Nebraska Cattlemen Influences National Policy 

LINCOLN, NE (July 30, 2020) -  A small delegation of Nebraska Cattlemen made a big influence on national policy decisions in Denver this week during the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's (NCBA) Summer Business Meeting. The week began with policy developed and submitted by Nebraska Cattlemen's members in the Animal Health and Wellbeing Committee. This policy directs NCBA to work with stakeholders to develop and disseminate materials needed to assist cattlemen to prepare for foreign animal disease challenges in the United States. Nebraska Cattlemen also backed policy to support US CattleTrace programs. US CattleTrace is an industry-driven entity which is a 501c3 that is developing disease traceability.  NC policy has long supported traceability for disease control purposes and insisted that the data should be held by a non-government entity that is producer-driven.

NC members were among those leading conversations during more than six hours of debate to identify a policy that would address industry-wide concerns regarding diminishing levels of price discovery in negotiated fed cattle markets.  Nebraska Cattlemen was among more than 20 NCBA state affiliates that developed and presented policy to address the need to increase negotiated trade volumes to regionally specific robust price discovery levels. After intense debate, a compromise was developed to have NCBA pursue legislative or regulatory solutions to price discovery issues if current voluntary efforts to improve negotiated fed cattle trade volumes are not successful in achieving regionally robust price discovery levels. Triggers to identify when legislative or regulatory efforts are needed, and will be developed by the NCBA Live Cattle Marketing working group by October 1st, 2020. The policy passed by the Live Cattle Marketing Committee and approved by a vote of the NCBA Board of Directors can be viewed here.  

"This compromise creates a process to allow the industry to try to achieve robust price discovery levels on a voluntary basis, but provides a framework to seek legislative or regulatory solutions to achieve this goal if voluntary efforts fail." Ken Herz - President, Nebraska Cattlemen

NC policy on accessible broadband for rural areas was adopted in NCBA's Ag and Food Policy Committee.  The divide between rural and urban access to broadband was highlighted by the COVID 19 crisis with more distance learning, tele-med services and no-contact government interaction.  It is important that investment be made in the rural broadband infrastructure.

Originally submitted by NC, stepped-up basis interim tax policy brought forth and adopted earlier this year at the NCBA convention was adopted as official policy by members in the Tax and Credit Committee. NCBA supports stepped-up basis for assets in any future tax relief legislation.

NC past president Mike Drinnin was elected to serve on the NCBA nominating committee. The

NCBA nominating committee is responsible for interviewing and selecting leadership candidates to be considered by the NCBA Board of Directors.