? Require that any U.S. packer controlling
or slaughtering more than five percent of the
daily federally inspected slaughter report
price and terms of purchase of all cattle
purchased within 24 hours of purchase.
? Immediate mandatory volume and price
reporting be achieved for boxed beef, beef
imports and beef exports.
? All cattle sold on formula and grid
pricing structures should have the base price
negotiated by the buyer and seller prior to
the cattle being committed or scheduled.
? Support the development of an
economically feasible national identification
system with continuing recognition of the hot
iron brand as a method of identification.
Oppose a national animal identification
system that is mandatory.
International markets:
? Actively pursue enforcement of U.S.
trade laws.
? Urge that all imported meat be subject
to an inspection standard that is equal to
that prescribed for domestically produced
meat.
? Support U.S. investments in the
International Monetary Fund.
Agricultural Policy:
? Oppose direct cash payments to any
segment of the livestock industry for the
purpose of offsetting low market prices
except for (1.)payments made for natural
disasters; and (2.)efforts to establish
commodity/revenue insurance programs in lieu
of emergency disaster programs.
Cattle Health and Well-being:
? Canadian, Mexican and U.S. import
protocols for live cattle, beef and beef
products from non-NAFTA countries should be
identical, not simply "equivalent."
Cattle originating from non-NAFTA countries
retain their original country-of-origin
identity.
? Support efforts of the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency, the Canadian Cattlemen's
Association and the USDA-APHIS to clarify
requirements for participation in the
Northwest Project for the 26 low-risk
tuberculosis and brucellosis-free states.
? Advocate the judicious use of
antimicrobials and issues involving the use
of antimicrobials in animals and humans which
must be resolved using sound science without
influence of emotion or political agendas,
and encourage producers to voluntarily comply
with judicious antibiotic use guidelines and
to encourage others to do the same.
Beef Safety
? Encourage the Food Safety Inspection
Service to maintain the current level of
testing in the National Residue Monitoring
Program and provide this data in the form of
an annual report on a timely basis. Encourage
FSIS to make available previously collected,
yet unreported, residue-monitoring data.
Tax and Credit
? Support elimination of federal estate
taxes.
? Support accelerated depreciation
schedules and tax credits for private
individuals and other non-corporate business
entities, as well as corporations, that are
mandated to install pollution control
measures.
? Support amending the Federal
Unemployment Tax Act to increase the
quarterly wages threshold and to provide for
annual indexation of that threshold.
Federal Lands:
? Request that Congress fund a line item
to be used solely for range monitoring. Only
qualified persons shall perform monitoring of
resource conditions and trends, and
monitoring protocols shall be site-specific,
scientifically valid and subject to peer
review, and monitoring data shall be
periodically verified.
? Support the Wildlife Services (animal
damage control) program and insure it is
adequately funded.
Property Rights and Environmental
Management:
? Support litigation on behalf of owners
of land along railroad rights-of-way that
have been converted to trails for public use.
? Ensure that the primary focus of the
Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative be
providing high quality technical assistance
to private landowners. Oppose the Global
Climate Treaty and associated legislation,
regulations and executive orders.
? Ask that government-owned lands comply
with the same fence laws and traditional
fencing practices as private property owners.
? Oppose any listing of the prairie dog as
a candidate for the Endangered Species Act.
? Encourage the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and state wildlife agencies to work
with all agriculture and sportsmen's groups
and politicians to avoid the listing of the
sage grouse as an endangered species.
? Encourage producers to be active in the
development of state and national rules and
strategies pertaining to animal feeding
operations, and support local administration
of rules, regulations, research and the
development of local standards on a state
basis.
Science and Technology:
? Encourage the development of an
education program for beef producers to help
control the spread of Bovine Leukosis Virus
and reduce the incidence of the disease
through monitoring and research.
? Request USDA to provide a line item
budget adequate for the rapid development,
dissemination and long-term support of a
national beef information database so that
producers can access current, unbiased
research and technologies in a timely manner.
? Work to obtain support for the creation
of a National Cattle Evaluation Center for
Research and Development where research can
be focused in areas including DNA information
and genetic evaluation, reproductive
efficiency and carcass composition and
quality.
? Recommend that NCBA policy staff and
appropriate leadership work with an industry
coalition to develop alternatives to
expanding the E. coli 0157:H7 adulterant
rule.
Nutrition and Health:
? USDA currently allows a maximum of 30
percent vegetable protein in meat products in
the national feeding programs, therefore,
NCBA does not approve of the addition of
"vegetable protein" into beef
products unless: (1.)demand for beef products
is increased due to an increase in the number
of beef offerings in the NFPs; and
(2.)"vegetable protein" does not
account for greater than 30 percent of meat
products and is not used as a substitute for
meat products.
