This month’s news highlights include efforts to end fake meat labeling practices, a top-indexing bull, dates for upcoming Stockmanship & Stewardship events, policy priorities of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, USDA climate hubs and payment options for farm loans.

Florida Bull Test top-indexing bull

Hubert Hightower, Waukeenah, Fla., consigned the 2023 high-indexing Angus bull and overall high-indexing bull to the University of Florida’s 24th Annual Bull Test Sale, Jan. 20, 2024, in Greenwood, Fla. LHH Enhance 5209 G26 K14 is a September 2022 son of SydGen Enhance. He posted an average daily gain of 5.18 pounds (lb.), with an adjusted yearling weight of 1,463 lb. Pictured are (from left) David Thomas, North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) Beef Unit manager and Bull Test foreman; Hubert Hightower, consignor; Dean Pringle, NFREC director; and Pat Durden, Florida Cattlemen’s Association president.

NCBA backs act to end fake meat labeling practices

On Jan. 30, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced support for the bipartisan Fair and Accurate Ingredient Representation on Labels Act of 2024 (FAIR Labels Act) introduced by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO), Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX), Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) and Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL). The bill would end deceptive labeling practices on fake meat products.

“America’s farmers and ranchers work hard every day to bring a high-quality, wholesome product to market. We’re not afraid of a little competition, but it is unfair for lab-grown or plant-based fake meat products to trade on beef’s good name,” said 2023 NCBA President Todd Wilkinson, a South Dakota cattle producer. “This bill is especially important for ensuring that consumers recognize lab-grown products that may be coming to market in the future. Consumers deserve to know how their food is made and to understand that lab-grown products made in a bioreactor are not the same as the high-quality beef raised by farmers and ranchers.”

The FAIR Labels Act would require fake meat products to be labeled as “imitation,” to clearly differentiate between real meat and plant-based or substitute protein products.

The bill would also provide clarity on lab-grown products, especially in light of the USDA’s approval of lab-grown chicken. Lab-grown products are created from animal cells that are artificially replicated in a laboratory environment. While no lab-grown imitations of beef have been approved for sale in the United States, several companies are currently involved in research that could soon bring such products to market. Under the FAIR Labels Act, lab-grown products would need to be clearly labeled as “lab-grown” and bear a statement that the product was not produced by traditional farming and ranching methods.

2024 Stockmanship & Stewardship locations announced

During the 2024 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Orlando, Fla., (CattleCon24), four Stockmanship & Stewardship event locations were announced:

• Aug. 23-24, Richfield, Utah;
• Aug. 28-29, Lancaster, Wis.
• Oct. 25-26, Hamburg, N.Y.
• Oct. TBD, Fresno, Calif.

Stockmanship & Stewardship events feature low-stress cattle-handling demonstrations, Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) educational sessions, facility design sessions and industry updates. Producers can become BQA-certified, network with fellow cattlemen and women, participate in hands-on animal-handling demonstrations and learn cutting-edge techniques. The program is sponsored by NCBA, Neogen and the Beef Checkoff-funded National BQA program.

Event registration will open late spring.

NCBA releases 2024 policy priorities

The NCBA Executive Committee approved the organization’s policy priorities at CattleCon24. This year’s priorities focus on advocating for the reauthorization of the Farm Bill, protecting cattle producers from federal regulatory overreach and defending the U.S. cattle industry against external attacks.

“NCBA will continue pushing for passage of a farm bill that includes key animal health and voluntary conservation provisions, as well as holds the line against all federal policies that could damage the livelihoods of U.S. cattle producers,” said NCBA President and Wyoming cattle rancher Mark Eisele. “In the past year we have seen radical animal activists ramp up their attacks on our industry and our producer-funded Beef Checkoff that drives consumer demand and funds critical research. We will never let the same people that want to shut down family cattle operations, dictate how we promote our products.”

NCBA’s policy priorities include:

• Secure reauthorization of the animal health provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill and advocate for expanded funding of the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB) to protect against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
• Defend the U.S. cattle industry against radical animal activist groups that want to end cattle production, including the Beef Checkoff.
• Fight against misguided Endangered Species Act rules and any expansion of bureaucratic red tape under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
• Preserve family farms and ranches for future generations by advocating for essential tax relief for cattle producers.

“Despite our success last year in finally reducing the size and scope of the onerous Waters of the U.S. rule, many more misguided regulations have been proposed that undermine the voluntary conservation work of cattle producers. NCBA will stand strong against these rulemakings, setting the record straight on regulations that are not backed by science and would leave America’s rangelands in total disorder,” Eisele added.

Read the full 2024 Policy Priorities list at here.

USDA celebrates 10 years of climate hubs

Feb. 5 marked 10 years since the USDA created regional climate hubs, which were established to help ag producers and rural communities make climate-informed decisions. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack highlighted how these regional climate centers are helping farmers, ranchers, forest landowners and communities address threats of climate change.

“When we announced the creation of the Regional Hubs for Risk Adaptation and Mitigation to Climate Change 10 years ago, our goal was to address the risks posed by intensifying climate change,” said Vilsack. “Today, as those risks are increasingly prevalent across the nation and the globe, the need for science-based, climate information and assistance is more important than ever. The Biden-Harris administration is committed to tackling the climate crisis and meeting the urgent and critical need for climate adaptation and mitigation, and USDA is continuing to support those efforts by guiding climate solutions for working lands.”

Originally, 10 regional locations were established across the United States. In May 2023, an International Climate Hub was added to share best practices and collaborate with international partners and improve the world’s ability to mitigate and adapt to climate.

Today, the climate hubs form a network of more than 120 climate researchers and communicators who work across the USDA and with partners to support climate-informed decisions. The hubs are a collaboration of several USDA agencies — including the Agricultural Research Service, Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service — and act as force multipliers for USDA’s climate science and services, extending the Department’s reach. The hubs also coordinate with the U.S. Geological Survey and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which each have regional climate change organizations.

For more information on the climate hubs’ mission and resources, visit the USDA Climate Hubs website and learn what climate-focused information is available by region.

Make USDA farm loan payments online

The USDA announced Jan. 29 that most farm loan borrowers will be able to make payments to their direct loans online through the “Pay My Loan” feature on https://www.farmers.gov/ in early February. Pay My Loan is part of a broader effort by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to streamline its processes, especially for producers who may have limited time during the planting or harvest seasons; modernize and improve customer service; provide additional customer self-service tools; and expand credit access to assist more producers.

On average, local USDA Service Centers process more than 225,000 farm loan payments each year. Pay My Loan gives most borrowers an online repayment option and relieves them from needing to call, mail or visit a service center to pay their loan installment. Farm loan payments can now be made at the borrower’s convenience, on their schedule and outside of FSA office hours.