News Update
July 9, 2008

House Committee Hosts Hearing on ADUFAs

The House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health was scheduled to host a hearing this morning regarding Animal Drug User Fee Amendments (ADUFA).

According to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), ADUFAs were enacted in 2003 to allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to collect fees for certain animal drug applications. With ADUFAs set to expire September 2008, the legislation would need to be reauthorized, NCBA reports.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is also expected to host a hearing on the bill in the near future. NCBA reports it’s monitoring the legislation closely since language could be included that would bar the usage of antibiotics in feed. According to the organization, Sen. Kennedy (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate committee, is expected to sponsor an antibiotics ban.

— Information provided by NCBA.

S. Korea Makes Beef Trade Progress

South Korea’s legislature is set to reconvene Thursday, ending a boycott by the United Democratic Party, which had refused to participate in the new National Assembly due to the country’s resumption of U.S. beef imports, Meatingplace.com reported.

Meatingplace.com reported the news a day after President Lee Myung-bak fired three of his cabinet members amid anti-government protests.

Meanwhile, a group of 19 physicians and business executives sat down together today to eat U.S. beef in a publicized effort to squelch myths regarding U.S. beef and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), according to The Associated Press.



NCBA evaluates governance structure

NCBA has appointed a task force to identify potential changes to the governance structure of its organization, which represents more than 31,000
members.

The task force is charged with identifying changes that will strengthen NCBA’s service to its members, according to the organization. Its task will be to find ways to improve the association’s ability to respond to consumer, regulatory and legislative issues affecting the cattle and beef industries efficiently and effectively.

“NCBA is the product of many cattle organizations coming together for
more than 100 years to fight for cattlemen’s rights and to solve the
industry's toughest challenges.  Our governance structure shows signs of
being the product of multiple mergers, and it really needs to be
evaluated to ensure effectiveness and efficiency for the next 100
years,” said NCBA President Andy Groseta, a rancher from Cottonwood,
Ariz.

NCBA’s top three officers, including Groseta, selected former NCBA
Presidents John Queen (North Carolina) and Jan Lyons (Kansas) to chair
the task force. The three officers and the chairs selected the taskforce members from nominations that came in from across the country to ensure broad regional representation.

The task force members are: Bruce Berven, state association executive, Iowa; Bill Brandenberg, producer, Calif.; Clifford Dance, producer, Miss.; Terry Fankhauser, state association executive, Colo.; Jon Ferguson, producer, Kan.; Mike John, producer, Mo.;
Scott Jones, producer, S.D.;
Mike Kelsey, state association executive, Neb.;
John Lacey, producer, Calif.;
Dave Maples, state association executive, Ky.;
Billy Powell, state association executive, Ala.;
Larry Rooks, producer, Fla.;
Dick Sherron, producer, Texas;
Brent Tanner, state association executive, Utah;
Dave True, producer, Wyo.;
Sid Viebrock, producer, Wash.;
Gary Wiley, producer, Mich.; and Ross Wilson, state association executive, Texas.





“We appreciate these people’s willingness to serve in such an important initiative. Their scope will be broad and far-reaching. I expect their task will take at least a year or more to complete, but the changes they make will impact years to come,” Groseta said. The task force will begin its work at the NCBA Summer Conference next week by hosting a listening session with NCBA members from 4:45 to 6
p.m., Thursday, July 17, at the Denver Sheraton’s Plaza Ballroom Salon D.

— Release provided by NCBA.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.