American Braunvieh Association News

Happy Hour with Buzz Brainard, will emcee convention events. Brainard is a familiar face in Nashville, and his voice is well known on SiriusXM radio, Animal Planet, and the Discovery Channel.

The Opening Session on August 10, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, will kick things off with country music singer and songwriter Kix Brooks. Brooks, who was recently recognized as the National On-Air Personality of the Year by the Academy of Country Music, will talk about his experiences in country music as well as his passion for creating award winning wines.

CattleFax will present its U.S. and Global Protein and Grain Outlook Seminar on August 11, exploring factors driving the market, and Dr. Art Douglas will discuss evolving weather patterns and provide a weather forecast for the United States and the world. This session is sponsored by Zoetis and Purina Feeds, LLC.

The final day of convention includes two general sessions featuring a panel discussion on sustainability, sponsored by Roto-Mix, LLC. Sustainability continues to be a hot topic, with environmental stewardship often making the headlines, but economic viability and social responsibility play roles as well. Session speakers will discuss how the cattle industry offers solutions to the climate change conversation.

The Closing General Session on August 12 celebrates the industry’s Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program. In addition to honoring recipients of the BQA Awards, sponsored by Cargill, the session features speaker Jason Brown, a former professional football player who turned in his cleats for a tractor. Brown left the NFL to serve others through farming, and he will talk about his life changing journey from the football field to the vegetable field.

Additional educational opportunities can be found throughout the three days, including the Learning Lounge, which offers “lightning sessions” on the trade show floor providing busy attendees valuable educational tips. The Stockmanship and Stewardship demonstration arena provides unique educational experiences featuring sessions on adding value to calves at sale time and horseback handling to improve the bottom line. And, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association “State of the Industry” session, which will be held in the general session room, will feature CEO Colin Woodall, and Vice President of Government Affairs, Ethan Lane, discussing the current climate in Washington.

For those arriving early, Cattlemen’s College, sponsored by Zoetis, will highlight cutting edge topics and top industry leaders, such as Tuesday’s keynote speaker, Dr. Jayson Lusk from Purdue University, who will discuss industry impacts from COVID-19 and keeping beef at the center of the plate.

“Nashville is open for business, and we look forward to seeing everyone in person this August,” says Torres.

While the 2021 Cattle Industry Convention is being held in person, a virtual option is available for those who can’t attend. The CattleCon Remix ticket provides live streaming of all general sessions as well as on demand options for other educational events. For more information and to register and reserve housing, visit www.convention.ncba.org.

NCBA Joins Dialogue with Secretary Vilsack on Build Back Better Initiative. NCBA recently joined an agriculture industry call with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Vilsack to discuss the path forward for the recently announced $4 billion Build Back Better initiative.

During the coalition call, there was a productive, positive dialogue on how funds could best be utilized to strengthen the security of the beef supply chain and increase opportunities for profitability for all sectors of the cattle industry.

In yesterday’s announcement, USDA outlined four areas of focus for the program — food production, food processing, aggregation and distribution, and consumers and markets. The prevailing theme on the call was processing capacity, and Secretary Vilsack specifically cited the urgent need to expand capacity in the cattle and beef industry.

“I’m extremely optimistic about the priorities Secretary Vilsack expressed, and the targeted interest he and his team have shown in improving business conditions for cattle producers,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “The fact that the focus of his comments was on processing capacity signals that the Build Back Better initiative could be directly beneficial for NCBA members. We discussed new local and regional processing facilities, bringing federal inspection within reach for more state inspected facilities, and maintaining open, transparent markets. A nimble, durable beef supply chain is good for cattle producers and consumers alike, and NCBA looks forward to working with Secretary Vilsack and his team as they build out these resources for producers.”

Woodall also reiterated to Secretary Vilsack that demand for U.S. beef is high and cattle supply is high, but the chokepoint in the middle — caused by a lack of hook space — has stifled producer profitability and created unsustainable market dynamics.

NCBA Takes Action to Increase Producer Profitability Through USDA Verified Labels. NCBA recently filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) to eliminate the use of “Product of the USA” (POTUSA) and other broad U.S. origin labeling claims for beef products that are potentially misleading to consumers.

NCBA believes that current “Product of the USA” labels are a disservice to American consumers and cattle producers alike. The claim implies that a beef product is entirely of U.S. origin. However, in reality, imported beef products are eligible to be labeled “Product of the USA” as long as the product has been minimally processed or repackaged in a USDA inspected facility. It is not subject to source verification, is not tied to any kind of food safety standard, and is applied by packers and retailers in a manner that does not deliver value back to the cattle producer.

“The Product of the USA label does not meet the expectations of today’s consumers and disincentivizes the use of voluntary, source verified claims that allow cattle and beef producers to more effectively distinguish their product in the marketplace,” said NCBA President Jerry Bohn. “There is a growing desire among consumers to know more about the origin of the food they purchase, and it is critical that producers are empowered with opportunities to market their high quality beef in a way that allows them to differentiate the source of their product from competitors and potentially increase profitability.”

For many years, NCBA has supported voluntary efforts which provide producers the opportunity to capture more value through origin labels and corresponding marketing initiatives that are voluntary and source verified. In lieu of the “Product of the USA” label, NCBA is advocating for a more appropriate generic label, such as “Processed in the USA.” Further, NCBA hopes to work with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to proactively educate cattle producers, processors, and retailers about the various opportunities

NEWS

Braunvieh Association of America Joins IGS. The Braunvieh Association of American (BAA) has become a member of the International Genetic Solutions (IGS), a cooperative of more than 19 breed associations around the world that work together to provide the largest multibreed genetic evaluation in the world.

With approaching 20 million animals in the IGS database, the BAA and other IGS partners have a stronger genetic evaluation than any singular breed could have alone. This multi-breed model gives producers stronger EPDs that help breeders and their customers make confident selection decisions.

“This is a monumental moment for the Braunvieh breed, and something we have worked hard to achieve since IGS inception,” says Robert Williams, President of the BAA. Joining IGS “makes a statement to the rest of the industry that Braunvieh is serious about being a factor in the beef industry.”

With this transition, breeders can expect to see increased frequency of calculations in EPDs, amplified EPD accuracies, and EPD value adjustments in line with the multi-breed database. IGS EPDs will now be updated weekly and be part of the beef power IGS is building.

Williams adds, “Braunvieh has a lot to offer the beef industry, and IGS is a tool we can use to prove that point.”

IGS collectively provides user friendly and science based genetic predictions to enhance the profitability of beef cattle producers. The Braunvieh Association is committed to utilizing these advancements now and in the future.

About the Braunvieh Association of America. The mission of BBA is to support and encourage the use of Braunvieh genetics in the global beef industry by maintaining the integrity of the Braunvieh Association of America herd book, equipping members with information and selection tools necessary to compete, expanding opportunities for members to attract and service customers, and fostering interaction among members. To learn more, contact the ASA office or visit www.braunvieh.org.

that exist to develop voluntary, verifiable origin marketing claims that deliver tangible benefits to cattle producers without violating rules of trade.

The voluntary labels that NCBA supports represent investments made by producers to continually improve their product and meet consumer demand. Marketing through source verification will provide a more accurate and truthful description of the product, which will reduce the potential for consumer confusion while increasing the ability for cattle producers to capture additional premiums for their product.

Background - In 2019, NCBA established the Transparency in Labeling Working Group to investigate producer concerns about the “Product of the USA” label. After several months of investigation, research, and discussion, the producer-led working group recommended new policy for NCBA to address these concerns. NCBA producer members approved the policy in 2020, strengthening NCBA’s support for the use of voluntary source of origin claims and USDA verification of any source of origin claim or label. Moving forward, NCBA’s policy team will work with USDA to ensure origin claims and source labels can only be used if they are from voluntary and verified programs.

NCBA Delivers Progress on Backend 150 Air-Mile Exemption for Livestock Haulers. NCBA recently delivered progress on much-needed regulatory flexibility for livestock haulers. The addition of the backend 150 air-mile exemption from hours-of-service (HOS), crucial language pulled from the HAULS Act, was agreed to by Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) in the Senate Commerce Committee and adopted into the larger Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021 by a bipartisan vote.

NCBA spearheaded the introduction of the larger HAULS Act in both the Senate and House this spring and worked hard to get the backend 150 airmile exemption included in the Surface Transportation Investment Act that will be sent to the Senate floor.

Livestock haulers are a critical part of the supply chain keeping grocery stores stocked with high quality U.S. beef. The upheaval of the pandemic and ongoing market volatility has only underscored the need for further flexibility in livestock hauling regulations to keep the supply chain strong.

“When one-size-fits-all government regulations fail to account for expertise on the ground, livestock haulers are put in the impossible position of either complying with regulations or doing what they know is best for the humane and safe transportation of live animals,” said NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Allison Rivera. “We strongly support this bipartisan, commonsense effort to give livestock haulers the flexibility they need to maintain the highest level of safety for drivers on the roads, transport livestock humanely, and ensure grocery stores remain stocked with beef. We thank Senator Fischer, Senator Tester, Senator Cantwell, and Senator Wicker for their leadership on this legislation, and we will continue working with Members of Congress to move this language across the finish line.”

Background - Current hours-ofservice (HOS) rules allow for 11 hours of drive time, 14 hours of on -duty time, and then require ten consecutive hours of rest. When transporting livestock, there is a real need for further flexibility beyond the current hours-of-service. Unlike drivers moving consumer goods, livestock haulers cannot simply idle or unload their trucks when drive time hours run out without jeopardizing animal health and welfare. The HAULS Act language adopted into the Surface Transportation Act would add a 150 air-mile radius exemption under HOS regulations to the backend of hauls for those transporting livestock.

NCBA is working with Members of Congress from across the country to ensure that any infrastructure and transportation spending bills reflect the unique needs of rural communities and cattle producers.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, NCBA successfully fought every month for a renewed emergency declaration which provides an exemption from hours-of-service for livestock haulers, while also working with Congress to maintain the ELD delay for livestock haulers until September 30.

NCBA-Won Funds Going Toward USDA Grants for Small, Independent Processors. Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the creation of two new, competitive grant funding opportunities for small, regional, and independent meat processors using funds NCBA worked to secure at the end of last year. After fighting hard for several key priorities for cattle producers in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, NCBA praised USDA for putting $55.2 million of those funds toward the critical need for greater beef processing capacity.

The competitive grant funding will be available through the new Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG) program. The funds will support small beef processing facilities making the improvements necessary to achieve a Federal Grant of Inspection or to operate under their state’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program. The structure of the program is notably similar to the RAMP UP Act, language that NCBA worked hard to get included in the appropriations bill that is now funding USDA’s efforts.

“The chokepoint created by a lack of processing capacity is directly harming our producers and their ability to capture higher value for their product. NCBA has been engaging aggressively on this issue and we’re gratified to see the funds we fought to secure in December now going toward a top priority need in our industry,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “NCBA leadership has spoken directly with Secretary Vilsack about the need for more capacity in local and regional facilities, and we’ve been encouraged by the Secretary’s attention to this problem. This grant money will help ensure that we’re not just making big plants bigger, but actually expanding capacity in those smaller, independent facilities that our producers need as well.”

Applications for funding must be submitted online at www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. EDT on August 2.

The supply of cattle and the demand for U.S. beef are both strong. Still, the bottleneck in the middle caused by a lack of hook space has stifled producer profitability and created unsustainable market dynamics. On an agriculture industry call earlier this month, Secretary Vilsack underscored greater processing capacity as a key component of USDA’s $4 billion Build Back Better Initiative. On the call, NCBA CEO Colin Woodall and Secretary Vilsack discussed the need to bring federal inspection within reach for more facilities, which directly ties to the grants.

About the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. NCBA has represented America’s cattle producers since 1898, preserving the heritage and strength of the industry through education and public policy. As the largest association of cattle producers, NCBA works to create new markets and increase demand for beef. Efforts are made possible through membership contributions. To join, contact NCBA at 866-BEEF-USA or membership@beef.org.

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