CATTLEMEN’S COLUMN

by CCA President Tony Toso

As we work our way out of the pandemic I am encouraged and grateful for more opportunities to get to see everyone and just have a chance to visit and catch up. Technology has been beneficial to help keep us in touch and informed but there is nothing like being able to interact with each other in person. Especially when I think about all the different issues and concerns that need attention every day.

As cattle producers we know that not keeping an eye on the herd is the first step in the wrong direction. With that being said, I want to take a quick second to point out how appreciative I am of our staff and my fellow officers and committee leaders. I know that we all appreciate the efforts of our office staff – Billy, Kirk, Lisa and Katie. Now just think about that prior sentence. Four names! Four people to keep us informed, work on our issues and handle the day-to-day problems that come to the office, and that’s putting it lightly.

Getting to work with these people is a lesson in efficiency and undaunted work ethic. We really do have the best when it comes to staff who are dedicated to our way of life and they are never too busy to attend to the latest “crisis” and that’s with the added pressure of trying to operate and accomplish our goals in the midst of the COVID-19 era.

There is much going on that your staff and officers have been involved with. To start, I can’t write this article without acknowledging our Fire Subcommittee and their great work. This is a committee of allstars. As most are aware we are on the cusp of seeing several CCAauthored bills have a great chance to become law and showcase our voice and contributions to be part of the solution to wildfire mitigation.

Anthony Stornetta has been masterful in leading this group and Lenya Quinn-Davidson’s work on getting SB 332 – Dodd (prescribed fire liability standards in a nutshell) to where it is currently at in the legislative process is nothing short of impressive. The work that Kirk Wilbur, Jason Bryant and Billy Gatlin have put into this piece of legislation (not to mention our other bills and priorities) was critical.

We also are moving the Ag Pass bill through the process (AB 1103 – Dahle) and it has been met with some very impressive support.

Finally, AB 434 (Rivas) which would encourage grazing of state-owned lands, has been delayed, but is still a main priority of CCA and will be pushed for later in the year or in the first part of 2022. It will be exciting to see where this all goes, but I am confident that the efforts put forth by our fire committee and staff have put us in the best position to succeed in our wildfire efforts.

The other area that is always on the mind of any cattle producer is the price we receive for our production. Tha

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has not been lost on your officers and staff. In light of the recent past events like the Tyson Fire in August of 2019 and this past year with COVID affecting supply chain function, it seems we are in a never-ending battle to create more value in our calves and to receive commensurate price for the value created.

CCA was right there in the mix of last summer’s meetings with NCBA in Denver in that six-hour marathon Live Cattle Marketing meeting where the 75% Plan was conceived. In anticipation of following the progress of the 75% Plan and being at the ready, CCA formed our own Price Discovery and Transparency subcommittee to try and get ahead of what the results of the “trigger” process of the 75% plan might indicate.

As of today, we have seen triggers tripped in the first quarter evaluation. With the prospects of considering possible government mandates to price discovery/ transparency on the horizon CCA is intent on making sure that we have turned over all the stones to make the best decisions that benefit our producers.

Seth Scribner has done a great job leading this committee and the cross section of knowledge from all segments of the industry within the group is impressive. The entire CCA officer team is also a part of the group to gain input and thoughts, while maintaining the utmost in transparency. We are looking at the process of discovering price of fed cattle, evaluating our policy and looking for ways to keep it updated and pertinent to today’s markets.

We are also looking at existing legislation like the Packers and Stockyards Act, Livestock Marketing act of 1946 and Mandatory Livestock Reporting from 1999. There have been some great discussions and they are frank and the interest and knowledge coming out in these discussions is encouraging. CCA will be at the NCBA convention in August and participating in these discussions regarding price discovery and transparency within the market.

As you can see your association has been busy working on your behalf and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Other important issues like GHG’s, sustainability, drought, predators, fake meat and much more are on our radar. CCA is working hard on your behalf and your membership is greatly appreciated. Don’t ever hesitate to call or get in touch when you have a concern. Till next time...

APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2021 CCA SCHOLARSHIPS ARE BEING ACCEPTED NOW THROUGH OCTOBER 1, 2021! In 2020, CCA awarded over $51,000 in scholarships to students studying agriculture.

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