NEBRASKA TO HOST EDUCATIONAL FORUM ON NON-NEGOTIATED LIVE CATTLE MARKETING ISSUES

DENVER (September 22, 1998) - The effects of non-negotiated live cattle marketing on today's cattle prices have increasingly attracted attention within the beef industry. To help shed light on those effects, Nebraska Cattlemen is hosting an open educational forum beginning at 1:00 p.m. on September 25, 1998 at Fonner Park in Grand Island, Neb. Beef industry representatives from each state have been invited to attend this meeting.

"With as much talk as this issue is receiving around the country," remarks Clark Willingham, president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), "I strongly encourage any and all beef producers who have an interest in this important area to attend and lend your voice and opinion."

A group of Nebraska cattle feeders have already been meeting for several weeks to identify methods to improve the cattle market by addressing non-negotiated fed cattle sales. At the upcoming Nebraska Cattlemen meeting, these feeders and other cattlemen hope to outline the problems associated with non-negotiated selling and identify potential solutions. An agenda has been developed that addresses several relevant issues and several industry-recognized speakers have been scheduled to provide insight.

For additional specifics on the upcoming meeting, contact Greg Ruehle at the Nebraska Cattlemen office at 402-475-2333.

-- NCBA --

Initiated in 1898, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is the marketing organization and trade association for America's one million cattle farmers and ranchers. With offices in Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C., NCBA is a consumer-focused, producer-directed organization representing the largest segment of the nation's food and fiber industry.