Cattlemen Gather in Denver to Set Course for Policy, Checkoff Efforts
DENVER, Colo. (July 25, 2012) — More than 700 cattlemen gathered in Denver, Colo., July 25-28 to help create direction for cattle industry programs at the 2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference. The event included meetings of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board (CBB or Beef Board), American National CattleWomen Inc. (ANCW) and National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF). Among the purposes of the yearly conference was to create a framework for both checkoff and policy efforts on behalf of U.S. cattle producers for the 2013 fiscal year, which for NCBA and the CBB begins Oct. 1.
The keynote speaker at Thursday’s Opening General Session was Jay Lehr, a futurist in agriculture, who spoke on “Mega Trends in Agriculture: Implications for the Beef Industry.” At Friday’s general session, CattleFax Senior Market Analyst Kevin Good provided an overview of the cattle market and described how the drought is affecting the entire industry.
"This year's summer conference will provide a chance for producers to learn, as well as a chance to lead," says J.D. Alexander, NCBA president and a beef producer from Pilger, Neb.
“This year’s summer conference will provide a chance for producers to learn as well as a chance to lead,” said J.D. Alexander, NCBA president and a beef producer from Pilger, Neb., as the meeting kicked off. “This is definitely a working session at which important strategies for future action are developed.”
Also during General Session II on Friday, W.D. Farr Scholarships were presented by the NCF to two graduate students. The $12,000 scholarships are presented to students who want to further their educations to pursue careers in meat science and animal agriculture.
Joint committees and subcommittees met Friday to develop proposals for 2013 checkoff-funded research, education and promotion programs. NCBA policy committees also met to determine priorities and discuss strategies for the 2013 year. The NCBA Board convened a session on Saturday, as did members of the CBB.
“The challenges we face as an industry are sizeable, but our resolve to find solutions is equal to the task,” said Alexander. “I’m proud so many of my fellow producers are joining me in Denver to tackle the work and help assure our potential for future success.”
Editor’s Note: The article above is adapted from a news release provided by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA). The original is available in the newsroom at www.beefusa.org.
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