Friday June 23 Cattle on Feed + Ag News

NEBRASKA CATTLE ON FEED UP SLIGHTLY

Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.35 million cattle on feed on June 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up slightly from last year. Placements during May totaled 445,000 head, up 10 percent from 2016. Fed cattle marketings for the month of May totaled 530,000 head, up 14 percent from last year. Other disappearance during May totaled 15,000 head, down 5,000 head from last year.



IOWA CATTLE ON FEED

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 680,000 head on June 1, 2017, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. This was unchanged from May 1, 2017, but up 8 percent from June 1, 2016. Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head had 550,000 head on feed, down 7 percent from last month and down 4 percent from last year. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in all Iowa feedlots totaled 1,230,000 head, down 3 percent from last month but up 3 percent from last year.

Placements of cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during May totaled 85,000 head, a decrease of 11 percent from last month but up 33 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head placed 35,000 head, down 15 percent from last month, but the same as last year. Placements for all feedlots in Iowa totaled 120,000 head, down 12 percent from last month but up 21 percent from last year.

Marketings of fed cattle from Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during May totaled 82,000 head, the same as last month but up 14 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head marketed 69,000 head, up 21 percent from last month and up 15 percent from last year. Marketings for all feedlots in Iowa were 151,000 head, up 9 percent from last month and up 14 percent from last year. Other disappearance from all feedlots in Iowa totaled 9,000 head.



United States Cattle on Feed Up 3 Percent
   
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on June 1, 2017. The inventory was 3 percent above June 1, 2016.

On Feed by State  (1000 hd  -  % LY)
Colorado .......:           970            109       
Iowa .............:            680            108       
Kansas ..........:           2,270          105      
Nebraska ......:           2,350          100      
Texas ............:           2,650          102     

Placements in feedlots during May totaled 2.12 million head, 12 percent above 2016. Net placements were 2.05 million head. During May, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 400,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 315,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 529,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 550,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 235,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 90,000 head.

Placements by State  (1000 hd - @ May '16)
Colorado .......:                   160            119        
Iowa .............:                     85             133         
Kansas ..........:                    440            105        
Nebraska ......:                    445            110       
Texas ............:                   640             114         

Marketings of fed cattle during May totaled 1.95 million head, 9 percent above 2016.  Other disappearance totaled 70,000 head during May, 5 percent below 2016.

Marketings by State  (1000 hd - % May '16)
Colorado .......:                   140           108          
Iowa .............:                    82             114            
Kansas ..........:                    435           109          
Nebraska ......:                    530           114         
Texas ............:                    440           102           



2017 NC Road Trip

Join the Nebraska Cattlemen Staff as they hit the road at a location near you. Exclusive to current and prospective members.  Non-members must be a guest of a current member.

Topics to Fuel Your Mind:
* Legislative Update
* DC Update
* Beef Trade to China
* Property Tax
* Affiliate 101

Monday, July 24
Fremont - Meal at 12:30 pm Meeting 1:00 pm - Christensen Field Meeting Room, 1710 W 16th West Lindon & Ridge Rd.
Albion - Meal at 7:00 pm Meeting at 7:30 pm - Boone Co Fairgrounds, Casey's Building, 100 W Fairview St.

Tuesday, July 25
Cairo - Meal at 12:30 pm Meeting 1:00 pm - Centura Hills Golf Club, 312 Centura Hills Drive
Nelson - Meal at 7:00 pm Meeting at 7:30 pm - Community Center, 333 South Main

Wednesday, July 26
Oxford - Meal at 12:30 pm Meeting 1:00 pm
Gothenburg - Meal at 7:00 pm Meeting at 7:30 pm - Gothenburg Senior Center, 410 20th St.

Thursday, July 27
Anselmo - Meal and Meeting start at 12:00 pm - Furbor & Grill, 220 E Smith Ave.
Alliance - Meal at 7:00 pm Meeting at 7:30 pm - Newberry's, 104 W 4th



Nebraska Cattlemen Comment on Final Agreement for U.S. Beef Exports to China

Nebraska Cattlemen applauds the Trump Administration for reaching a consensus with Chinese officials on the technical protocol needed to resume U.S. beef exports to China.

"Nebraska's beef producers have waited for 13 years for the opportunity to access China's estimated $2.6 billion market.  Chinese officials have spent considerable time in Nebraska in recent years, and NC members played an active role in showcasing the high quality beef we produce in our state.  NC is pleased these trips helped China gain confidence in restoring beef trade with the United States, and we are very excited for Nebraska beef to be on the menus in China," said NC President Troy Stowater.

The protocol lists several requirements that U.S. producers will need to meet in order to ship beef to China.  Beef exports must come from cattle that are under 30 months of age, are born in the U.S., Canada or Mexico, and can be traced back to a U.S. birth farm or first U.S. port of entry.  Changes in ownership will not have to be tracked.

U.S. beef destined for China may not contain residues of growth promotants, feed additives and other chemical compounds prohibited by Chinese law.  Testing will occur at point of arrival.  If a shipment were to include a prohibited substance it wouldbe rejected, returned to the U.S. or destroyed.

Chilled or frozen bone-in and deboned beef products are eligible for shipment.  Qualified beef products produced after May 24, 2017 may be shipped once a plant is approved by USDA as eligible to export to China.

Nebraska is home to numerous harvest plants, and product equivalent of 2,600 head of cattle is exported worldwide from Nebraska every day.  Given China's rapidly expanding middle class, Nebraska's livestock industry is poised to benefit tremendously from restored beef trade with China.

"In recent years, China has become one of the largest import markets for beef, and these terms are a reflection of China's trust in the safety and quality of U.S. beef. We hope that by getting our foot in the door we can develop a long lasting and mutually beneficial relationship with China," said Craig Uden, president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and NC member from Cozad.

The technical terms of the deal mark the final steps needed before U.S. beef can begin arriving in China by July 16, 2017. A full list of requirements can be found on USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service and Food Safety Inspection Service websites.



SUCCESSFULLY SEEDING FORAGES INTO WHEAT STUBBLE
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               Wheat stubble can be an excellent seedbed to plant forages into using no-till.  It may take some advance planning, though, to be successful.

               What is the most important step in double-cropping forages after wheat harvest?  If you answered – getting a good stand – congratulations, you’re absolutely right.  Without a good stand, nothing else you do is going to make much difference.

               Sounds simple enough, right?  So what’s the trick to getting good stands?  Well maybe, just maybe, it’s planting no-till immediately after combining the wheat.

               Spotty stands often result from top soil drying out rapidly after wheat has been combined.  This may not be a serious situation under irrigation, but it can ruin dryland stand establishment.  Fortunately, there usually is moisture near the soil surface during combining.  Plant without delay before this moisture evaporates for better stand success.

               No-till planting of turnips, summer annual grasses, or other cover crops into wheat stubble has many advantages.  Most importantly, soil moisture is conserved.  In addition, erosion is reduced, weed seeds remain buried, and tillage expenses are eliminated.

               Of course, there are other challenges to getting a good stand.  Planting equipment must be adjusted and operated properly when planting into heavy straw residue.  Another challenge is weeds, either annual weeds that develop after wheat is combined or volunteer wheat that sprouts later in the summer.  Be ready with post-emerge herbicides like Select Max or Poast Plus when appropriate for latter emerging weeds or volunteer wheat.

               Wheat stubble makes a good seedbed but it takes a good plan to make it a success.



New Pivot Control Lite Upgrades to Remote Control

FieldNET by Lindsay, Omaha, has added a new product to its industry-leading line of remote pivot monitoring and control solutions -- Pivot Control Lite. This innovative product provides growers with a simpler, more cost-effective option to retrofit virtually any brand of new and existing electric center pivots with remote management.

"Pivot Control Lite is the simplest and most economical way to add remote control and monitoring capabilities to center pivots," said Reece Andrews, product manager and FieldNET business manager at Lindsay Corporation. "This lower cost option is the perfect solution for farmers who don't need or want some of the more premium capabilities that come with the full Pivot Control solution."

By retrofitting an existing system with Pivot Control Lite, farmers gain the advantages of FieldNET's award-winning web and mobile app capabilities, including instant notifications and status updates. This compact yet powerful solution gives growers the ability to:
- Check the status of their pivot anytime from virtually anywhere via smartphone, tablet or computer
- Receive immediate and customizable text message alerts when the operational status of the pivot changes
- Remotely change the application depth, reverse or stop the pivot, control the end-gun and run variable rate plans
- Utilize FieldNET Advisor, the only fully-integrated smart irrigation management solution that delivers recommendations on when, where and how much to water
- Consolidate different brands of pivots onto one easy-to-use interface, so all irrigation equipment can be monitored and controlled via the same FieldNET web portal and mobile applications
- Easily transfer the equipment from one pivot to another on leased or rotational land
- Update to Pivot Control Lite instead of replacing older panels

"This is an especially great solution for growers with leased land where they have no ownership of the pivot but want the benefits of remote monitoring and control," Andrews said. "Its location at the last tower makes it extremely simple to install any time of the year."

Pivot Control Lite also comes with an optional cable theft detection package, so even when the pivot is powered off, Pivot Control Lite will be actively monitoring the span cable.

"Thieves can strip miles of cable very quickly and often go unnoticed," Andrews said. "With cable theft detection, an email or text alert will be sent when a disruption in continuity is detected. This is valuable, real-time information that can be passed to law enforcement or neighbors to prevent further theft."



Kansas Department of Agriculture Hosts ADT Forum in Manhattan

Ranchers, veterinarians, feedyard owners, livestock market owners, and other livestock industry professionals gathered at the K-State Alumni Center on June 22 for a forum to discuss challenges and solutions in animal disease traceability (ADT). The Kansas Department of Agriculture hosted the forum, which featured officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS).

The forum was similar to other public events held by USDA APHIS around the country this spring and summer, providing opportunities for industry stakeholders to engage in the discussion about the successes and challenges of the current ADT framework, specifically for traceability in cattle and bison. Breakout groups addressed specific questions related to official IDs, documentation, feeder cattle and overall questions in the ADT system.

Animal disease traceability is critical to ensure a rapid response when animal disease events take place. KDA leads annual emergency preparedness exercises to practice the state’s response plan to a foreign animal disease event, and these exercises have highlighted the importance of traceability if such an emergency would take place. Traceability can also play a role in adding value to the Kansas beef industry by expanding domestic and international market access.

“Agriculture makes up 43 percent of the Kansas economy, and beef is a huge part of that, so we know traceability is important to our state,” said Dr. Justin Smith, Kansas animal health commissioner. “We consistently focus time and resources on how we can best protect and enhance the Kansas livestock industry, so it was essential to us to be highly engaged in the USDA discussion about animal traceability.”

The federal Traceability for Livestock Moved Interstate rule went into effect in March 2013 and established minimum national official identification and documentation requirements for the traceability of livestock moving interstate. This series of public meetings has presented an opportunity to gather input on the ADT system.

“These forums across the country have been invaluable to us as we look to the future of animal disease traceability in the U.S.,” said Dr. Sunny Geiser-Novotny with USDA APHIS. “We have heard unique issues brought up at each meeting, but we have heard consistent messages as well, and we appreciate the contributions of everyone who has participated in this process.”

Two more regional meetings will be held followed by the NIAA/USAHA Traceability Forum in September to complete this public meeting series. In addition, USDA APHIS is accepting comments on the ADT system through July 31. A link to this comment site, in addition to more information about the past and future ADT public meetings, can be found on the KDA website at agriculture.ks.gov/ADT.



NMPF Leaders Applaud European High Court Ruling Preventing Imitators from Using Dairy Names

The recent European Court of Justice ruling upholding European Union regulations that prevent plant-based dairy alternatives from using terms like “milk,” “cheese” and “yogurt” is a victory for the same battle occurring in the United States, leaders of the National Milk Producers Federation told their French dairy counterparts here today.

During a visit Friday with French dairy cooperative Sodiaal and the French Dairy Interbranch Organization (CNIEL), NMPF’s board officers applauded the European high court’s ruling that upholds the standards of identity and labeling for milk products, and emphasized that NMPF will continue to fight for the enforcement of existing U.S. dairy food regulations.

“The European Court of Justice did just what we’re asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to do: Uphold and enforce current standards of labeling for milk and milk products,” said Jim Mulhern, NMPF president and CEO. NMPF is leading efforts on Capitol Hill to pass the DAIRY PRIDE Act, legislation that would require FDA to develop a timetable for enforcing standards of identity for dairy foods.

“It’s encouraging and appropriate that the court soundly rejected the argument that consumers understand the inherent composition and nutritional differences between real dairy products and plant-based imitators,” Mulhern said. “None of the fake milk products provides the same high-quality nutrition package as real milk. It is past time that manufacturers of these products, which are concoctions of powdered plant ingredients and water, abide by existing standards, whether in Europe or the United States.”

Last week, the European court’s decision prohibited TofuTown, a German plant-based foods company, from using dairy-specific terms in its labeling or advertising, noting that current European regulations expressly reserve the term “milk” for products derived from animals. The court further clarified that such regulations “reserve designations like ‘cream’, ‘chantilly,’ ‘butter,’ ‘cheese,’ and ‘yoghurt’ solely for milk products, that is, products derived from milk.”

NMPF’s officers met this week with their European counterparts in Denmark, Germany and France to discuss mutual issues of interest, including the concern that imitation dairy foods are falsely marketing themselves as containing the same nutrition as real milk, cheese and yogurt. The groups also discussed the damage caused by the emerging use of anti-science-based fear tactics to market dairy products, such as the “non-GMO” movement.

“There’s no doubt that our colleagues here in Europe are facing similar challenges regarding consumer confusion around a variety of issues,” said Randy Mooney, chairman of NMPF. “It’s been beneficial to share learnings on such challenges and try to find solutions. On the matter of milk standards of identity, we’re hopeful this recent EU ruling will inspire our own FDA to begin enforcing its regulations.”



 HOUSE FISCAL 2018 BUDGET PLAN TO BE UNVEILED NEXT WEEK

The House Budget Committee next week will offer its fiscal 2018 budget resolution, which is expected to call for $150 billion in cuts from mandatory programs over the next 10 years. A third of the cuts may come from agricultural programs, including food stamps. But at a Farm Bill hearing Thursday, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, said the agriculture community “has repeatedly answered the call for reform and has done more than its fair share to help generate [budget] savings.” He pointed out that the 2014 Farm Bill was expected to save $23 billion over 10 years, but the most recent Congressional Budget Office projections show it will save $104 billion.



Rail Deliveries to U.S. Ports Outpace 2016

Year-to-date rail deliveries of U.S. grain to port for export are up noticeably from the same time last year. Deliveries of grain are up mainly due to increasing demand from Asia and Latin America.

Year-to-date rail deliveries of grain are up 23 percent in the Pacific Northwest; up 30 percent in the Texas Gulf; up 137 percent in the Mississippi Gulf; and up 18 percent in the Atlantic region.

For the same period, increased rail deliveries can also be reflected in increased U.S. grain inspected for export, which is currently up 26 percent from last year (Table 16).

In addition, cross-border movements of grain, which are shipped primarily to Mexico, are up 10 percent from last year, and Interior grain inspections are up 24 percent for the same period.

Year-to-date grain inspections are up substantially in each of the other major export regions, with the exception of the Atlantic.



NEBRASKA CHICKEN AND EGGS

All layers in Nebraska during May 2017 totaled 8.11 million, down from 9.20 million the previous year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Nebraska egg production during May totaled 203 million eggs, down from 229 million in 2016. May egg production per 100 layers was 2,499 eggs, compared to 2,486 eggs in 2016. 

Iowa egg production during May 2017 was 1.35 billion eggs, up 4 percent from last month and up 12 percent from last year, according to the latest Chickens and Eggs report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.  The average number of all layers on hand during May 2017 was 54.4 million, down 1 percent from last month but up 9 percent from last year. Eggs per 100 layers for May were 2,486, up 4 percent from last month and up 3 percent from last year.

U.S. May Egg Production Up 3 Percent
United States egg production totaled 8.86 billion during May 2017, up 3 percent from last year. Production included 7.73 billion table eggs, and 1.14 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.06 billion were broiler-type and 77.7 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during May 2017 averaged 372 million, up 2 percent from last year. May egg production per 100 layers was 2,385 eggs, up 1 percent from May 2016.
                                   
All layers in the United States on June 1, 2017 totaled 371 million, up 1 percent from last year. The 371 million layers consisted of 311 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 56.3 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.16 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on June 1, 2017, averaged 77.1 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from June 1, 2016.

Egg-Type Chicks Hatched Down 7 Percent
Egg-type chicks hatched during May 2017 totaled 53.0 million, down 7 percent from May 2016. Eggs in incubators totaled 46.2 million on June 1, 2017, down 14 percent from a year ago.  Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 298 thousand during May 2017, down 9 percent from May 2016.

Broiler-Type Chicks Hatched Up 2 Percent
Broiler-type chicks hatched during May 2017 totaled 821 million, up 2 percent from May 2016. Eggs in incubators totaled 674 million on June 1, 2017, up 2 percent from a year ago.  Leading breeders placed 8.16 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during May 2017, up 1 percent from May 2016.



Jury Awards Nearly $218MM to Kansas Corn Producers In First Syngenta GMO Corn Class Action Lawsuit

A Kansas jury sided with Kansas corn producers in the first of eight certified state class action lawsuits involving the nation's corn growers' claims that Switzerland-based Syngenta's actions with its genetically modified strains of corn led to the loss of an important market for U.S. corn and causing them economic harm.  After a half day of deliberation, the jury found Syngenta negligent and awarded $217,700,000 in compensatory damages to the class of more than 7,000 Kansas corn growers, who were represented in the lawsuit by four Kansas corn producer plaintiffs. (Five Star Farms et al v. Syngenta AG et al, No. 2:14-cv-02571)

The Kansas plaintiffs alleged they suffered significant economic damages when Syngenta sold two genetically modified strains of its corn seed – Agrisure Viptera and Agrisure Duracade – to the U.S. market prior to China approving them.  China, a major importer of U.S. corn, began refusing all shipments of U.S. corn in 2013 after a genetic trait found in Viptera - MIR162 - was detected in shipments from the United States. The genetic trait at the time was not approved in China. With the loss of the Chinese market, corn growers in Kansas and across the United States saw the price of corn plummet and suffered long-lasting economic damage, according to the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs were represented by Don Downing of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C., Scott Powell of Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton, Patrick Stueve of Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP and William Chaney of Gray Reed & McGraw LLP.

The four co-lead counsel issued a statement: "The verdict is great news for corn farmers in Kansas and corn growers throughout the country who were seriously hurt by Syngenta's actions. This is only the beginning.  We look forward to pursuing justice for thousands more corn farmers in the months ahead."

The Kansas class action lawsuit, which began June 5, was heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.  It is the first of eight state class action lawsuits certified in this Multi-District Litigation so far.  The other certified state class action lawsuits involve Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota corn producers.  Numerous other state class action lawsuits in this matter are awaiting certification.

Nationwide, losses to U.S. corn growers due to the loss of the Chinese market are estimated to exceed $5 billion.



Syngenta statement on the jury verdict in the Viptera state-wide, federal class-action trial in Kansas City, Kansas

We are disappointed with today’s verdict because it will only serve to deny American farmers access to future technologies even when they are fully approved in the U.S.  The case is without merit and we will move forward with an appeal and continue to defend the rights of American farmers to access safe and effective U.S.- approved technologies.

Syngenta commercialized Agrisure Viptera in full compliance with U.S. regulatory and legal requirements, including USDA, EPA, and FDA regulations.  Viptera had also received approval in the key import markets recommended at the time by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and other industry associations.

Syngenta believes that American farmers should have access to the latest U.S.-approved technology to help them increase their productivity and yield.  American farmers shouldn’t have to rely on a foreign government to decide what products they can use on their farms.



USDA Authorizes Emergency Grazing in Drought-Stricken Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today authorized emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.  All or parts of these states are experiencing severe or extreme drought conditions – indicated as categories D2 and D3 on the U.S. Drought Monitor.

“Due to reduced availability of forage, ranchers in the hardest hit locations have already been culling their herds,” said Perdue. “Without alternative forage options like grazing CRP lands, livestock producers are faced with the economically devastating potential of herd liquidation.”

CRP is a voluntary program administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) available to agricultural producers to help them safeguard environmentally sensitive land and, when needed, provide emergency relief to livestock producers suffering the impacts of certain natural disasters.

Emergency grazing is authorized to begin immediately and extends through Sept. 30, unless conditions improve.  Producers must work with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to develop a modified conservation plan that is site specific, including the authorized grazing duration to reflect local wildlife needs.  FSA State Committees will monitor emergency grazing implementation at the local level to mitigate adverse impact on nesting areas and established CRP vegetation.

“If the drought continues and pasture recovery becomes less likely, feed supplies will decline, the quality and quantity of hay is reduced and stock water becomes scarce – considerable stressors for both the livestock and our producers,” said Perdue. “If opening up grazing lands reduces even some of these stressors for these ranchers, then it’s the right thing for us to do.”

Eligible CRP participants can use the acreage for grazing their own livestock or may grant another livestock producer use of the CRP acreage. There will be no CRP annual rental payment reductions assessed for acres grazed.



R-CALF: Judge Bars Montana Involuntary Beef Checkoff Tax

The U.S. District Court for the District of Montana affirmed a ruling that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beef Checkoff program, as currently administered, violates the First Amendment. The District Court put in place a preliminary injunction prohibiting the private Montana Beef Council from retaining beef checkoff funds without the payers' consent.

The court took action after a magistrate previously recommended the injunction in December 2016, agreeing with plaintiff in the suit - the Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) - that the Checkoff was being run unconstitutionally.

"The Government violates the First Amendment when it compels a citizen to subsidize the private speech of a private entity without first obtaining the citizen's 'affirmative consent.' ... What distinguishes unconstitutional subsidies for private speech from constitutional subsidies of government speech is not the content of the speech, but rather that the latter is 'democratic[ally] accountab[le].' ... The USDA does not control how the Montana Beef Council spends the money that it obtains from the federal Beef Checkoff Program", the court wrote in its decision.

The Beef Checkoff is a federal tax that compels producers to pay $1 per head every time cattle are sold, half of which is used to fund the advertisements of private state beef councils, like the Montana Beef Council. The Montana Beef Council is a private corporation whose members include representatives of the largest multinational beef packers. The council promotes the message that there is no difference between domestic beef produced under U.S. food safety laws and beef produced in foreign countries. It has paid for advertisements for the fast-food chain Wendy's, for example, to promote hamburgers that use North American beef, meaning beef that can come from anywhere on the continent, but not necessarily Montana or even the United States.

"For well over a decade R-CALF USA members fought to reform what we considered a terribly mismanaged national beef checkoff program. And, for well over a decade we faced an impenetrable wall of top-ranking USDA officials whose connections to the multinational meatpackers' lobby caused them to steadfastly oppose every single reform proposal we advanced", said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard. "Yesterday, after a meaningful, law-based evaluation of our concerns, we won. We hope this will be just the first step of correcting over a decade's worth of beef checkoff program mismanagement."

Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey and Mike Lee of Utah have put forth bipartisan legislationthat would seriously reform the checkoff programs to make them more transparent and accountable to producers.

David Muraskin of Public Justice, lead counsel for the plaintiff in the case, said that the District Court's decision will "finally provide Montana ranchers leverage to control how their money is spent and their goods are advertised. Without government accountability and control the checkoffs amount to nothing more than a massive transfer of wealth from farmers and ranchers to multinational corporations, which is against our values and laws."