Riding Herd Saying things that need to be said. August 15, 2026 • www.aaalivestock.com
Volume 68 • No. 8
by LEE PITTS
Big Bad Brazil H
Attempted Murder
BY LEE PITTS
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ifty years ago, I received a Rotary Graduate Fellowship to go to any university of my choice in the world for one year of study. I chose the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, and every class contained students from around the world. I planned on a career in the cattle business and I wanted to check out who I thought would be our biggest competitor. In hindsight I made a big mistake; I should have gone to Brazil to learn about their crooked ways and their almost unlimited capacity to produce meat, beef in particular. Consider these facts: Brazil is the largest exporter of beef in the world. It is also the world’s largest exporter of chicken meat, the fifth largest milk producer and the 3rd largest producer of pork in the world. Brazil also has the second largest herd of cattle in the world, 22.2 percent of the world herd, behind only India, which does not produce their cattle for consumption. Brazil is responsible for 15.4 percent of global
production and Brazilian meatpackers have easily earned the distinction of being the most corrupt in the world. Now they seem to have the full backing of the current administration in Washington DC to further erode the position of the American cattle rancher.
investigation, that Brazil had a long list of unfair trade practices, including lax anti-corruption enforcement, unfair tariffs of its own, illegal deforestation associated with cattle and many other illegal practices that would normally exclude them from a “get out of jail free card.” (In tariffing Brazil, President Trump is attempting an end-run around the Supreme Court’s ruling in February that many of Trump’s tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 were illegal and void. In implementing the new 25 percent tariffs on some Brazilian exports to America, Trump is using section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorizes tariffs on goods from countries whose acts, policies or practices are unreasonable and burden or restrict U.S. commerce.) According to R-CALF, “The USTR proposes exempting all fresh, chilled and frozen beef, including carcasses, meat cuts, high-quality meat cuts, offal, tongues and livers, and processed beef, and beef variety
Every path has a few puddles. A “Get Out of Jail Free” Card As of July 22, 2026, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the President will impose a 25 percent on imports from Brazil after finding a broad range of unfair trade practices by the world’s 10th-biggest economy. But here’s the kicker that should make cattlemen madder than a rained-on-rooster. Brazilian beef will be exempt from the 25 percent tariffs! This even after the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative concluded, following a yearlong
meats from the proposed tariff.” Hey, I Voted For The Guy Too! So why was beef from Brazil exempted from the 25 percent tariffs? Because President Trump, who ranchers helped get elected, decided the price of beef was too high and wanted to bring it down by flooding the market with Brazilian beef. Once again, amidst all the government gibberish and bologna slinging, R-CALF’s CEO, Bill Bullard, was a voice of reason. “We believe the USTR exempted Brazil’s beef from the new tariff regime in an effort to lower beef prices in the domestic market, but that strategy is fundamentally wrong and dangerous to national security.” What really gets my goat was that in ruling against American ranchers and in exempting Brazilian beef from the 25 percent tariff, the USTR said that the U.S. could not produce sufficient volumes of beef and that a tariff on Brazilian beef would cause economy wide disruptions.
“A Grave Mistake” “Brazil had long been banned continued on page 2
Lawsuit Filed Tyson Foods to to Protect Restructure Beef Endangered Operations Wildlife From Expanded Grazing yson Foods announced changes to its beef operations, including ending Plan operations at facilities as the compa-
NEWSPAPER PRIORITY HANDLING
BY DAILYN WELLS / KAMR/KCIT, AMARILLO, TEXAS
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he Center for Biological Diversity ny works to create a more efficient (CBD) sued the US Forest Service network during an ongoing cattle shortage in (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Man- mid-August. agement (BLM) in mid-August over The strategic plan will focus on three beef the approval of a new livestock grazing plan facilities in the central United States: Dakota they claim would harm imperiled wildlife, in- City, Nebraska; Holcomb, Kansas; and Amarilcluding wolves, grizzly bears, Gunnison sage- lo, Texas. As cattle supplies become available, grouse, Mexican spotted owls, and spikedace Tyson Foods plans to ramp up a second shift at across the Western United States. its Amarillo facility. The new grazing plan, implemented through As part of the restructuring, Tyson Foods a memorandum of understanding signed in plans to close its beef facility in Joslin, Illinois, March by federal public land management and its case-ready facility in Eagle Mountain, agencies, will open up to 24 million acres of Utah. USFS and BLM lands to grazing where cattle The company said the changes are intended are presently not allowed,CBD claims. to create a more competitive beef production CBD says there is a map that shows the plan network during what it described as one of the would allow cattle grazing on numerous areas most significant cattle shortages in the nation’s throughout the West that provide critical habi- history. tat designated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife SerTyson officials said recent U.S. Department vice (FWS) as necessary to recover endangered of Agriculture cattle inventory data show conspecies. tinued limited heifer retention, which the comThe plan would also target sensitive land- pany said provides further evidence that tight scapes, such as the Pony Express Trail in cattle supplies are likely to persist. continued on page 3
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ave you seen a big influx of bumper-pulled utility trailers being towed by huge pickups in your area? That’s certainly the case in my part of the world. My theory is that by the time the manufacturers put two rows of seating with good leg room on the chassis of their trucks there is hardly enough room left for a decent bed. And I don’t see too many long-beds because they end up being longer than a coal train. So truck owners are buying trailers to haul the stuff they used to haul in their pickups. I have pulled all kinds of trailers with all kinds of trucks in my life. Because my old man was a truck driver, I learned to drive a semi by the time I was eighteen. I’ve pulled everything from horse trailers to house trailers and I gotta tell you, I hate bumperpull trailers and it’s not just because I went over a hundred-foot cliff in a pickup when I was 17 with a horse trailer on back. At least it was when we started going over the cliff but by the time we hit bottom the truck and trailer had become uncoupled... divorced... unattached. The real reason I hate bumper-pull trailers was because of the hatred I felt towards my wife’s stepdad who was the most pompous, diabolical arse God ever put on this planet. And that’s no exaggeration. He wanted to take my wife’s mother, who I really liked, far away from her children which was all right by me. In fact, I offered to drive a pickup with a 20-foot U Haul trailer filled with all their belongings just to make sure he was gone for good. They rented the U Haul and borrowed a pickup so I didn’t have to use mine. I didn’t even have to pack all their stuff up; all I had to do was drive six hours away right through the middle of Los Angeles traffic. My wife and I got to the in-law’s new abode just fine and we stayed the night so we didn’t have to drive another six hours back home in the same day. Early the next morning we were on our way home with the trailer when right in the middle of LA traffic I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw the trailer was swinging to and fro and was carrying the truck with it. As carefully as I could, I slowed down to work
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Livestock Market Digest
BRAZIL
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from exporting fresh beef to the U.S. due to foot-and-mouth disease restrictions,” says R-CALF. “And so, for decades, it only exported processed or precooked beef, such as beef jerky. Since the turn of the century through 2019, Brazil exported the live cattle equivalent of 274,000 cows per year in the form of processed beef. But from 2020 through 2025, after foot-and-mouth restrictions were removed, Brazil’s exports to the U.S. exploded.” Bullard continued, “In 2025, the U.S. imported the live-cattle equivalent of 9.3 million cows, with more than 1.5 million of those live cattle equivalents imported from Brazil. Now note: That’s nearly the same number of beef cows that have been purged from our industry due largely to failed trade policies since 1980.” R-CALF’s voice has previously been heard loud and clear in Washington, but Bullard believes in this case, Trump and the USTR are making a big mistake because they are not considering all the facts. “In a competitive marketplace,” said Bullard, “increased imports would be expected to increase domestic supplies and lower consumer prices, but the U.S. cattle and beef markets are not competitive – they are controlled by giant monopolistic corporations. A handful of dominant corporations in those industries wield their tremendous market power to exact higher margins for themselves whenever they can source cheaper imports from abroad.” “That’s why beef prices continued to climb to record levels even during years when cattle prices were depressed by increasing import volumes,” said Bullard. “It’s also why the alltime record import volumes beginning in 2023 have had no effect on consumer beef prices but have enabled the retail sector to capture all-time record
margins by buying their inputs low and selling to consumers high.” “Excessive import volumes entering the U.S. over the past many years have contributed substantially to the liquidation of the U.S. cattle herd,” continued Bullard, “reducing it to the smallest size in 75 years. More record imports, as are now being led by the record volumes of Brazilian-sourced imports, will further impede investments to expand the U.S. herd and lead to even more ranchers exiting the industry.” “The USTR has made a grave mistake and is providing a windfall to the two Brazilian-owned beef packers – JBS and Marfrig – that are among the four largest beef packers in the United States. “It is critical to national security that the U.S. become self-sufficient in the production of such a critical dietary protein as beef, but the USTR’s decision will undermine that objective and harm both ranchers and consumers. We urge the USTR to reconsider its decision,” concluded Bullard.
Where’s The Howl From The Greenies? The decision by the USTR to exempt Brazilian beef from the 25 percent tariff is mind boggling when you consider their own investigation found that illegal cattle ranching in Brazil was a primary cause of Brazil’s unlawful deforestation and Brazil had failed to eliminate this illicit activity. We wonder, where are the howls from the greenies now? According to USTR’s own rules and their own investigation, there is grounds for tariffing Brazilian beef to the high heavens! The USTR cited a study estimating that “between 2018 and 2022, cattle ranching drove 78 percent of commodity-attributed deforestation.” According to R-CALF, “The investigation further found that cattle raised illegally on defor-
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ested land can be laundered through legitimate Brazilian slaughterhouses, and that Brazilian ranchers are known to bribe government officials to hide their illicit deforestation activities.” Bullard testified in Washington DC, that, “Brazil monetizes illegal deforestation through beef exports to the U.S. Decades of rising beef imports, including a dramatic increase of imports from Brazil since 2020, have displaced domestic production, discouraged herd rebuilding, weakened the nation’s competitive cattle infrastructure and increased U.S. dependence on imported beef.” Bullard testified that, “Brazil was far exceeding the tariff quota the U.S. put in place in 1994 to protect the domestic cattle industry from excessive, price-depressing imports. Record volumes of Brazilian beef enter the U.S. unabated by over-quota tariffs. This beef is contributing substantially to the burgeoning mountain of unmanaged, price-depressing imports that decimated the competitive infrastructure of the U.S. cattle industry, rendering it incapable of meeting America’s beef demand.” Bullard stated the proposed exemption would significantly contribute to the growing volume of beef imports “that are undermining the very price signals and policy confidence American ranchers need to make the long-term investment necessary to begin rebuilding the domestic cattle herd.”
The Dirty List The U.S Cattlemen’s Association also testified in DC. Their Director of Policy and Public Affairs Jenna Stanton testified that “American cattle producers are not looking for a way out. They are fighting for every possible reason to stay in. But if the United States keeps the door open to cheap beef from countries that play below the law and tolerate forced labor, we will make that decision for them. We will push them out of an industry they love not because they failed, but because they refused to cheat.” “Brazil’s Ministry of Labor has repeatedly placed cattle operations on its ‘Dirty List’ for using conditions analogous to slavery,” said a USCA press release. The USCA also expressed concern over a growing back door through Argentina. “As Argentina’s herd shrinks under drought and economic crisis, imports of Brazilian beef into Argentina have surged by more than 4,000 percent in the last year. That trend raises the risk that Brazilian product can be blended or rerouted through Argentina and enter the U.S. market under an Argentine label.” According to the USCA, “Independent U.S. producers cannot compete, long‑term, against imported beef that’s cheaper because it’s produced under labor conditions that would be illegal here. What U.S. producers are not asking is for you to quietly replace American beef with foreign beef raised under conditions we would never allow here,” testified Stanton.
Brazil’s Biggest Bad Boys In allowing Brazil free rein to destroy the American cattle industry, we should never forget who we are dealing with here. Calling them a bad actor on the world stage does not do
August 15, 2026 their corruption justice. According to the Guardian newspaper, Brazil promised “to clean up its beef supply chain by the end of 2025.” But the Guardian revealed that JBS broke its promise as usual. “JBS then failed to meet its year-end deadline and has since scrapped its ‘net zero by 2040’ pledge.” It seems like only yesterday Joesley and Wesley Batista were jailed for six months beginning in 2017 and their JBS multibillion-dollar meat empire was on the ropes due to what the Guardian called, “One of the world’s biggest corporate corruption scandals.” JBS became the largest meat packer in the world via a $20 billion acquisition spree financed with stock and debt, with the help of Brazil’s state-owned development bank. Last year JBS, which was founded in Brazil in 1953, moved its headquarters from Brazil to the Netherlands so they’d be able to get their company’s stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange. This made it possible for JBS to more easily acquire money to expand and enable Joesley and Wesley Batista to significantly raise their ownership stake. According to Forbes, “The U.S. listing of the Brazil-based JBS has been delayed several times over the past decade due to a deluge of scandals involving the top shareholders and their holding company—including bribes to Brazilian meat inspectors, kickbacks to government financiers, insider trading allegations, and illegal campaign contributions to more than 1,800 Brazilian politicians. That is in addition to accusations in the U.S. of JBS and its various companies of price-fixing, wage-manipulating, violating child labor laws, plus allegations of discrimination and harassment.” A report in Farm Progress written by Felipe Marques and James Attwood said the growth of JBS was made possible through Brazilian politicians, “Who allegedly eased access to government-owned banks and pension funds at a time when Brazilian authorities were shelling out cheap money to multiple companies hoping to create ‘national champions.’” JBS is now worth at least three times what it was when the brothers went to jail. It op-
erates in 20 countries and controls a quarter of U.S. beef processing. The brothers, according to Forbes are worth $5.8 billion each, hold stakes in companies with $28 billion in assets, and tower over all other meat barons. “JBS is a prime example of the Brazilian way of doing business,” said Luis Andre Azevedo, a professor at Fundacao Getulio Vargas’s law school, pointing to the company’s deep, longstanding political connections. “In 2017, the brothers turned on a network of politicians they’d spent years cultivating through legal and off-the-books donations. What followed was a scandal so widespread that it led to ‘Joesley Day,’ one of the worst market routs in Brazil’s history.” The Batista family’s holding company, J&F, agreed to pay fines of $2 billion to Brazilian authorities over 25 years, followed by a similar deal with the U.S. Department of Justice for $256 million. JBS wasn’t the only Brazilian bad actor whose sketchy ways allowed it to become one of the four largest beef packers in the world. Marfrig Global Foods has had its share of bad press too. Marfrig’s owner, Marcos Molina, agreed, without acknowledging guilt, to pay an indemnity in a bribery probe back in 2018.
The Least They Can Do If DC politicians are going to allow Brazil to flood our country with poorer quality beef thereby harming American ranchers, the least the bureaucrats can do by way of an apology is make country of origin labeling mandatory. Once again R-CALF said it best: “In response to the USTR’s misguided decision, congressional enactment of mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef is imperative. Only with MCOOL can consumers choose to buy their beef from a country that evidence shows has failed to address illegal deforestation and has a history of food safety corruption, or from the United States of America, where beef is produced under the most stringent production and food safety standards in the world.”
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August 15, 2026
Livestock Market Digest
TYSON ATTEMPTED MURDER
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my way over to the shoulder of the road and eventually got everything shut down. Somehow the trailer had come off the ball and was only held on by the safety chains. I immediately suspected the evil stepdad of trying to get us killed. Please note that it didn’t happen on the trip the previous day because he wanted to get his belongings to their new home but after that I suspected him of getting up at two in the morning and monkey-wrenching with the ball on the bumper or the coupling of the trailer. I couldn’t file attempted murder charges because the people at U Haul called it a “no fault” failure. Seated at a table at a video sale in Reno I was telling this story to a couple who were friends of ours when all of a sudden, the wife who is usually very quiet said, “That’s nothing,” she said as she stared at her husband derisively, “wait till you hear about our little trailering incident.” The husband shrunk down in his seat trying to disappear under the table when his wife started telling the story. “We were going to pick up two horses that we’d bought in Colorado. We were having a good trip and even did a little sightseeing along the way. We found ourselves on a lightly traveled road near Cedar City, Utah, when the ball came off the bumper. We were going downhill at a pretty good rate and the next thing we heard was a big commotion behind us.” “My gosh,” I asked, “weren’t you frightened?” Of course I was,” said the wife. “Next thing you know we both looked out the driver’s side window and saw a trailer passing us doing about 80 mph. Then pea brain here scratches his head and says, “Look honey. There’s a trailer just like ours.”
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LAWSUIT
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Utah, the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Colorado, and the Sonoran Desert National Monument in Arizona. The lawsuit says that given the harm this plan would inflict on federally protected species, land management agencies were required to consult with the FWS and the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service to ensure the plants and animals were safeguarded. It failed to do so. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.
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Advertise to Cattlemen and Ranchers! Call 505-243-9515 FOR MORE INFORMATION
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The company said production capacity from those facilities will be shifted to other strategically located operations with available capacity and greater opportunities for future growth. Tyson said it recognizes the impact the changes will have on employees and communities. The company plans to support affected employees during the transition by helping them apply for available positions at other Tyson facilities. The company said the changes will allow it to maintain a similar level of cattle harvesting for a more efficient and modern network. Tyson Foods said the restructuring is intended to strengthen its beef business while allowing the company to continue providing affordable protein products to consumers. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller released the following statement: “Tyson’s announcement should be a wake-up call for anyone who cares about the future of the American cattle industry. We are liv-
Page 3 ing through one of the most severe cattle shortages in our nation’s history, and now we’re seeing the consequences ripple through the entire beef supply chain. Plants are closing, operations are consolidating, workers and communities are being affected, and cattle producers are facing enormous challenges,” he said. In a separate statement issued by The United Food Workers and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) the group’s President Milton Jones said: “The closure of the Tyson Foods beef plant ... follows a troubling downward trend in the meatpacking industry and greatly impacts the livelihoods of our union brothers and sisters who worked for this company, like a tornado ripping through the community. “UFCW Local 15 46 has a long-standing and proud union partnership with Tyson Foods, and we were extremely disappointed in not receiving advance notice of this news.
“Our local union stands firm with the over 2,000 skilled members who have worked tirelessly day and night to sustain our nation’s food supply and have now had their careers ripped out from underneath them without warning.”
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Livestock Market Digest
FDA Issues Emergency Use Authorization for Drug to Treat New World Screwworm in Dogs and Puppies
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he U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Simparica TRIO (sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel chewable tablets) for the treatment of New World screwworm (NWS) infestations (myiasis) in dogs and puppies.
Currently, most dogs in the U.S. are at low risk of NWS exposure due to their geographic location. However, dogs that live in, travel to, or return from areas where NWS infestations have been identified by state or federal animal health officials, as well as certain countries south of the U.S. border, should
August 15, 2026
be closely monitored for signs of infestation, such as visible maggots or foul odors in wounds or body openings (eyes, ears, nose, mouth). Seek immediate veterinary care for infested dogs. For up-to-date U.S. case information, see the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s dashboard of Confirmed Detections of New World Screwworm. At present, NWS has only been detected in specific areas of Texas and New Mexico. Based on the totality of the scientific evidence available, the FDA has concluded it is reasonable to believe that Simparica TRIO may be effective in the treatment of NWS myiasis in dogs and puppies when used as authorized, and the known and potential benefits of the
product outweigh its known and potential risks. Simparica TRIO is not authorized for the prevention of NWS. Simparica TRIO was approved by the FDA in 2020 for heartworm, flea, and tick-related indications in dogs and puppies. Sarolaner, one of the active ingredients in Simparica TRIO, belongs to a class of antiparasitic drugs called isoxazolines. Although isoxazoline products are commonly used and safe for most dogs, the products have been associated with neurologic adverse reactions, including muscle tremors, loss of coordination, and seizures. Because professional expertise is required to monitor for and respond to these reactions, Simparica TRIO is available only by
prescription from a licensed veterinarian. Dog owners should consult with a veterinarian to determine if Simparica TRIO is appropriate for their dog. Detailed product information can be found in the Fact Sheet for Veterinarians: Emergency Use Authorization of Simparica TRIO (sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel chewable tablets) for New World Screwworm (NWS). This EUA will be effective until it is revoked or the HHS Secretary terminates the declaration that the potential public health emergency presented by NWS justifies the emergency use authorization of animal drugs for NWS.
Prussic Acid or Nitrates?
The two toxins interfere with oxygen delivery in different ways. Prussic acid, or cyanide, is rapidly absorbed and hemoglobin from releasing oxygen to tissue. Blood from an affected animal may remain bright cherry red because it is highly oxygenated. With nitrate toxicity, nitrate is converted in the rumen to nitrite. Excess nitrite converts hemoglobin to methemoglobin, which does not carry oxygen. Blood from cattle severely affected by nitrate is dark chocolate brown. Plant stress is important for both problems, but the risk patterns differ. Prussic acid is especially concerning following drought stress and frost. Young plants and new regrowth contain more prussic acid than mature plants, and concentrations are generally higher in leaves than stems. Producers should avoid grazing fresh regrowth after harvest or frost-damaged susceptible plants for at least seven days or until the plants are completely dry and brown. Prussic acid volatilizes so will decrease with wilting and dry hay does not usually retain prussic acid when baled. Nitrate accumulation occurs when plant growth is slowed while nitrate uptake continues.
Drought, high temperatures, cloudy weather, disease, and herbicide injury can contribute to accumulation. Unlike prussic acid, nitrate concentration is generally greatest in the lower portion of the plant stem. Nitrates do not volatilize and will remain in the plants after wilting and baling. Both toxicities can act rapidly. Signs may include anxiety, weakness, rapid or labored breathing, staggering, tremors, collapse, and death. With prussic acid poisoning, the progression can be so rapid that dead cattle are often the first indication of a problem. Nitrate toxicity can also result in abortions as oxygen supply to the fetus is compromised. The most important management tool is testing when there is reason for concern. County Extension offices may have screening tests available, and suspect samples can be submitted to a laboratory for quantitative analysis. Although “stressed forage” does not automatically mean toxicity knowing the forage species, the type of stress, where the toxin accumulates in the plant, and having the forage tested can prevent costly mistakes.
BY PAUL BECK, OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION BEEF CATTLE NUTRITION SPECIALIST
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rought, high temperatures, and other stresses can create forage toxicity concerns for cattle producers. Two of the most commonly discussed problems I am asked about this time of year are prussic acid and nitrate toxicity. They can occur in some of the same forage species and produce similar symptoms in affected cattle, but they are not the same problem and require different management. Sorghums, sorghum-sudan hybrids, sudangrass, Johnsongrass, and corn can all be associated with these toxicities. Prussic acid is primarily a concern with plants in the sorghum family, while nitrate accumulation can occur in a much wider range of grasses, crops, and weeds. Pigweed, Johnsongrass, corn, sorghums, and Sudan grasses are among the more common nitrate accumulators. Pearl millet and corn do not produce prussic acid but can accumulate nitrates.
Consumer Demand for Beef BY MARK Z. JOHNSON, OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION BEEF CATTLE BREEDING SPECIALIST
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he past several years of lower cow inventories, fewer fed cattle, higher values of live cattle and profitability across the sectors of beef production, and particularly, high retail beef prices lead many of us to ask: “Is there a price point at which consumers are no longer willing and able to enjoy beef?” As of now, beef demand remains exceptionally resilient and strong. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, wholesale beef prices were 19.7 percent higher in March 2026 than in March 2025 and are predicted to increase by 7.8 percent in 2026. Still consumers continue choosing beef. In fact, despite those higher prices, consumers increased both their spending and purchase volume during that same period with beef sales outpacing competing proteins like chicken and pork.
According to consumer survey data:
■■ The majority of U.S. beef
purchasing decisions are based on taste and eating satisfaction. Increasingly, nutritional benefits and health play a role in these decisions, which is also working to beef’s advantage.
■■ Over the past five years,
the willingness of consumers to pay for beef at retail has increased faster than inflation. For example, in 2020 consumers were willing to pay $7.26/ pound for ground beef at retail. This price point of their willingness to pay increased to $9.18/pound in 2025.
■■ Since 2020, the percent-
age of consumers who regularly consume animal proteins has increased. Currently more than 85% of Americans identify as meat eaters, while the share of consumers identifying a vegetarian or vegan has declined from 14% to 7%.
■■ Oklahoma is one of the states with the highest percentage of consumers
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Simparica TRIO is sponsored by Zoetis Inc., based in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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who self-declare as regularly consuming meat.
■■ As income increases con-
sumers are more willing to pay for beef.
■■ GLP-1 users are less sensitive to the price of beef.
■■ On
average, consumers in the U.S. work about 13 minutes to pay for one pound of retail beef. For comparison, U.S. citizens work about 100 days each year to pay their annual federal, state and local taxes. Consumer demand is critically important to the price of beef as well as live cattle of all types. In spite of historically low inventories of live cattle, a higher percentage of the U.S. weekly harvest mix is reaching the premium quality grades (Prime and upper two-thirds of Choice) than ever before. Consumers have responded favorably to improving beef quality. Greater supply of marbling-rich beef has allowed more consumers to try the premium quality product. Consumers like it and are willing to spend more to enjoy it. The phenomenon has increased demand across the entire beef industry.
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August 15, 2026
Livestock Market Digest
NMSU Receives Grant to Help Navajo Communities Increase Food Sovereignty
“Navajo communities are working to increase food sovereignty and address related health disparities such as childhood obesity and diabetes. However, they face unique challenges,” said Kevin Lombard, research director for the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Farmington. “Fresh fruits and vegetables are difficult
for families to access on the Navajo Nation due to their high cost and the need to travel long distances to purchase them.” Lombard said Navajo families have expressed interest in growing their own fruits and vegetables, but face harsh growing conditions, lack of water and limited knowledge of how to maintain gardens, especially around schools. Elementary schools can play a major role in teaching Navajo children about healthy eating and gardening while sustaining cultural traditions, but teachers often lack the knowledge and skills to incorporate those topics into their curricula, or are unfamiliar with technologies like drip irrigation, greenhouses and hydroponics, which can be found in school campus gardens.
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“Our project team and the science center have over 20 years of experience in collaborating with Navajo community partners to address food sovereignty and health inequities,” Lombard said. “We bring expertise in agriculture, gardening, health and education that strives to respect regional cultural values.”
Common Ground Coalition Holds Eastern Region Summit to Strengthen Livestock Industry
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he Common Ground Coalition continued its regional summit series in Nashville, bringing together livestock industry participants from across the Eastern United States and beyond to identify practical solutions that support the future of livestock production, rural communities and the domestic food supply. Building on outcomes from earlier regional discussions, the Eastern Region Summit focused on the critical role of small cowcalf producers and the need to strengthen the foundation that allows those operations to succeed. Participants emphasized that small producers remain essential to rural economies, local communities and the long-term strength of the cattle industry.
Eastern Region Recommendations
Lombard said he expects the program to reach more than 1,500 Navajo youth over three years, and result in increases in
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he New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center at Farmington has consistently provided programs and support to the area’s Navajo communities. A recent $500,000 grant will help the center continue that support by addressing food sovereignty and related health issues within the Navajo Nation. The center recently received a grant from the National Institute for Food and Agriculture for a project titled “Seeds of change: Training elementary educators to implement the Yéego! Healthy eating and gardening program.” The program will train 60 elementary school teachers serving Navajo students in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah over the next three years to increase knowledge and skills in healthy eating and gardening practices in their classrooms using Yéego!, a Diné word that translates to work hard and persevere.
gardening and healthy eating behaviors. To do this, the center will host workshops on how to deliver the Yéego! Healthy Eating and Gardening curriculum in classrooms. Teachers will be recruited from 86 schools in the Navajo Nation and neighboring towns with significant Navajo student populations to participate and receive travel reimbursement and a stipend to attend the workshops. The first cohort completed the Seeds of Change program earlier this month. The Yéego program was developed and rigorously tested by a research team from NMSU, Diné College and the Fred Hutch Cancer Center in collaboration with Navajo Nation community leaders. It is a school-based intervention to promote healthy eating behavior among elementary school children in the Navajo Nation.
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The 32 attendees advanced recommendations to help guide the next phase of the Common Ground Coalition’s work. Through respectful discussion, participants focused on ideas they believed the group could ultimately align on. While differing viewpoints were represented, items without consensus did not move forward. This approach has been foundational to the Common Ground Coalition, and these outcomes will be combined with findings from the coalition’s other regional summits held in Reno, Nev., Omaha, Neb., and in Fort Worth, Texas this year.
Key priorities from the Eastern Region Summit include:
■■ Strengthen
small cowcalf producers as a critical part of the industry. Participants emphasized that smaller scale livestock producers support rural economies, preserve agricultural traditions, and help keep production agriculture viable for future generations.
■■ Improve access to capi-
tal, financing, and ownership opportunities. The group supported practical financing tools, including innovative ownership models, livestock leasing, shared assets, blended financing and pathways that help workers, managers, and emerging producers build equity and ownership.
■■ Preserve and expand land
available for livestock and forage production. Participants called for keeping more working land in agriculture, evaluating opportunities for appropriate CRP acres to return to production, exploring flexible production easements and addressing regulatory pressures that limit land access and use.
■■ Support tax policies that
encourage transition, reinvestment, and growth. Priorities included preserving agriculture-friendly tax policy including step-up in basis, modernizing 1031 exchange rules, exploring agricultural land transfer incentives, and addressing tax rules that may discourage investment in livestock production.
■■ Create better tools for
land transition and succontinued on page 6
Page 6
Livestock Market Digest
August 15, 2026
TAMU Researcher Earns National Award for Livestock Nutrition Research BY KAYDEE FREE
T
he American Feed Industry Association honored Reinaldo Fernandes Cooke, Ph.D., with its 2026 award in Ruminant Nutrition Research at the American Society of Animal Science, ASAS, annual meeting in Madison, Wisconsin. Cooke is the Burkhart Endowed Professor for Beef Cattle Research in the Department of Animal Science in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The national award recognizes outstanding research that advances the nutrition of ruminant animals and honors scientists whose work has significantly impacted animal agriculture. Cooke’s research focuses on the nutritional management of cattle across a wide range of production systems. He investigates how nutrients, feed ingredients and nutritional strategies influence animal health, reproductive performance and productivity all while providing
GROUND
cont from page 5
cession planning. Participants encouraged stronger partnerships among lenders, attorneys, extension, realtors, trade associations, and agricultural businesses to help connect retiring landowners with emerging producers and keep working lands in agricultural production.
■■ Expand
pathways to ownership and workforce development. The group called for additional opportunities for apprenticeships, internships, mentorships, coop programs, financial literacy training, business planning, education, and stronger partnerships with schools, youth organizations, and agricultural programs.
■■ Explore new financing
concepts for livestock
practical solutions for beef producers. “This award reflects Dr. Cooke’s commitment to developing research that improves cattle production while addressing real-world challenges faced by producers,” said Clay Mathis, Ph.D., professor and head of the Department of Animal Science. “His work continues to advance the science of beef cattle nutrition and has made a lasting impact on producers, researchers and the animal agriculture industry worldwide.”
Advancing the future of beef production Throughout his career, Cooke has emphasized research that bridges fundamental science with real-world application. His work has helped identify nutritional strategies that improve reproductive efficiency, strengthen immune function and enhance growth performance in beef cattle.
production. Participants discussed the potential for a food security bond, which could fund low-interest loan opportunities or self-funding tax credits to help livestock producers access affordable capital for land, livestock, equipment and infrastructure.
■■ Improve Livestock Risk
Protection affordability, flexibility and relevance. Priorities included pursuing premium cost relief of up to 80 percent for longer-term endorsements, better aligning products with real-world marketing practices and expanding coverage to breeding-age females and cull cows.
■■ Modernize
FSA and Beginning Producer financing programs. Participants supported shifting from age-based definitions to a broader “emerging producer” approach focused on
Reinaldo Cooke, Ph.D. receives the 2026 American Feed Industry Association Ruminant Nutrition Research Award. (Reinaldo Cooke/Texas A&M AgriLife)
ownership status, management responsibility, decision-making authority, and stage of business development.
■■ Strengthen agricultural
workforce development and labor programs. The group supported both domestic workforce pipelines and practical reforms to agricultural labor programs, including improvements that reflect year-round livestock industry segments such as livestock markets, feedlots, and dairies.
■■ Improve
healthcare, family support, and employee benefits for agricultural workers and rural communities. Participants encouraged policies and tools that help agricultural employers recruit and retain workers while supporting rural families and businesses.
■■ Strengthen
animal
health research. The group identified the need for more research and practical solutions for economically important threats such as ticks, Theileria, Alpha-gal syndrome, and other animal health issues that affect producer viability.
■■ Modernize cattle mar-
ket reporting and CME risk management tools. Participants supported releasing key inventory reports during trading hours, adding June and July cattle contracts, and extending contract availability and pricing models to 24 months to better align with producer marketing and planning needs. These recommendations reinforce the coalition’s focus on practical, achievable reforms that can strengthen livestock producers, support rural communities and help protect the long-term stability of the U.S. cattle industry.
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Cooke’s research also explores feed additives, trace minerals, fatty acids, probiotics and prebiotics that support cattle health during periods of stress. Cooke has authored or co-authored 235 peer-reviewed journal articles, 265 research abstracts and proceedings, and three book chapters. His research program has secured more than $11 million in external funding, including more than $8 million dedicated to cattle nutrition research. He has presented his work around the world through collaborations with universities and animal agriculture organizations spanning North America, South America and Europe.
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August 15, 2026
Livestock Market Digest
Page 7
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Livestock Market Digest
A Prescription for Partnership: Understanding the Benefits of VCPR
L
ivestock owners know the value of planning ahead when it comes to animal health. From making herd management decisions to navigating unexpected challenges, producers rely on experience, knowledge, and trusted resources to care for their animals. One way that they can strengthen their planning is by establishing a veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR) with a local veterinarian. Dr. Kevin Washburn, a professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, explains how a VCPR helps veterinarians better understand an operation and provide recommendations that support both producers and their animals.
While photos and videos can help provide information, they do not replace a veterinarian’s understanding of the situation. “If we have that established relationship and a producer sends me a picture, I know them well enough to know, ‘You need to bring the animal into the hospital now,’ or ‘I think that can wait,’” Washburn said. “But if we don’t have a relationship with you, we can’t legally do that, nor can we safely make those decisions based solely on a picture or video.”
A VCPR is not only valuable when an animal becomes sick but also allows veterinarians to help producers develop proactive herd health plans. “Veterinarians should be able to help you set up vaccine protocols, nutrition, deworming schedules, and all those things tailored specifically to the needs of your herd,” Washburn said. “But it all comes back to establishing a relationship.”
The price of preparation Like any good working re-
August 15, 2026 lationship, a VCPR works best when it is established before it is needed. In many rural communities, food animal veterinarians are in high demand. Developing a relationship before an emergency can make it easier to access veterinary care when time matters most. “If you live in one of those areas, especially, you should find a veterinarian and develop a relationship,” Washburn said. “Some practices will only do emergencies if you’re one of their clients. It all just ties right into that relationship. It’s the best way to get help.” Whether it is developing herd health plans, prescribing medications or responding during an emergency, a VCPR gives vet-
erinarians the knowledge they need to provide informed care; therefore, establishing a relationship with your closest veterinarian before problems arise helps ensure producers can receive the guidance they need when they need it most. Pasture Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/tag/ pasture-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.
Value In Western Livestock Industry!
A relationship worth herding A VCPR is the professional relationship between a veterinarian, a producer, and the animals under their care. These relationships are required by state and/or federal law for specialized actions that can include prescribing drugs, use of certain kinds of medications, and conducting telemedicine appointments. “VCPR is important for producers because if you are involved with livestock or even pet livestock, the health of the animals is of the utmost importance,” Washburn said. “In order to ensure good health, veterinarians are the trusted source for any questions one might have and should have a working knowledge of not only individual animals that get sick, but of the condition of the entire herd as well.” Establishing that relationship does not require a sick animal or an emergency. “We don’t have to treat an animal; we just have to get to know you, how these animals are housed, how they’re being fed, and how they’re being cared for,” Washburn said. “Or, if you brought one of your herd members to us, that would also establish a VCPR.” By learning about a producer’s operation, management practices, and animals, veterinarians can provide recommendations based on the specific needs of that herd rather than general advice.
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One of the biggest benefits of a VCPR is that it allows veterinarians to make more informed decisions about treatments and medications. “The only legal way to get most medications is via prescription from a veterinarian,” Washburn said. “Legally, we cannot prescribe you a medication for your animal without having that relationship; when your veterinarian knows your animal, and your ability to care for and treat that animal, they can be confident that you will use that medication properly and abide by any regulations associated with it such as milk and/or meat withdrawal times.” A veterinarian’s familiarity with an operation also helps when producers need guidance about an animal’s condition.
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