Cattle Producers Gather at CattleCon 2026
NCBA President-Elect Gene Copenhaver (NCBA photo)
NCBA President-Elect Gene Copenhaver of Virginia says there is a lot of excitement in the industry right now after some big wins. “I think maybe the biggest one that happened was recently with dietary guidelines, you know, not only putting proteins, beef and pork and other good proteins back in the pyramid, but turning the pyramid upside down,” said Copernaver.
Cattlemen will get to hear from the Trump administration official most responsible for that food pyramid change tomorrow at CattleCon when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will join National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Buck Wehrbein for a fireside chat to talk national nutrition priorities and the recently released Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
CattleCon 2026 has some new activities this year including “Next Generation Day” and the Emerging Leaders event on Thursday, as well as a “Career Crawl” with companies at the NCBA Trade Show to explore internships, job openings and career opportunities while engaging in meaningful conversations with agriculture professionals.
Copenhaver says it is critical right now for the industry to look ahead ti the next generation. We have a smart, innovative technology-wise generation coming forward,” he said. “And I think we have to develop more tools as an association in the industry for them to come in. And the transition part, we got to get some tools for the older generation and make it easier for them to be able to move out the operation to them and not be so hard on them tax wise or otherwise.”
Former Industry Leaders Warn of Farm Crisis
A bipartisan group of former leaders of America’s major agricultural commodity associations and biofuels organizations, farmer leaders, and former senior USDA officials, sent a letter to Congress this week sounding the alarm about the current state of the farm economy and the potential for “widespread collapse of American agriculture.”
In a letter released today to the leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, twenty-seven former agricultural executives and officials with decades of experience detailed how current Administration policies have harmed the farm economy and the need to take substantial action. The signatories include past presidents and CEOs of the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Pork Producers Council, National Barley Growers Association, National Milk Producers Federation, US Grains Council, and Renewable Fuels Association, past Directors of the Illinois and Nebraska Departments of Agriculture, and other farm leaders and senior agricultural policy experts.
Among the letter signatories are former presidents of NCGA Harold Wolfe and Pam Johnson, past NCGA CEO Jon Doggett, former RFA chair Randy Doyal, and past RFA CEO Bob Dinneen.
“First and foremost, what we want to do is to start a conversation,” said Dinneen. “Let’s focus on the solutions. We outline what we think some of them might be, but we don’t have all the answers. Let’s figure that out. The bottom line is we’re in a perilous state, and we say that without hyperbole or exaggeration. It is perilous. We need to figure it out.”
Dinneen says the group offered nine actions that can be taken to help restore the farm economy. “Let’s end the tariffs on farm inputs. Let’s try to open up markets elsewhere. Let’s stop some of the chaotic trade policies that are out there. But there’s more than that. We think even on biofuels, there are things that can be done, and Congress has been irresponsible in not addressing the things that they could be doing to increase biofuel demand. Let’s get E15 year-round done once and for all.”
Read the letter to Congress and learn more in this interview with Dinneen.
Interview with Bob Dinneen (14:39)
Animal Ag News 2/3
NCBA Announces Policy Priorities at CattleCon 2026
NCBA’s Ethan Lane provides DC Update at CattleCon 26
NCBA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane says producers are enjoying high prices right now but that comes with challenges. “It’s time to figure out where we go from here, right?.. And this is the meeting where that policy process really kicks off so that there can be some real discussions about how to make things work better, how to close some open gates, how to make sure that we’re putting that government affairs horsepower from NCBA on the target, where it needs to be to make sure that we’re making it easier for producers to sustain that run, make sure that we’re rebuilding the herd in a responsible way and creating that stable environment, especially for young producers that are looking for that entry point into the supply chain and don’t necessarily have an operation to inherit,” said Lane.
NCBA’s policy priorities for 2026 include:
– Continue to press the administration to roll back harmful regulations to keep working lands working.
– Enhance and strengthen U.S. mitigation measures against the incursion of New World Screwworm.
– Protect the U.S. cattle herd from foreign animal diseases and pests through heightened awareness and preparedness actions.
– Expand market access for U.S. beef exports and hold trade partners accountable to ensure equivalent animal health and food safety standards for imported beef.
– Promote scienced-based nutrition policies and sound, fact-based information for consumers.
– Push for further hours-of-service flexibility, increased truck weights, and continue delaying ELD requirements for livestock haulers.
– Safeguard the U.S cattle and beef supply chain by working with the administration to ensure there is a strong workforce to limit processing disruptions for producers.
Learn more in this interview.
CattleCon Interview with Ethan Lane, NCBA (7:43)
Industry Ag News 1/30
Saski Receives Cotton Genetics Research Award
Dr. Christopher Saski (L) receives award at 2026 Beltwide Cotton Conferences
Over his career, Dr. Saski has authored or co-authored 126 scientific journal articles and has a patent pending for his team’s work related to an improved transformation and regeneration system for upland cotton. Dr. Saski’s program is guided by the theme, “Building Better Cotton,” and his accomplishments speak to that. Dr. Saski developed strong relationships with public and private breeders and led a Beltwide collaboration to rapidly address FOV4 with three prominent manuscripts and the public release of six highly resistant FOV4 upland lines. Dr. Saski has also contributed significantly to the development of genomic resources that currently enable cotton improvement.
The Cotton Genetics Research Award was established in 1961 to recognize and encourage basic research in cotton genetics, cytogenetics, and breeding. It is administered by the Joint Cotton Breeding Committee, consisting of representatives of the NCC, the USDA, state experiment stations, Cotton Incorporated, and commercial breeders.
U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Appoints Co-Directors
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has announced the appointment of Marjory Walker and Liz Hershfield as co-directors to accelerate the program’s growth by advancing market adoption, developing new market-driven offerings, and fostering greater collaboration across the entire cotton value chain.
Walker and Hershfield will oversee distinct but complementary pillars of the program. Walker will lead the operational and programmatic framework, providing strategic oversight for the Standards & Assurance, Field Programs, Communications & Marketing, and Operations teams. She will be responsible for ensuring the integrity of the Trust Protocol’s verification process and evolving its standards to incorporate regenerative practices, while advancing its mission through risk mitigation, clear messaging and stakeholder engagement. Concurrently, Hershfield will lead the Trust Protocol’s global market development and supply chain teams, overseeing traceability systems, operations, training, and assurance to ensure integrity and member adherence across the supply chain, deepening engagement with mills, manufacturers, brands, and retailers, and connecting sustainability outcomes with enhanced value for members.
In addition to their new Cotton Trust Protocol roles, Walker will continue to serve as Vice President of Council Operations and Director of Communications for the National Cotton Council (NCC), while Hershfield will remain the Executive Director of Cotton Council International (CCI), the export and promotion arm of NCC.
Walker recently gave an update on the protocol program, which celebrated five years in 2025.
Marjory Walker, Cotton Trust Protocol - interview 3:44
Western Ag Network and Ag Information Network Announce Merger
Western Ag Network (WAN) and Ag Information Network (AIN) announced a strategic merger this week under Nemetz Communications, Inc., bringing together two respected agricultural media organizations to create a comprehensive ag broadcast platform focused in the West and Southeast.
“This merger reflects a shared commitment to elevate the accessibility and depth of agricultural information across the West and beyond,” said Russell Nemetz, President/Owner of Nemetz Communications, Inc. “We’re combining the strengths of two respected networks to create a stronger, more connected platform—without losing the authenticity and credibility our audiences expect.”
With more than 200 radio affiliates across 17 states and a combined legacy of trusted agricultural journalism, the unified network offers an expanded, streamlined, and highly efficient channel for delivering agricultural news, market reporting, and industry insights to producers, communities, and national agribusiness partners alike.
WAN, originally founded as the Evan Slack Network, has long served as a cornerstone of agricultural reporting across the West. AIN brings decades of authoritative regional programming and deep relationships within specialty crop sectors. Together, the two networks combine complementary strengths to serve a broader and more diverse agricultural landscape.
Together, WAN and AIN now deliver agricultural news, markets, weather, and rodeo coverage to more than 200 affiliates across Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Cropin Launches AI-first Agrifood ‘Ecosystem’
Cropin, the world’s largest deployed AI platform for food and agriculture, has launched a unique agrifood ‘ecosystem’ connecting agriculture and the digital world by combining data from the field onwards with artificial intelligence.
Cropin founder Krishna Kumar says Cropin Ecosystem will provide a plug-and-play model to help agri-food businesses at every stage in the chain better navigate the complex challenges of data interoperability, climate-change risks, supply chain disruptions and geopolitical uncertainties.
“These pressures are affecting the availability of fresh produce and agricultural commodities, operational margins, pricing strategies, growth opportunities and the ability to meet rising customer demand for sustainably produced food, all while complying with evolving traceability and sustainability regulations,” he points out.
The culmination of partnerships that Cropin has facilitated through its existing platforms, the system draws its inspiration from the Silicon Valley convergence model, uniting leading technology providers, strategic consulting, ERP integrations and satellite and weather intelligence partners into a single, intelligent platform that guarantees surety of supply and builds resilience across the food chain.
Cropin points to the model not only enabling businesses to focus on their core operations with confidence – with Cropin Ecosystem managing the complexity of upstream agricultural processes and supply chain uncertainties – but also offering customers the rich content, knowledge and services of technology and domain experts.
Find out more here: https://www.cropin.com/cropin-ecosystem/