NCBA announces 2023 policy priorities

NEW ORLEANS — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s executive committee approved the organization’s policy priorities at the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, with a focus on advancing animal disease preparedness, protecting voluntary conservation programs and defending producers from regulatory overreach.

“Our focus is helping to create opportunity for America’s cattle producers and fighting to make sure the federal government does not damage our industry,” said NCBA President-Elect Todd Wilkinson.

“Cattle producers have been caretakers of the land and livestock for decades and are committed to conserving this country’s natural resources while producing high-quality beef.”

NCBA’s policy priorities include:

• Securing reauthorization of animal health provisions in the 2018 farm bill and advocating for expanded funding of the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank to protect against foot-and-mouth disease.

• Protecting and funding the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program and other voluntary conservation programs that incentivize science-based, active management of natural resources.

• Protecting the cattle industry from regulatory attacks under the “waters of the United States” rule, the Endangered Species Act, emissions reporting and more.

“One of the biggest opportunities to help cattle producers in the coming year is passing the 2023 farm bill with continued investment in our national vaccine bank to protect the U.S. cattle herd from the threat of foot-and-mouth disease. Recently, we have seen other countries deal with the realities of animal disease outbreaks,” Wilkinson said.

“American cattle producers are not going to be caught flat-footed — we are laser-focused on reducing risk and having the strongest response with a stockpile of vaccines that we have been building up since the 2018 farm bill.”