The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council launched a grassroots campaign opposing the new BLM conservation rule, as it has the potential to limit access to grazing on public lands and set the doors open for radical environmentalists, against the ranching community, to advance their agendas.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Todd Wilkinson testified in a hearing titled “A Review of Animal Agriculture Stakeholder Priorities” on May 17. He spoke on the current state of the cattle industry and priorities the NCBA intends to focus on during the 118th Congress.

On May 19, the USDA announced a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) found at a South Carolina slaughterhouse. It was confirmed to be an atypical case, and the USDA assured the animal never entered the slaughter channels or the food supply and was of no risk to human health.

Key highlights from the 2022 National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) indicate producers are working to meet the demand for quality and efficiency while maintaining the need to keep safety a top priority.

If passed, the DIRECT Act would allow for beef, pork and poultry producers to sell their products through e-commerce across state lines – without the current regulation of going through a USDA-inspected facility. Instead, the act would only require producers to follow state inspection programs.