NCBA working to address issues impacting cattlemen

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — There are many current issues important to Illinois cattlemen including the development of a new farm bill.

“One of the things we are pushing for is the completion of the farm bill,” said Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

“A year ago we had the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed and signed by the president and most of the provisions that NCBA is interested in were included in that bill,” said Woodall during a presentation at the Illinois Beef Association’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony.

However, there are still some items that need to be addressed, he said, including credit and research provisions.

“More than anything else, we need certainty about what the plan is and what the programs look like,” he said. “We need to make sure the rest of agriculture is healthy, too, because the U.S. cattle industry needs a healthy corn industry.”

NCBA is working to encourage the U.S. Senate to complete the process.

“Chairman of the Senate Ag Committee, Sen. John Boozman is going to mark up legislation by the end of the month,” the NCBA CEO said. “We will be there to support him and try to keep bad ideas at bay.”

Woodall does not expect a lot of other legislation to be passed by the U.S. Congress in the upcoming months.

“We are in the middle of a very contentious midterm election and the members of the House and Senate want to be home,” he said. “They don’t want to take a vote on something that could be thrown into their face on the campaign trail.”

The political environment is much different than it has been in the past.

“This is a whole new world when it comes to politics because now a tweet or a five-second sound bite can derail a campaign,” Woodall said. “It is a lifetime between now and November where anything can happen.”

The Waters of the United States legislation is another important topic for cattlemen.

“We have been talking about this for 20 years,” Woodall said. “It is something that has plagued not just agriculture, but anyone who is a landowner.”

The administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is Lee Zeldin, a former member of the House of Representatives from New York.

“He is a supporter of business and agriculture,” Woodall said.

“The proposal we have now, that he is taking comments on, is proactive and we are excited about that,” he said. “We believe this will get done within the next year.”

Trade remains a priority for NCBA.

“We were thrilled with President Trump meeting President Xi Jinping in China,” Woodall said. “The result of that is beef plants that were once authorized to send product to China are reauthorized, so now we have access into China.”

Another win for U.S. cattlemen was the change in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans which includes the Food Guide Pyramid.

“The guidelines do not impact what we do day-to-day as individual Americans,” Woodall said. “But it does impact all the purchasing decisions of federal feeding programs such as school lunches, the federal prison system and military installations.”

This is a great example, the CEO said, of checkoff dollars paying huge dividends.

“Because we have 40 years of nutrition research funded by your checkoff dollars, we were able to put that research in front of Health Secretary Robert Kennedy,” Woodall said.

“That helped justify where he already was and the Food Guide Pyramid was turned on its head and now beef is at the top,” he said. “That was a huge win for the industry and something that will continue to drive demand.”

“Demand for beef right now is amazing and there are a lot of questions if beef is too expensive,” he noted. “I think all of us can make the argument that we are finally getting paid for the value of what we are producing.”

Cattlemen have worked really hard to improve the overall quality of beef, Woodall said.

“By using new and improved production practices, investing in genetic improvement and utilizing animal health products, that has allowed us to produce the highest quality product that we ever have,” he said.

“So, the eating experience that was once reserved for white tablecloth restaurants, you can now find at Costco and the consumers love it,” he added.

The price of beef is driven by demand since consumers do not have to buy beef.

“We are providing the consumer a much better eating experience than we once did,” Woodall said. “They are selecting beef, paying the money and enjoying every bit of it.”

NCBA provides services and support that IBA members can use to be successful.

“We are here to help you, but it takes grassroots engagement and involvement to provide leadership,” Woodall said.

“Our organization has been around since 1898 — that’s 128 years,” he said. “To be able to tackle all the issues this industry is faced with and still be an association of influence and power is a testament to the membership and that’s why we need you at the table. There is a place for you.”

Woodall is bullish on the cattle industry.

“We are in the fun business because Americans celebrate and have fun with beef,” he said.

“I am extremely proud of what we do,” the CEO said. “As long as we focus on that high quality and fun eating experience, we are going to have plenty of opportunity.”