BeefMeets feedback becomes ICA policy

     Member feedback from the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association BeefMeets events became interim policy at the ICA July board meeting.

   The four BeefMeets, held in June across the state, offered an opportunity for ICA members to voice their concerns and opinions regarding several different industry issues affecting their operations.

   The grassroots input from BeefMeets was then reviewed by ICA’s Cow/Calf and Feedlot Councils, which act as a task force to carefully examine and prioritize topics. Priority topics and recommendations were passed along to ICA’s three policy committees, which met on July 6 in Ames.

   New or amended interim policy was passed on several issues, including cattle market concerns, Trichomoniasis, Iowa’s Master Matrix, immigration, transportation regulations, and the Conservation Reserve Program. The ICA Board of Directors, which includes 27 elected cattle producers and industry representatives from around the state, as well as 15 at-large industry representatives, ratified the policies at the July 8 board meeting.

New and Amended Policies

   ICA leaders have been active in National Cattlemen’s Beef Association task forces over the past year, working to ensure that the live cattle futures contract remains a viable risk management tool for cattle producers. Several policies have been developed or amended to make changes meant to benefit Iowa’s producers. Recent positions include:

     • Support for dividing negotiated trade reports from 0 to 30 days into 0 to 14 and 15 to 30 day delivery periods.

     • Support for increased funding and resources for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to regulate and oversee electronically traded contracts.

     • Opposition to proposed increases to daily price limits for Live Cattle and Feeder Cattle Contracts.

     Additionally, ICA leaders developed and passed policy on a variety of other topics, including:

     • Appointment of a trichomoniasis task force to research and take steps to slow the spread and move toward eradication of the disease.

     • Support of the current statewide Master Matrix.

     • Creation of a task force to research current immigration policy and alternatives and their impact on Iowa’s beef industry.

     • Support of an exemption from Hours of Service and Electronic Logging Device regulations for livestock haulers.

     • Creation of a task force to examine modifications to the current Conservation Reserve Program that would address current challenges for cattle producers.

Policy Process

   In August, ICA will send a policy survey to nearly 10,000 members to gather more input on pressing issues in the cattle industry. Survey results will guide the next policy committee meetings, to be held Dec. 7-8 at the Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit. The association expects reports from the trichomoniasis, immigration and CRP task forces at that time.

   ICA members who would like to provide input are welcome to contact their district director or ICA staff at www.iacattlemen.org or 515-296-2266.