NCBA CEO Discusses Industry Issues with Texas Cattlemen

More than 170 Texas cattlemen had an open dialog about industry issues with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Chief Executive Officer Terry Stokes during two town hall meetings held Sept. 19 in Gonzales and Waco.  The meetings were part of a series of visits planned around the country by Stokes to “put a stethoscope on the heartbeat of members.”  The sessions were hosted by the Independent Cattlemen’s Association (ICA), Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA), Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA), and the Texas Beef Council (TBC).

“The meetings were extremely productive,” said Clark Willingham, a cattleman from Dallas who helped emcee the Waco meeting.  “Producers had a chance to air their concerns, which centered largely around packer ownership, captive supply and the overall challenge of just staying in business.”

Stokes said, “There is a great deal of stress in the industry right now.  Producers have questions about what their organization is doing for them and they want to feel confident that it is working to keep them on their land. 

“I believe these forums will go a long way from the standpoint of NCBA gaining greater local insight,” he continued, “as well as in helping producers understand that NCBA is not just trying to help them survive - it is working to help them thrive.”

Stokes shared the tour with TBC Executive Vice President Richard Wortham, who presented recent checkoff successes in the areas of beef promotion, research and food safety.  Wortham said that beef demand has been trending upward since 1998 after nearly two decades of decline.  He remarked that the checkoff was doing what it was designed to do - stimulate others in the beef marketing channel to sell more beef and stimulate consumers to buy more beef.

“Without increased beef demand,” said Texas Beef Council Past-President Jim Selman, a cow-calf producer from Gonzales who also serves on the NCBA Executive Committee, “our cattle would have little value.  Our work in new product development, for instance, surely passes the litmus test of stimulating beef sales.”

Stokes’ next stop on his town hall tour is Oct. 1-2 in Fallon and Paradise Valley, Nev.  The meetings will help provide input for future direction for NCBA in the legislative and regulatory arena, as well as in the global marketplace.  They will also provide the opportunity for leadership to share the vision and philosophy of NCBA with grassroots cattlemen.