ISSUES AND POLICY
value for every producer.
Does the beef checkoff promote natural or organic beef? The beef checkoff promotes beef.
As a matter of policy, it doesn’t pro- mote one breed over another, or one operational or production model over another.
Does my investment help to combat activist groups who constantly make false claims about the cattle industry? Yes. The checkoff helps to de-
velop capable spokespersons armed with scientifi cally-established facts to counteract the misinformation from activist groups. Checkoff dol- lars allow us to collectively coun- teract attacks, something that is diffi cult to do individually.
How does putting money into export programs help my bottom line? Checkoff investments into for-
eign marketing of U.S. beef continue to pay off. The value of exports for the fi rst 7 months of this year came in 9 percent ahead of the 2012 pace. This set a record value of $5.5 billion. Additionally, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation, checkoff investments into foreign marketing added an additional $237 per fed steer/heifer between Janu- ary and August 2013. As the saying goes, “a rising
tide lifts all boats.” The goal of the checkoff is to raise demand for beef, which benefi ts all of us. The Texas Beef Council works to- ward that goal every day, but we couldn’t do it without the contin- ued dedication of beef producers who raise the safest, most abun- dant, affordable, and delicious beef in the world.
tscra.org
Why We Must Work Together By Scott George, NCBA President
N
O MATTER WHERE I TRAVEL THESE DAYS, CATTLEMEN AND WOMEN HAVE MANY OF the same issues and concerns. The farm bill, conservation programs,
endangered species, agency overreach and disaster assistance are all fre- quent topics of conversation. It’s comforting to know the National Cattle- men’s Beef Association (NCBA) staff in Washington, D.C., delivers results for our members on each of these topics. But as I travel, I still hear the familiar complaints that NCBA is con-
trolled by the packers, and some individuals feel we don’t represent their particular segment of the industry. NCBA is governed by its members. We’re not packer-controlled, but we
do listen to the concerns of the packing industry. From cow-calf and stocker operations to feedlots and dairies, we pay
attention to the issues faced by each of our members. Our leaders, staff and members recognize that no matter what role you play in the beef production process, that role is vital. Our production industry is segmented for a variety of reasons. It’s
important that all of us recognize the important role we play and under- stand that value of the individual or business above us and below us on the production chain. If I, as a cow-calf producer, don’t have a feedlot or stocker operation to buy my calves, I don’t have a business. If the feedlot doesn’t have a packer to buy fi nished cattle, that feedlot operator doesn’t have a business. We are independent, but we all rely on one another to have a vibrant, growing market for our product. We know from experience what happens when a packing plant closes,
such as the one that was shuttered in Plainview. When we lose a plant, the feedlots surrounding it lose a buyer for their fed cattle. When those feedlots lose a buyer, they face economic problems which trickle down to the stockers and cow-calf producers in the region who now have one less buyer for their feeder cattle. No one wins when one segment of our industry struggles for any rea-
son. None of us should cheer when another segment faces diffi culties. The real enemies of our success are not those inside our industry. There
are plenty of people and organizations we should be worried about, and we must work together if we’re going to protect our industry and promote beef in the future. If we can’t have the necessary conversations up and down the value
chain, we’re going to have real problems in our industry. We’re a small community in agriculture and we need to be able to rely on each other. NCBA recognizes the importance of working together both inside the beef value community and across other segments of production agriculture. We build coalitions that serve our members and our industry, which is critical to our mission of being the trusted leader and defi nitive voice serving the beef industry.
January 2014 The Cattleman 77
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