State cattle associations urge support for market change

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State cattle associations urge support for market change

The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association and 16 other state cattle organizations have sent letters to Senate Ag Committee Chairmen Pat Roberts of Kansas and House Ag Committee Chairmen Collin Peterson of Minnesota urging support of the Cattle Transparency Act of 2020. 

Mike Deering, the executive vice president of Missouri Cattlemen’s, tells Brownfield while he prefers a voluntary program, legislation is needed for ‘robust’ price discovery in the cattle market.  

“Even though markets may be improving, we cannot be asleep at the wheel and we need action,” He said. “Producers deserve long-term structural changes in the markets.”

Earlier this week the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association released its ‘voluntary’ plan for cattle market reform. Deering says the voluntary plan is a good one, but… 

“We are not going to wait around to have a plan in place,” Deering said. “This legislation is a thoughtful, careful approach that should be palatable for all segments of the industry.”

The Cattle Market Transparency Act of 2020 would require the ag secretary to establish levels of negotiated cash trade by region and establish a library of records of contracts between packers and producers. 

State cattle associations that also sent the letters include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Wyoming. 

Mike Deering Interview

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