Perhaps one of the most significant parts of convention is attending committee meetings and having a chance to make sure your voice is heard. The live cattle marketing meeting was one of the highest-attended meetings, with standing room only by the time the meeting began. The federal lands meeting also had good representation from producers across the country.
Of most significance at the live cattle meeting was a recap over the 75% Plan, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) voluntary framework to increase price discovery in the fed cattle market, and establishing a new working group.
Tanner Beemer, director of government affairs and market regulatory policy, said the packers will not actually be sharing packer data, in order to meet confidentiality requirements. The packers will give their data to academics, who will then review the data.
Beemer received a question asking about the bill Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) recently introduced, which would create a new special investigator position at USDA, who would have the power to subpoena those believed to be engaging in anticompetitive behavior. Beemer said the bill, the Meat Packing Special Investigator Act, has not progressed at all in Congress and that NCBA has no official stance on it. If the bill does move forward, the association will then look more into it.
Members also voted on expiring policy and approved a new directive, which would establish a market transparency working group to define price transparency and reporting issues.
At the federal lands meeting, attendees heard from Kaitlynn Glover, executive director of NCBA natural resources and Public Lands Council, who gave an update on federal policy and regulatory issues.
Chuck Oliver, deputy director of timber management, range management and vegetation ecology at the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), spoke via a video call on the importance of grazing on public lands. USFS was asked to put together information for the 30×30 (America the Beautiful) plan, and Oliver said their report highlighted the benefits of livestock grazing and the potential to improve grasslands and rangelands. The agency is also currently working on going through comments over their proposed rule to update the Rangeland Management Directives.
Nada Wolff Culver, deputy director of policy and programs at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), also spoke via video call at the meeting. She reported on current issues at BLM, which included the greater sage-grouse, wild horses, livestock grazing and climate change. Glover said she has been able to develop a good working relationship with Wolff Culver and is optimistic moving forward.
Members also voted on policy changes, amending a policy about border security and funding along the Mexico border to also include Canada, and clarifying language in other policies. A new directive was also introduced and approved, which will create a new working group of producers from Native American lands to review Tribal issues and consider practical, legal and policy matters involving Tribal lands. The directive was introduced as a result of the recent court decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which has created additional conversations about the scope of federal and Tribal government authorities respectively. — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
