For Immediate Release: January 6, 2021

Contact: R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard

Phone: 406-252-2516; r-calfusa@r-calfusa.com

 

Billings, Mont. – Launched in December, the cattle industry’s first-ever “Cattle Industry Long Range Plan,” completed by R-CALF USA’s board, incorporates key principles to lead the U.S. cattle industry into the future and guide important public policy decisions that impact the industry.

In this third part of the group’s four-part series, R-CALF USA focuses on the fifth and sixth strategies of the long-range plan for independent U.S. cattle producers:

  • Strengthen the U.S. Cattle Industry’s Role in Achieving Lasting Food Security for the United States.
  • Shift Away from Global Standardization and Rely Instead on Free Market Principles to Drive Innovation and Excellence.

“These two strategies distinguish this cattle industry plan as an American plan – one that elevates serving America’s food security needs and preserving America’s values to the industry’s highest priority level,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard.

Bullard said the past two years revealed that both cattle markets and retail beef markets were highly vulnerable to disruption, with resultant year-on-year increases of both imported beef and imported cattle to make up domestic shortfalls.

“This threatens America’s food security and the cattle plan addresses this head-on by calling for an increase in domestic beef production to equal domestic beef consumption, which will end our dependency on foreign countries in good times and bad.”

He said this recommendation will create new opportunities for cattle producers while strengthening the domestic cattle industry and food security. Other elements include better protections from foreign animal diseases, requiring imports to meet identical standards as required in the U.S., and restore America’s mission to support family-owned or -operated cattle operations.

According to Bullard, by relying on free market principles to drive excellence rather than imposing global standards, costly verification and other unnecessary burdens will be lifted, unleashing the spirit of American producers to achieve unparallel success in their quest to produce the best beef in the world under the best of conditions.

“Coupled with encouraging investments in the domestic industry’s deteriorated competitive infrastructure, the plan will ensure today’s cattle industry will grow and prosper long into the future,” Bullard concluded.

Several of R-CALF USA’s Board of Directors will participate in a Facebook Live Meeting at 7:00 p.m. MST today to delve into these two important strategies contained in the first-ever long-range plan for cattle producers. The public is invited to participate.

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R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America) is the largest producer-only lobbying and trade association representing U.S. cattle producers. It is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. Visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516 for more information.