NCBA Applauds Introduction of Hours of Service Legislation

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association today applauded the introduction of bipartisan legislation by U.S. Reps. Angie Craig (D – 2nd Dist., Minn.) and Lloyd Smucker (R - 11th Dist., Penn.) that would provide flexible and common-sense relief from Hours of Service (HOS) rules for agricultural haulers.

The Responsible & Efficient Agriculture Destination (TREAD) Act would ensure that the current Hours of Service exemption that applies to the 150-air-mile radius from the source of an agricultural commodity adds the same 150 air mile radius flexibility to the back end of a trip, or the destination. The bill also clarifies that...

Cattlemen Applaud Introduction of Real MEAT Act of 2019

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today applauded the bipartisan introduction of the Real MEAT (Marketing Edible Artificials Truthfully) Act of 2019 by U.S. Reps. Roger Marshall (R - 1st Dist., Kansas) and Anthony Brindisi (D - 21st Dist., N.Y.)

“A growing number of fake meat products are clearly trying to mislead consumers about what they’re trying to get them to buy,” said NCBA President and Tennessee cattlewoman Jennifer Houston. “Consumers need to be protected from deceptive marketing practices, and cattle producers need to be able to compete on a fair, level playing field. We want to thank Congressmen Brindisi and Marshall for leading the way on this very important issue.”

Specifically, The Real Meat Act will...

NCBA Applauds Introduction of Livestock Risk Management and Education Act

Todd Wilkinson, South Dakota cattle producer and NCBA Policy Division Vice Chair, today released the following statement in response to the introduction of the Livestock Risk Management and Education Act by U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.):

“NCBA applauds Representative Dusty Johnson's introduction of the Livestock Risk Management and Education Act yesterday on the House floor. This legislation will provide boots-on-the-ground cattle producers with critical resources and opportunities to increase their understanding and engagement with risk management tools. This bill speaks directly to our core values as an industry - arming producers with...

South Dakota Cattleman to U.S. Senate Committee: American Beef is Climate Change Solution

South Dakota cattle producer Todd Wilkinson today told a U.S. Senate subcommittee that contrary to the claims of some environmental and anti-animal-agriculture activists, "American beef production and consumption is a climate change solution."

"Climate policies that unfairly target cattle producers fail to recognize the positive role of cattle and beef in a healthy, sustainable food system," Wilkinson told members of the U.S. Senate's Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety. "Rather than adopting misguided policies that threaten the viability of farmers and ranchers, we want to shift the conversation."

The subcommittee held today's hearing on the issue of "Reducing Emissions While Driving Economic Growth: Industry-Led Initiatives." In his testimony, Wilkinson discussed...

Cattlemen Participate in White House Event Spotlighting Federal Overreach

Two members of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) joined President Trump at a White House event spotlighting past federal overreach by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). During the event, the President signed two Executive Orders that will provide more clarity and transparency to often-daunting and complicated federal regulatory processes.

"Today’s event at the White House demonstrates the effectiveness of our association’s efforts in having meaningful and lasting positive impacts on regulation reforms that benefit our industry, rural communities and family ranching operations," said Nevada public lands rancher J.J. Goicoechea, who participated in this West Wing event. "We stand ready and committed to...

NCBA Statement on Trade Agreement with Japan

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Jennifer Houston today issued the following statement after attending a White House ceremony in honor of the bilateral trade agreement between the United States and Japan that will lower Japan’s massive tariffs on U.S. beef.

“I was deeply honored to attend the ceremony at the White House where we celebrated a bilateral trade agreement with Japan. As the top market for U.S. beef exports, Japan accounts for one quarter of our exports and roughly $2 billion in annual sales. As a beef producer, I understand the value of exports to my bottom line, and President Trump understands that increased access to foreign markets like Japan is the economic stimulus we need. We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and for the hard work of...

NCBA President Jennifer Houston Testifies on State of Cattle Industry

Jennifer Houston, President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, testified about the current state of the cattle industry before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Topics ranged from the effects of the recent fire at a Tyson beef processing facility in Kansas to the pending reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and Mandatory Price Reporting to implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill.

“I want to start by thanking you, Chairman (Pat) Roberts and other members of the committee who have been helpful over the last few weeks as we have dealt with the recent fire at...

NCBA Announces Leadership Changes

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced two significant leadership changes today.

The NCBA Executive Committee of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association confirmed Colin Woodall to serve as the association’s new Chief Executive Officer. Woodall, who was named this morning after an exhaustive national search, managed NCBA’s efforts in Washington, D.C., for more than a decade. Since joining NCBA in 2004, Woodall has been instrumental in ensuring the interests of NCBA members and the beef community, are well represented in the nation’s capital.

“Colin has served NCBA members for 15 years, and in that time, he has done a great deal for beef producers everywhere. Much of his work and many of...

Beef. It's What's For Dinner. Keeps Sizzlin' with New Ads

The iconic Beef. It's What's For Dinner. brand keeps consumers craving beef with the release of its latest drool-worthy creative digital advertisement collection – "Keep Sizzlin'".

The new collection features beef being cooked with the following popular techniques:

• Grilling
• Smoking
• Stir-fry
• Sous Vide
• Cast Iron

The new "Keep Sizzlin'" collection is inspired by the success of the original "Sizzle" video, which caught the attention of consumers by...

Kansas Cattlewoman to Senate Climate Change Hearing: "Beef Cattle Industry has Great Story to Tell" 

Testifying on behalf of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Kansas cattle producer Debbie Lyons-Blythe delivered a clear message at a U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on climate change this morning.

“The U.S. cattle industry is proud of its history as stewards of our nation’s natural resources,” Lyons-Blythe testified at the Committee’s hearing on Climate Change and the Agricultural Sector. “The industry takes very seriously its obligation to protect the environment while providing the nation with a safe and affordable beef supply. Cattle producers are America’s original conservationists, and we work hard every day to ensure that we can...

NCBA Welcomes Legislation Aimed to Help Livestock Haulers

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association today welcomed the introduction of legislation in the U.S. Senate aimed at reforming federal Hours of Service (HOS) rules in a way that ensures animal welfare, highway safety, and the well-being of livestock haulers. S. 1255, the Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act, was introduced by Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) with a bipartisan group of original cosponsors, including Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jim Risch (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jon Tester (D-MT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Doug Jones (D-AL), John Hoeven (R-ND), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Mike Braun (R-IN), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and James Lankford (R-OK).

“The current Hours of Service rules for livestock haulers present major challenges for our industry and can often jeopardize the health and well-being of livestock,” said Colin Woodall, NCBA’s senior vice president of government affairs. “Hauling livestock is inherently different than hauling typical consumer goods, like paper towels or bottles of water. Live cattle cannot...

NCBA CEO Kendal Frazier Announces Plans for Retirement

After 34 years with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the past four as CEO, Kendal Frazier announced his plans for retirement this morning. Frazier's career began as a farm broadcaster in Kansas, where he also served as director of communications for Kansas Livestock Association, before moving to Denver, Colo., to join the staff of the National Cattlemen’s Association (NCA), predecessor organization to NCBA. During his illustrious career, he served the beef industry through some of its most challenging times and events.

“For more than three decades, the beef industry has benefitted from Kendal’s vision and leadership. There is no doubt in my mind that he has played a major role in ensuring the success of our industry today,” said NCBA President Jennifer Houston. “It has been my pleasure to work closely with Kendal for many years and I can say without a doubt that we are far better off because of...

Meet Chuck Knows Beef: Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. Launches All-Knowing Virtual Beef Assistant

Beef goes virtual as the iconic Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand brings the knowledge of a rancher, the expertise of a chef, and the humor of a dad into the kitchen with the official launch of Chuck Knows Beef, a new beef virtual assistant. Powered by Google Artificial Intelligence and developed in partnership with VMLY&R, a leading digital marketing agency, Chuck is the new virtual go-to expert on all things beef. Chuck can be easily accessed at ChuckKnowsBeef.com or by simply enabling Chuck Knows Beef with Amazon Alexa or Google Home Assistant devices.

Funded by beef farmers and ranchers and designed to be a go-to consumer resource for beef knowledge and recipe inspiration, Chuck provides instant access to recipes, cuts and nutrition information and cooking tips– plus a whole lot more. Consumers can ask Chuck questions like ...

Oregon Cattleman to Congress: Livestock Producers Serve as Conservation Allies

Today Oregon cattleman Rodger Huffman told a Congressional hearing that livestock producers across the country serve as stewards of the environment and allies in conservation. Despite the efforts of some in Congress to vilify livestock producers, effective wildlife conservation depends on strengthening the partnership between government agencies and ranchers. In fact, livestock producers maintain over 660 million acres of open spaces and landscapes, about a third of the U.S. landmass and home to many species of wildlife.

“Federal and state wildlife managers have no greater ally in the effort to conserve America’s species than ranchers,” Huffman said in prepared testimony. “Ranchers steward these landscapes for generations ...

NCBA Campaigns With Facts About Fake Meat

Today the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association launched a new campaign highlighting critical questions about the production of lab-grown fake meat. The Fake Meat Facts campaign will shine a spotlight on the many unknowns that the federal government must clarify before finalizing the regulatory framework for these emerging products.

“The federal government is moving in the right direction on lab-grown fake meat oversight, but new information raises more questions than answers,” said NCBA President Jennifer Houston. “The lack of scientific consensus surrounding cell-cultured protein products became crystal clear to me when I participated in last year’s joint public meeting. NCBA will continue to push for increased transparency to ensure consumers know the facts about lab-grown fake meat production.”

Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a framework for regulating lab-grown fake meat. USDA will have primary oversight of food production and labeling, while the FDA will have oversight of cell collection and cell growth. However...

Industry Reacts to President Trump's State of the Union Address

President Donald Trump delivered the annual State of the Union Address to the American people in the House Chamber last night. Now, the industry is reacting to the speech, with responses being produced by the USDA, the National Retail Federation, and the National Cattleman's Beef Association.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue mentioned that President Trump highlighted Administration accomplishments and the booming economy, but also optimistically stated that even greater achievements lie ahead. Perdue stated that, "The President's policies have been beneficial to American agriculture in the short term, but have also laid the foundation for long-term prosperity. Our trade agreements with other nations are getting stronger, and the strategies that the President has employed will lead to new and expanded markets for ...

Markets Expected to Continue Strong; Leverage Shift on the Horizon

During the first half of 2019, the United States will see a shift away from El Niño conditions as equatorial ocean currents begin to cool into the summer, Art Douglas, Ph. D., professor emeritus at Creighton University, told the audience during the popular 2019 CattleFax Outlook Seminar today. The session, held as part of the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans, La., saw a capacity crowd as cattlemen and women gathered to hear expert market and weather analysis.

Douglas explained the developing trend will turn the eastern third of the United States drier, as the jet stream pushes moisture from the Gulf of Mexico across the southern tier of the nation. “After a cooler February, the United States will mostly enjoy a relatively mild spring with a reduced threat of delayed planting,” said Douglas. He pointed out that summer weather will be dependent on...

NCBA Welcomes New Market Access for U.S. Beef in Morocco

Today President Kevin Kester issued the following statement in response to the announcement that U.S. beef gained new market access in Morocco:

“Open markets are the lifeblood of the U.S. cattle and beef industry. New access to Morocco is welcome news for producers and we are excited that Moroccan consumers can now enjoy high-quality U.S. beef. NCBA is grateful for the ...