Nebraska

Nebraska Cattlemen members received updates and discussed a wide range of priority issues at the group's annual convention and trade show held Dec. 8 to 9 in Kearney. Positions proposed in council and policy committee meetings were voted on by members attending the annual business meeting.

Regarding animal health, Nebraska Cattlemen members voted to have the group support the efforts of allied industry and research institutions to develop better and more cost effective tests for cattle that are persistently infected with Bovine Viral Diarrhea. NC also will support efforts by the University of Nebraska and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to develop Johne's Disease information pertinent to the Nebraska beef industry. Johne's is a chronic and infectious intestinal disease of cattle and other ruminants that is difficult to diagnose. NC will urge the University of Nebraska--Lincoln Diagnostic Laboratory to expedite its pursuit of USDA certification required for the Johne's Disease rapid fecal test. And, NC will ask appropriate U.S. regulatory agencies to expedite approval of new Johne's Disease tests. Addressing feed regulations, NC will urge the FDA to provide the rendering industry with a legally, economically, and environmentally sound plan for the disposal of all ruminant by-products prior to the proposed changes in the ruminant feed ban. Disposal of ruminant by-products can be economic and environmental problems for the beef industry.

Regarding animal identification, NC recommends the Nebraska Brand Committee continue to aid the industry by supporting premises registration and facilitating the National Animal Identification System wherever possible.

Nebraska Cattlemen created a new policy committee that will focus on education issues. To begin, the committee assumed education-related policies previously handled by other committees, issues such as school aid formula; urging the University of Nebraska Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center to develop a National Center of Excellence for Beef Cattle Education; seeking to have community college funding to the State's General Fund; supporting legislation to directing the Board of Education Lands and Funds to set the minimum bid price for school land at the lesser of either the capitalization rate value or the local assessment value for tax purposes; supporting the Teacher Salary Task Force findings and recommending that no additional funding be sought from local property taxes, rather, any related additional state aid should be distributed equitably to all Nebraska schools regardless of class, size, location or needs. The committee approved a new resolution under which NC will support the development of agriculture education to be included in school curriculums.

Addressing marketing issues, NC voted to support mandatory country of origin labeling only if it is economically beneficial to all segments of the beef industry. Also, NC will strongly encourage Congress to renew the Mandatory Price Reporting law for both fed cattle purchases and boxed beef sales by packers as soon as possible. Regarding trade, NC will request that the Bush administration negotiate an international agreement to formalize minimal risk rules for trade between BSE affected countries.

Several environmental issues were addressed, many related to conservation initiatives. Nebraska Cattlemen positions on these will also be publicized soon.

The Nebraska Cattlemen association serves as the spokesman for the state's beef cattle industry and represents professional cattle breeders, ranchers and feeders, as well as 48 county and local cattlemen's associations. Its headquarters are in Lincoln and a second office in Alliance serves cattlemen in western Nebraska.