YEAR-ROUND NUTRITION STARTS WITH RAGLAND

When forage alone is not enough, Ragland has your back with high-quality bagged and block supplements to help fight every threat your herd faces, from swarming flies and pests to protein gaps and magnesium-deficient grass.

SWEET MAG

Highly-palatable formula proven to counteract magnesium deficiency in forage.

IGR FLY CURB WITH ALTOSID

Palatable larvicide prevents fly and mosquito reproduction in manure.

BLOCK ’EM WITH CLARIFLY®

Convenient block prevents reproduction of 4 common flies in manure of treated cattle and horses. With GARLIC.

RABON BLOCKS

Proven-effective block eliminates horn, face, house & stable fly larvae in manure of treated cattle and horses.

BREEDER MAX 8%

Supports strong conception rates and milk production for new calves.

Celebrating 125 Years

Continued from page 4

As the 1940s rolled in, the Korean War impacted beef supply, demand, the black market and price controls. This and drought led to the “Great Beef Bust” of 1953. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, there were many discussions about the need for national legislation that would support beef producers and beef consumption. The Beef Industry Council (BIC) of the National Live Stock and Meat Board was formed in 1963 to build beef demand. Later, in 1986, the Beef Promotion and Research Act was passed and began the national Beef Checkoff, where $1 of every beef animal sold is collected for research and promotion.

In 1977, the second big merger of the national association occurred between the American National Cattlemen’s Association and the National Livestock Feeder’s Association. Thus, the National Cattlemen’s Association (NCA) was born.

THE FIRST BEEF QUALITY AUDIT WAS CONDUCTED IN 1991 AND TAKES PLACE EVERY 5 YEARS.

The late 1980s and early 1990s saw activist groups pick up steam in the U.S., especially with the EU ban on U.S. beef from hormone-implanted cattle in 1989. Activist groups and consumer misconceptions were a primary focus of NCA. The shift in consumer perspective was a surprise to cattlemen and women who had fostered healthy soils and grasslands for decades with the intention of their children and grandchildren doing the same. NCA focused on programs geared toward environmental stewardship, food safety and animal welfare. At the time, NCA and the Beef Industry Council of the Meat Board were contractors with the Checkoff’s governing body to conduct promotion, market research, and consumer and producer communication. However, there were growing discussions amongst cattle industry members and leadership that the industry would be stronger together. The idea to combine the Beef Industry Council and NCA was proposed in order to increase consumer education and drive beef demand. In 1996, the third and final merger of this organization took place. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) was established and has continued the legacy as the leading voice of U.S. cattle producers.

END OF THE NATIONAL CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION AND THE BEGINNING OF A NEW, BROADER ASSOCIATION!

At the 1996 Convention in San Antonio, delegates debated for two hours, then voted to terminate NCA and become part of the expanded National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Members used pink cards to vote. In the new NCBA, members of the Board of Governors vote with three colors of cards: red for the Policy Division, white for the Checkoff Division, and blue for the Beef Board.

Leadership Of The Newly Formed Ncba In 1996

BY 1996, 81% OF TOTAL U.S. SLAUGHTER

WAS GIVEN A USDA QUALITY

GRADE.

Since 1996, NCBA and its membership have led the U.S. beef industry to many victories and through many challenges. NCBA led the charge to increase market opportunities for producers in the U.S. and abroad through trade agreements with Mexico, Canada, China and Japan. The association fought for financial relief for producers in all segments of the industry during one of the world’s largest health and economic disasters with the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

“I am confident that NCBA will continue to have strong leadership that works to forge strong relations with all ag trade groups,” said NCBA President Don Schiefelbein. “I fully expect that 25 years from now, NCBA will have even more influence than it does today if it continues to draw from our members’ grassroots ability to do the right thing for the consumer.”

According to Mike John, long time cattle producer and past Membership Committee chair, celebrating NCBA’s 125th anniversary demonstrates the resiliency not only of NCBA, but also of the cattle industry. NCBA members have a commitment to family values and traditions, which can be seen as multiple generations continue to be a part of this association.

NCBA continues to share with consumers and thought leaders that U.S. beef farmers and ranchers have been dedicated to social, economic and environmental sustainability for decades. As a result, the U.S. produces the most sustainable beef in the world. Farmers and ranchers are committed to continued improvement and innovation and to producing high-quality beef for generations to come.

New Leadership, NCBA officers for 1996. (from left) President John Lacey, Paso Robles, California; PresidentElect Max Deets, Beloit, Kansas; and First Vice President Clark Willingham, Dallas, Texas.

“NCBA represents all sectors of the beef cattle industry, and that gives NCBA the unique opportunity to speak with a unified voice for the industry,” said NCBA President Don Schiefelbein. “Being the largest and oldest beef cattle trade association means we have developed trust and credibility. And NCBA’s presence in D.C. is what defends our way of life.”

Opinion Editorial: A Lesson from Europe

By Jaclyn Wilson

In December, I participated in meetings in Brussels, Belgium, as part of a stakeholder forum to strengthen relations between the United States and the European Union (EU). The events were hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the European Commission Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG-AGRI). The stakeholder meetings included the Forum for the Future of Agriculture, the Collaboration Platform on Agriculture, and the 2022 EU Agricultural Outlook Conference. I was joined by Kent Bacus, executive director of Government Affairs for NCBA, and we participated in panel discussions on the challenges facing agriculture and ways to improve trans-Atlantic cooperation between producers and government.

This was my third trip to the European Union since August 2022, and I felt I was finally getting a well-rounded opinion of European agriculture and the struggles facing European farmers. On a previous trip, I spent a couple days with the Irish Cattle and Sheep Association and heard first-hand how over-regulation can have a devasting effect on farms. Likewise, this trip gave me an opportunity to hear similar stories from European producers who are facing tremendous headwinds.

Over the last couple years, there has been a push for stricter regulations and increased red tape for European producers mostly driven by climate change, food security and emissions, but it goes even deeper than that. There has been a push for more organic foods, plant-based diets and small farms while eliminating fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, large farms and some segments of animal agriculture.

What is the impact of increased government overreach on producers in the 27 countries that make up the EU? From 2010-2020, the number of farms decreased by 25%. More than 3 million farms went out of business. If you do the math that comes out to more than 800 farms a day. Yet, discussion was minimal on farm retention, succession or profitability.

In 2023, the European Commission will spend €38 billion on the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) payment scheme to “incentivize young farmers and counter a decline in rural population” while addressing food security concerns and meeting climate change goals (though overall commodity production is not forecasted to increase anytime soon). The CAP is portrayed as an attempt to address “environmental sustainability” and “animal welfare” but does little to help EU farmers become more competitive or efficient.

Global food security is a serious issue, and the disruptions of the past few years created more problems for vulnerable populations. In 2019, 135 million people worldwide suffered from food insecurity. That number rose to 349 million in 2022, and that number is expected to increase. Exports and imports help address food insecurity issues, but there is a shortage of people who are willing to produce food. Europe, like the U.S., has an aging agricultural work force and younger generations who are less likely to engage in agricultural production due to lack of profitability. It goes beyond that as the EU develops strict and sometimes completely unrealistic trade policies, some that have already been passed down to the U.S. producer, and others that will continue to come down the pipeline. European farmers are more aligned with U.S. views on food security, but their government policies are being driven by special interests and activists rather than farmers. At the forums, there were no clear and convincing arguments presented to show that moving toward organic production methods, moving away from livestock production, and restricting trade will strengthen European food security.

Why is it important that NCBA has a seat at the table in these stakeholder meetings? Why is it vital to have grassroots representation at these meetings? I may have been a little too straightforward in my panel discussion when I asked for a show of hands of all the producers that were represented in the room. I challenged the organizers if they want proper representation the percentage of producers should not be less than 5%, it should be at least 50% or more. These conversations are important not only for NCBA members, but all cattle producers need to recognize that there are several negative connotations surrounding U.S. cattle production, words like factory farming, lack of animal welfare standards, misuse of environment, etc. There is nothing more untrue about U.S. cattle producers, and meetings like these are an opportunity for others to come face to face with an actual beef producer, some for the first time. All it takes is a couple photos of the Nebraska Sandhills, talking about our Beef Quality Assurance standards, and talking about the work we are doing to better the environment, and opinions can be changed.

We need agriculture, we need producers, and we need freedom to grow food.