LINCOLN — A small delegation of Nebraska Cattlemen had a significant influence on national policy decisions in Nashville last week for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) Annual Convention. The Convention, normally held in February, was delayed due to COVID concerns, and convened in place of NCBA’s annual Summer Business Meeting. Nebraska Cattlemen brought forth policy for consideration in the Property Rights and Environmental Management Committee, Live Cattle Marketing Committee, and Taxation and Credit committee.
The week began with policy developed and submitted by Nebraska Cattlemen’s members in the Property Rights and Environmental Management Committee. Fair Carbon Market policy discussed and adopted as interim policy at Nebraska Cattlemen’s Midyear Meeting was incorporated in to a larger, more robust resolution solely focused on carbon markets. This policy specifically opposes any legislation, regulation, trade agreement or international treaty that would regulate carbon or greenhouse gases in the cattle industry. It also opposes the creation or management of a government-based carbon trading platform and opposes the creation of a USDA carbon bank using Commodity Credit Corporation funding. The policy supports the government’s role in carbon trading be limited to USDA providing any applicable regulatory oversight of private markets to ensure programmatic authenticity for the protection of agriculture producers and credit purchasers and demands that previous longstanding practices be recognized and qualify for carbon markets.
Nebraska Cattlemen also presented policy for consideration in the Live Cattle Marketing Committee that directed NCBA to pursue research that calculates costs to the fed cattle market due to a lack of price discovery and loss of market leverage. This policy was incorporated into a larger measure that directs NCBA leadership to establish a market information, transparency and reporting working group to provide recommendations at the NCBA Convention in Houston in February 2022 that addresses Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR) confidentiality concerns, market transparency – specifically the development of a cattle contract library and LMR reporting details, captive supply type and alternative marketing arrangement (AMA) content reported to USDA, packers and stockyards act review, economic research, and LMR packer reporting thresholds.
“This year’s Live Cattle Marketing Committee was a solid reminder that cattle marketing issues are complex.” William H Rhea III – President, Nebraska Cattlemen “The need to continue researching and tweaking policies in a systematic manner to avoid negative, unintended consequences and move forward with a unified voice is key to the continued success and profitability of all sectors the cattle industry.”
Nebraska Cattlemen interim policy on capital gains was unanimously adopted as presented in the Taxation and Credit Committee. The policy specifically opposes the realization of a capital gain tax at the time of transfer from a donor or from a deceased owner of an appreciated asset. This policy provides NCBA with the direction necessary to protect the livelihood of future generations of farmers and ranchers from the devastating tax propels currently being discussed in Washington D.C.
— Nebraska Cattlemen
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