattle Industry Summer Conference 2011 in Florida last week. But much, much more is needed. Hardy said each person who sends in money – from $1 to $25,000 plus – is credited for their contributions. Those interested can find information on the new NCBA website at www.beefusa.org.

Listen to my interview with Phil Hardy here: PAC Fundraising Campaign Underway

Photos from the conference are posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album.

The Cattle Industry Summer Conference 2011 might have officially ended last Thursday afternoon, but the work for most is just ramping up. I had a chance to speak with Rod Nulik, who is the chair of the Allied Industry Council group, to discuss some of the issues they would be focused on in the coming months. Nulik explained that the members of the council are stakeholders from the feed and animal health industry along with any other group that contributes to keeping beef moving forward.

Nulik noted that the industry has some distractors out there so the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is doing a great job of understanding what the issues are and making sure it is gathering relevant information and disseminating that among its members. He said one important thing the Council has been working on is understanding consumer’s ideas about beef and understanding what they’re hearing from the media. The Council works with NCBA to ensure that proper messages and materials are developed and that the industry is defending itself with sound science.

One issue in particular that seems to pop up quite frequently in the media is beef safety. Nulik said the best way they’ve addressed concerns is through the research done by the Beef Checkoff Program. He said the organization is able to measure what they’re getting done and monitoring how safe beef actually is and making sure they’re getting the information to those producers so that they keep a safe product out there.

Nulik also stressed that beef safety goes beyond the producer. It is also important to educate consumers about how to prepare beef to avert any kind of safety issue that could arise. He added that ultimately, what their research shows is that, “we have the safest food product on the planet.”

Listen to my interview with Rod Nulik here: Focus on Market Research

Photos from the conference are posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album.