Brett Crosby, U.S. Cattlemen’s Association board member discusses the Cattle Market Transparency Act of 2021. Crosby explains that the goal of this legislation is price discovery, which will give those who negotiate cash trade the information they need to price their animals accordingly.

Gilles Stockton discusses how vertical integration has already taken out thousands of independent cattle feeders. Cow calf producers are feeling vertical integration through subtle instances such as the USDA pushing for mandatory RFID tags and the push for certain bloodlines.

U.S. Senator Steve Daines of Montana discusses how the cattle industry needs to reinstate MCOOL. Senator Daines also touches on the market manipulation we’re seeing from the packers and how the Biden Administration’s Green New Deal will affect agriculture.

Colonel Jon Phillips explains how captive supply is driving our industry towards vertical integration. He also touches on the need for cattle producers to get involved with industry issues and to ask themselves what they’re doing to improve the industry.

Bryan Gill discusses how the cattle industry needs to come together if we want to solve our issues. He believes that too much money is passing through lobbyists’ hands. The industry has groups that claim to represent cattle producers, but their actions say otherwise.

Quest Flesner believes that the cattle industry needs to reinstate MCOOL so consumers will be able to know where their beef is coming from. He also discusses how our industry must find a way to achieve true price discovery in our cattle markets if we want to avoid vertical integration.

Karina Jones discusses how lawmakers in Washington D.C. are too far removed from what is truly going on within the cattle industry. She believes that every producer needs to get involved and go after those big asks in hopes of saving our industry.

Jay Nordhausen shares his thoughts on how the pandemic and drought have impacted the cull cow market. He also touches on what producers should expect with the bred female market throughout the rest of the year and into 2021.

Mike Eby, Executive Director of OCM, discusses packer concentration, beef imports, the DOJ investigation into our big four beef packers and recent comments made by NCBA claiming that OCM is a “domestic terrorist organization.”

Austin Snedden explains how the USDA has contributed to packer consolidation. He also discusses the inaccurate labeling of beef by USDA and the need for MCOOL in the cattle industry.

Troy Stowater explains NCBA’s voluntary framework to achieve robust price discovery and how their seventy-five percent approach is adequate enough to make the packers compete.

Terry Fankhauser talks about the need for the industry to put our transgressions aside so we can move forward and solve our own problems. He emphasizes the fact that we need to think of those that will come after us and those that came before us.

Mike Hollenbeck explains the push for a beef checkoff referendum in cow calf country. Not everyone who signs the petition is against the program, they just want the checkoff to be held accountable.

Dustin Aherin talks about the need for additional packing capacity in the cattle industry. His recent report, “The Case for Capacity,” explains the benefits that come along with adding capacity and the consequences of not doing so.

Fred Wacker, President of Montana Stockgrowers Association, explains how RFID tags will not only benefit producers from a traceability standpoint, but also as a marketing tool.

Brooke Miller explains how packers have done an excellent job monopolizing the market. He feels that packer concentration must be addressed if the cattle industry wants to avoid vertical integration.

Ted Baum discusses his outlook on the markets heading into the fall. He also talks about vertical integration increasing within the cattle industry because of packer concentration.

Greg Hanes explains how the Beef Checkoff is working to increase beef demand both domestically and internationally. He also discusses what the checkoff can and can’t do to try to help the tough market situation that cattle producers are facing.

Shelly Ziesch explains how lack of competition within the processing sector is standing in the way of fair cattle markets. She believes that the beef industry needs to avoid vertical integration at all costs.

Matt Teagarden explains that the main concern of Kansas Livestock Association members is to ensure effective, robust price discovery at the fed cattle level. KLA is focused on achieving this through negotiated grid transactions.

  Q: What do you feel are the major issues standing in the way of fair cattle markets?  The biggest issue is the dominant position the packers have. If there were more marketing options, packers wouldn’t be in the position to oppress producers and depress prices....

Jim Magagna, Executive Vice President of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, feels that the industry has moved from a position of desperation into a position of strength as we’ve seen the market rebound over the past few months. He thinks that transparency and competition within our cattle markets must be restored.

Kyle Hemmert discusses cattle industry issues such as packer concentration, the recent CFAP payments, MCOOL, and the beef checkoff program. He feels that cattle producers must get some leverage back in order to avoid vertical integration.

Jayson Lusk, Economist at Purdue University, discusses how the processing sector isn’t to blame for the unfair markets that cattle producers are facing. He also explains how a vertically integrated industry comes with trade-offs such as price stability.

Dave Duquette, President of Duquette Strategies and Founder and President of Western Justice, discusses the firewall insulating President Trump from the issues threatening the cattle industry. He feels that cattle producers must be vocal about these issues and fight for the industry.

Hank Klosterman, cattle procurement and cattle producer located near David City, NE, discusses the lack of leverage within the cattle industry. He feels that the industry is in danger of vertical integration if packer capacity isn’t addressed and the futures contract isn’t fixed to regain some leverage.

John Hansen discusses the losses cattle feeders have been dealing with for years. He feels there is plenty of evidence exhibiting illegal activity by the packer between the Holcomb fire and the price gouging that occurred during the pandemic.

Neil Sanders discusses plans for a smaller processing plant to be built near Hot Springs, SD. He explains some of the challenges and how this plant and other smaller plants will benefit the cattle industry.

Gary Cammack discusses how competition in our cattle markets has disappeared due to packer concentration. He also touches on the importance of promoting beef, but being sure not to tear down other parts of the industry while doing so.

Jacob Wingebach discusses the need for additional smaller processing plants. He explains how government overreach has gotten in the way of Sandhills Beef Co. receiving their USDA grant of inspection.

Rachel Gabel discusses how extremists are threatening Colorado’s agriculture industry. To show your support, Rachel urges everyone to sign on to a letter that will be sent to Governor Polis requesting that vegan activist, Ellen Kessler, will have her appointment to the State Board of Veterinary Medicine retracted.

Dean Wang explains the concerns of government mandates that go along with MCOOL and Senator Grassley’s 50/14 legislation.

Alan Guebert talks about beef processors holding too much market power. He feels that too many politics are being played amongst our political leaders and within our cattle organizations.

Brad Kooima discusses the details of NCBA’s increased negotiated cash trade policy that was passed last week at their summer meetings in Denver. He explains the two fed cattle policies that were brought to the table and the compromise that unfolded to pass policy unanimously.