NCBA News
National Cattlemen’s Foundation Accepting Applications for Beef Industry Scholarships. The National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF) is now accepting applications for the 20222023 CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship. Ten scholarships of $1,500 each will be awarded to outstanding students pursuing careers in the beef industry. Introduced in 1989 and sponsored by CME Group, the scholarship identifies and encourages talented students who play an important role in the future of food production. Students studying education, communication, production, research, or other areas related to the beef industry are eligible to apply for the annual scholarship program.
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“We are proud to partner with the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and NCBA to help advance education opportunities for these hardworking students,” said Managing Director of Agricultural Products at CME Group, Tim Andriesen. “Risk management plays a critical role in the agricultural industry and these scholarships help develop our future leaders and ensure the continued success of beef production in the United States.” Eligible applicants must be a graduating high school senior or full time undergraduate student enrolled at a two or four year institution. The application includes a one page letter expressing their career goals related to the beef industry and a 750 word essay describing an issue in the beef industry and offering solutions
The Carolina Cattle Connection q NOVEMBER 2021
to this problem. The applicant or a family member must be a member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The application deadline is November 12 at 1:00 EST. For more information and to apply, visit www.nationalcattlemensfoundation. org. Scholarship winners will be announced during the 2022 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Houston, Texas. Organized in 1972, NCF is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization providing charitable, scientific, and educational activities to benefit the cattle industry. NCBA Supports Additional USDA Funding for Beef Supply Chains. Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an additional $100 million investment into the food supply chain infrastructure. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) supports this step to prioritize the expansion of beef processing capacity and dedicate further resources to build a more resilient cattle industry. “Our number one goal at NBCA continues to be opening up new
opportunities for cattle producers to be profitable,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “The pandemic accentuated a number of vulnerabilities within our supply chains—chiefly the choke point at the meatpacking sector, which has resulted in unsustainable prices for cattle producers and increased the cost of beef for consumers. Today’s announcement is another step toward returning stability to the markets, and NCBA urges USDA to announce eligibility requirements and application instructions as quickly as possible.” The $100 million announced recently is in addition to the $500 million announced earlier this year. Background - In July 2021, Secretary Vilsack announced that USDA would invest over $500 million in federal funds to support food supply chains and simultaneously opened a public comment period to determine the most effective means of distributing these funds. NCBA submitted comments calling for federally guaranteed, low interest loans and grants to be distributed to small
