The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) led a letter with the support of 37 affiliate state cattle organizations, urging the leadership of the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committees to address critical areas of concern in the cattle and beef industry.
Specifically, NCBA pushed Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Rep. David Scott (D-GA-13), and Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA-15) to consider swift Congressional action to

• Expand beef processing capacity
• Broaden labor policies to strengthen the beef processing workforce
• Increase transparency in cattle markets by reauthorizing Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR)
• Support industry efforts to reform “Product of the USA” generic labeling
• Ensure proper oversight of cattle market players by concluding the ongoing U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the meatpacking sector

Read the full text of the letter here. This grassroots letter comes as cattle producers across the country express mounting frustration at the persistent imbalance in the markets. As much of the country lifts pandemic restrictions, consumer demand for U.S. beef remains strong. Producers also have a high supply of cattle to meet demand. Despite this, producers in the cow-calf and feeder sectors of the industry are facing significant challenges. The profits yielded by high boxed beef prices are not being passed on to the producers supplying live cattle, and the supply chain is being choked by a lack of processing capacity.
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