Current Cattle Market Daily Headlines from March 9, 2021

americancattlemarkets

5 years ago

Wyoming legislators introduce bill to preserve rancher choice when identifying cattle;

Last week, Wyoming Representative Chip Neiman and Senator Cheri Steinmetz introduced House Bill 229 in the Wyoming Legislature.
- HB 229 would give Wyoming ranchers the choice of selecting among various lawful forms of animal identification devices when complying with a 2013 federal law that requires official identification on adult cattle and bison when they are moved interstate.
The bill was brought forward in response to USDA attempting to deprive livestock producers in Wyoming and across the nation the choice authorized under current federal law to choose what form of identification to use on their animals.
In 2019, USDA issued a mandate requiring livestock producers to only use higher-cost RFID eartags for adult cattle and bison moved interstate beginning January 1, 2023.
- Wyoming ranchers Tracy and Donna Hunt, South Dakota ranchers Kenny and Roxy Fox and R-CALF USA filed a lawsuit alleging the USDA’s 2019 mandate violated the federal animal identification law.
  - Within weeks of the lawsuit, USDA withdrew its mandate. However, by July 2020, USDA came back and said it planned to reinstate the mandate.
- If HB 229 were to be passed, it would codify into Wyoming law the choices authorized under current federal law, which would successfully preserve those choices until and unless the federal law is changed.

During the recent NCBA virtual winter Conference, Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, said that consumers are looking for more high-quality beef and they’re willing to pay for it.
According to Blach, there has been a 60 percent increase in the amount of choice and prime beef production in the U.S. since the 2000 and 2005 time period.
With this increase in production, we’ve also seen the spread between select and CAB continue to grow, which signifies a rise in classic beef demand.
- Blach stated that the industry must listen to consumers because they are clearly saying that they want more of “the good stuff.”
Regarding the introduction and growth of alternative proteins or “fake meat,” Blach said that beef producers shouldn’t be concerned.
- Less than 1 percent of the beef market share has gone to alternative protein sources, and Blach believes that will marginally grow.
Blach closed by saying that the world population is expected to continue growing at a rapid pace, so we are going to need more protein sources.
- If the cattle industry can continue to tell our story and produce nutritional beef, then we have a great future ahead.

James Halverson, Executive Director of the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, and his family lost their ranch home in a wildfire this past weekend.
- Thankfully, James and his family made it out safely.
Family and friends have set up accounts to help the Halverson family during this time of need; https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-the-halvorsons?fbclid=IwAR1croEJO1T3GzgAbvCgSGwxFZWzgD1DenZ88ozOspi-n-7jdlucdjy51VU