Thursday November 14 Ag News

NE Extension Farm survival workshop on crop insurance and marketing

Nebraska Extension’s “Risk and Reward: Using Crop Insurance and Marketing to Manage Farm Survival” workshop is coming to the area in early 2020.

Extension economists will prepare producers to develop 2020 marketing plans using information on the roles of farm location and yield/price relations in making grain marketing and crop insurance decisions.

“Risk and Reward: Using Crop Insurance and Marketing to Manage Farm Survival”
    Scottsbluff, Jan. 9, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Panhandle Research & Extension Center, 4502 Ave I. To register, call 308-632-1230.
    North Platte, Jan. 30, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at the West Central Research & Extension Center, 402 West State Farm Road. To register, call 308-696-6734.
    West Point, Feb. 4, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Nielsen Community Center, 200 Anna Stalp Ave. To register, call 402-373-6006.
    Clay Center, Feb. 5, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Clay County Fairgrounds, 701 N Martin Ave. To register, call 402-763-3644.



Funding Approved for New Watershed Projects Across Nebraska

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that four Natural Resources Districts received over $2.5 million in Watershed Flood Prevention and Operations funding. This funding will be directed towards developing watershed plans in the following NRDs:
    The Lower Platte South NRD received funding to complete the Little Salt Creek Watershed Plan in northern Lancaster County. This plan will help improve habitat for the endangered Salt Tiger Beetle by protecting saline wetland habitat, providing wetland rehabilitation, and erosion and sediment control.

    The Lower Elkhorn NRD received funding to complete the Battle Creek Watershed Plan. This plan aims to reduce the overall flood risk potential in the area as well as provide flood resiliency for surrounding agricultural land.

    The Central Platte NRD received funding to complete the Spring and Buffalo Creek Watershed Plan. This effort is focused on reducing flood damages to irrigation canal infrastructure and agricultural land. Goals include identifying solutions to reoccurring flooding issues, soil erosion, and evaluate multi-beneficial projects which can benefit endangered and threatened species within and downstream of the watershed.

    The Central Platte NRD also received funding to complete the Lower Wood River Watershed Plan. The goal is to establish a recommended plan to address ongoing flooding events. This includes implementing structural and non-structural projects to create resiliency against future flooding, reduce flood related damages, and protect the local economy.

    The Lower Loup NRD received funding to complete the Mud Creek Watershed Plan. This plan will focus on reducing flood related damages to communities and agricultural land, improve flood resiliency, improve recreation opportunities and enhance groundwater recharge.

Nebraska State Conservationist Craig Derickson said, “We look forward to working with these Natural Resources Districts on these new watershed projects. We saw how established watershed projects sprang into action this past spring following the bomb cyclone reducing flood damages and protecting natural resources. These new projects plan to provide more benefits to more areas across Nebraska.”



HEUERMANN LECTURE TO FOCUS ON ADVANCING AGRICULTURE, PROTECTING ECOSYSTEMS

Agricultural production must increase more than 70% by 2050 to meet the global demand for food, fuel, feed and fiber. Meeting this goal will require far-reaching growth in agriculture, more efficient use of marginal lands and new methods to deal with extreme weather, soil degradation and biological invasions. Strategies for achieving these advances while preserving Nebraska’s healthy agricultural ecosystems will be the topic of a panel discussion during the first Heuermann Lecture of the season Nov. 25.

Panelists will include Craig Allen, professor in the School of Natural Resources and director of the Center for Resilience in Working Agricultural Landscapes; Andrea Basche, assistant professor in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture; and Michael Forsberg, co-founder of the Platte Basin Timelapse Project and assistant professor of practice in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication. The panel will be moderated by Martha Mamo, head of the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, and John Carrol, director of the School of Natural Resources.

The panel discussion, sponsored by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will be at 3:30 p.m. at the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center, 2021 Transformation Drive. It will be followed by a showing of the documentary film “Follow the Water.” Dinner is included to those staying for the showing. The event is free and open to the public.

The film tells the story of connections between the environment and people, and a river that shaped the land. Forsberg, a conservation photographer, and Pete Stegen, a filmmaker, journeyed for 55 days through the watershed by bike, foot and canoe, gathering footage with their smartphones. A panel discussion will follow the viewing so the audience can explore the themes of the film with Forsberg and his team.

Heuermann Lectures are funded by a gift from B. Keith and Norma Heuermann of Phillips. The Heuermanns are longtime university supporters with a strong commitment to Nebraska’s production agriculture, natural resources, rural areas and people.

Lectures are streamed live at https://heuermannlectures.unl.edu and air live on campus channel 4. Lectures are archived after the event and are later broadcast on NET2.



Ricketts Visits CLAAS, Highlights Nebraska’s German Apprenticeship Program during National Apprenticeship Week

This week is National Apprenticeship Week, and during Governor Pete Ricketts’ trade mission to Germany, he is highlighting Nebraska’s innovative German-style apprenticeship program.  Today, Gov. Ricketts visited the international headquarters of CLAAS during his trade mission to Germany.  CLAAS, a prominent manufacturer of agricultural equipment, located its North American headquarters in Omaha.

“Apprenticeships are key to helping connect the next generation of Nebraskans to great opportunities,” said Gov. Ricketts.  “The German-style apprenticeship program launched by CLAAS takes apprenticeship programming in Nebraska to the next level.  We look forward to seeing this program flourish, and hope to expand it in the coming years with additional companies.”

Earlier this year, CLAAS become one of the first two companies to launch Nebraska’s first Industry Consortium for Advanced Technical Training (ICATT) Apprenticeship Program, designed for high-tech manufacturers and companies with complex technologies or logistics.  The ICATT Apprenticeship Program is fully embedded in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship system and is also certified to the rigorous standards of the famed German Dual Education System.  ICATT was established by the German American Chamber of Commerce® of the Midwest, Inc. and is open to any manufacturer who wants to build a sustainable pipeline of talent.  ICATT apprenticeships train to Germany standards of excellence and culminate in a degree.

“CLAAS sees that an investment in people ensures long-term success,” said Alex Pompa, the Production Trainer at CLAAS Omaha.  “The German model, we believe, is the gold standard apprenticeship model and this is why we are looking to enable our global workforce through a strategic implementation of the Dual Study program.  Our investment in those principles ensures that we are ready for the future of agriculture and the future of manufacturing.  This is true at our locations around the world, including our Omaha location where it is understood that today’s employees entering the manufacturing space rely on us as manufacturers to grow their skills and prepare them to be successful.”

Nebraska has been a leader in establishing apprenticeships programs.  Earlier this year, the Nebraska Department of Labor (NDOL) received a grant from the USDOL to expand Registered Apprenticeships across the state.  The Apprenticeship State Expansion grant covers the next three years and will allow NDOL to assist businesses with new program development.  From October 2016 to July 2019, RA program participation grew by over 40 percent.

In Nebraska, there are currently over 120 RA programs in Nebraska and 4,696 Registered Apprentices, including over 3,700 new apprentices in 2019. 



Newly Published White Paper Outlines Minimal Environmental Impact of U.S. Beef

A new white paper detailing the minimal environmental footprint of beef production in the U.S. was recently published by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. The white paper, authored by Sara Place, PhD, senior director of sustainable beef production research at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, highlights why and how the U.S. is the leader in sustainable beef production.

Beef Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the U.S.
U.S. beef production, particularly when it comes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is often misrepresented with global statistics that fuel inaccurate reports and misconceptions. This new white paper addresses this issue by sharing the most recent data indicating that only 3.7 percenti of U.S. GHG emissions come directly from beef cattle.ii By comparison, globally, beef cattle account for 6 percent of GHG emissions.iii

To put U.S. beef production further into perspective, all of agriculture, including beef cattle and other animal and crop agriculture, accounts for 8.4 percent of U.S. GHG emissions.ii Comparatively, transportation accounts for 28 percent of GHG emissions in the U.S.ii On global scale, all livestock agriculture accounts for 14.5 percent of GHG emissions, which is often used inaccurately to represent U.S. beef emissions.iii

These variations can largely be attributed to different regional production practices. As the white paper notes, cattle production in the U.S., due to scientific advancements in beef cattle genetics, nutrition, husbandry practices, and biotechnologies, has one of the lowest beef GHG emissions intensities* in the world. In fact, GHG emissions intensity in the U.S. is 10–50 times lower than other parts of the world.iv

Improved Efficiencies
The white paper also details the results of improved efficiencies in beef cattle production in the U.S. during the past several decades. For example, compared to the mid-1970's, today the U.S. produces the same amount of beef with one-third fewer cattle.v Furthermore, the U.S. produces around 18 percent of the world's beef with only 8 percent of the world's cattle herd.vi These efficiencies are possible due to improved productivity practices, refined genetics, nutrition and scientific advancements.

In addition to more efficient cattle production, beef farmers and ranchers have dedicated themselves to being stewards of the land by focusing on preservation and enhancement of grassland ecosystems through responsible land management practices. As ruminants, cattle can convert plants with little to no nutritional value often found on these lands into a high-quality protein.

Continuous Improvement
Although the U.S. beef industry is the most sustainable in the world, there is still room for improvement. In addition to research and extension and adoption of new knowledge, beef farmers and ranchers have invested in a first-of-its kind lifecycle assessment to better evaluate sustainability achievements and opportunities across the entire beef lifecycle. The outcome of this rigorous assessment, conducted in partnership with USDA and set to be released in the first half of 2020, will be economic, environmental and social benchmarks the beef industry can use to set new goals and measure continued improvement.

"It is clear the U.S. is leading the way when it comes to sustainable beef production," said Place. "Not only are we producing more beef with less resources, but we are able to raise a high-quality protein while still caring for the environment. The beef industry takes pride in raising cattle sustainably, which is evident in its dedication to continued improvement."

To learn more about how U.S. beef farmers and ranchers raise beef responsibly, visit https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/raising-beef/beef-sustainability.

*Greenhouse Gas emissions per a pound of beef produced
i Rotz. C.A. et al., 2019. Environmental footprints of beef cattle production in the United States. Ag. Syst. 169: 1-13.
ii U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990–2017. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sinks-1990-2017 accessed August 7, 2019
iii Gerber, P.J., et al., 2013. Tackling climate change through livestock — A global assessment of emissions and mitigation opportunities. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome.
iv Herrero, M., et al., 2013. Biomass use, production, feed efficiencies, and greenhouse gas emissions from global livestock systems. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 110: 20888–20893
v USDA-NASS Quick Stats Tools. Available at: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/ accessed August 7, 2019.
vi UN FAOSTAT database. Available at: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home accessed August 7, 2019



American Poultry Farmers Regain Access to China

United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue released the following statement on China’s decision to lift its ban on poultry imports from the United States:

“The United States welcomes China’s decision to finally lift its unwarranted ban on U.S. poultry and poultry products. This is great news for both America’s farmers and China’s consumers,” said Ambassador Lighthizer. “China is an important export market for America’s poultry farmers, and we estimate they will now be able to export more than $1 billion worth of poultry and poultry products each year to China. Reopening China to U.S. poultry will create new export opportunities for our poultry farmers and support thousands of workers employed by the U.S. poultry industry.”

Secretary Perdue said, “After being shut out of the market for years, U.S. poultry producers and exporters welcome the reopening of China’s market to their products. America’s producers are the most productive in the world and it is critical they be able to sell their bounty to consumers in other parts of the globe. We will continue our work to expand market access in important markets like China as well as other countries, to support our producers and U.S. jobs.”

China has banned all U.S. poultry since January 2015 due to an avian influenza outbreak in December 2014, even though the United States has been free of this disease since August 2017. The United States exported over $500 million worth of poultry products to China in 2013.

The United States is the world’s second largest poultry exporter, with global exports of poultry meat and products of $4.3 billion last year.  



Peterson, Costa Welcome Lifting of Chinese Ban on U.S. Poultry

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota, and Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Chairman Jim Costa of California, released the following statements Thursday morning following an announcement from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that China will lift its ban on the import of U.S.-produced poultry products:

“This announcement is finally a step in the right direction, especially for the more than 1200 poultry operations in my district,” said Peterson. “It’s something that I’ve pressed the Administration over and over on, including in my most recent conversation with Ambassador Doud at USTR. I hope the Administration can also make progress on the other trade access issues within the Chinese market, end these damaging tariffs, and help our farmers expand and develop new export markets.”

"As the farm economy continues to struggle, it's important to get these incremental successes to show our producers that there's light at the end of the tunnel,” added Costa. “Now I hope USDA can build on this development to increase access for U.S. farm and food products in China, but none of that can really take hold if the Administration isn't willing to reconsider its tariff strategy."



Dean Foods Bondholders Just Say No to Merger With Dairy Co-op

Dean Foods Co., the biggest U.S. milk processor which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday, has said it's in advanced talks to sell assets to milk cooperative giant Dairy Farmers of America. Bondholders, however, aren't convinced that's a good deal. According to Bloomberg, an attorney for a third of the company's bondholders said that while Dean is "focusing exclusively" on a combination with the co-op, that option won't be "value-maximizing." The deal may not even be feasible due to antitrust concerns, the attorney said at the hearing in front of Judge David Jones in U.S. bankruptcy court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston.

"We don't want a quick sale, a fire sale, without a true market check or opportunity for other potential bidders to put in a real proposal," said Bob Britton, an attorney at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, which represents the group.

The bondholder group approached Dean to offer alternatives, including capital to invest in a standalone restructuring plan and alternative financing. But the proposal "made no headway," Britton said.

When asked by the judge if the group had enough capital to buy Dean Foods, Britton's answer was yes.

Dean ranks as the biggest U.S. dairy processor, employing about 15,000 people and delivering about 2.2 billion gallons a year of milk and other dairy products, according to its bankruptcy declaration. The company's long list of institutional customers includes McDonald's Corp., Starbucks Corp. and Target Corp.

Facing financial distress, Dean looked into selling all or parts of the company among other options to strengthen its balance sheet, according to the court filing. But the company faced an obstacle in its underfunded multi-employer pension plan, for which it might wind up owing more than $700 million. That stymied any hope of out-of-court transactions, and meanwhile results were deteriorating faster than Dean had forecast, the company said.



CME to Add Block Cheddar Futures

The CME Group (CME) on Thursday said it's going to launch block cheese futures and options next year.  Each contract will represent the equivalent of 20,000 pounds of block cheddar cheese.

The CME said it will consider launching barrel cheese futures as well, but customer feedback said the immediate need was for block cheese derivatives. The Chicago exchange said the new contracts will let food manufacturers and processors of cheese better manage their exposure.

The CME already trades a range of dairy products, including butter , milk and cheese . The current cheese futures contract settles to the average of both block and barrel cheese prices.

The CME said there was a volatile relationship between the prices of block cheese and barrel cheese -- the cheese spread, as it were.  Barrel cheese is used for further processing, such as into shredded cheese, while block cheese often is used for cutting into platters.



Brazil’s Implementation of Tariff Rate Quota for Wheat a Win for American Farmers

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue welcome Brazil’s implementation of an annual duty-free tariff rate quota (TRQ) of 750,000 metric tons (MT) of wheat imports.

For many years, Brazil failed to implement its obligation under the WTO to establish a TRQ for wheat. Brazil’s implementation of this TRQ fulfills a commitment made to President Trump by President Bolsonaro earlier this year and reflects a desire to deepen trade and economic ties between both countries.

“This solution to a long-standing problem is a result of the Administration’s advocacy for American farmers and will allow our wheat exporters to compete on a level playing field,” said Ambassador Lighthizer. “We look forward to increased exports of American wheat to Brazil.”

Secretary Perdue said, “American farmers can compete with anybody when given access to customers. This is why we are working tirelessly to knock down barriers to our exports, like high Brazilian tariffs on our wheat. We are excited about the additional export opportunity U.S. wheat farmers will have with the opening of this TRQ. Exports are critical to the success of our farmers and the United States looks forward to once again having stable access to this important wheat market.”



Weekly Ethanol Production for 11/8/2019

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending Nov. 8, ethanol production expanded for the seventh consecutive week, up 16,000 million barrels per day (b/d) or 1.6% to 1.030 million b/d—equivalent to 43.26 million gallons daily. However, production was 3.5% below the same week a year ago. The four-week average ethanol production rate increased 1.5% to 1.011 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 15.50 billion gallons.

Conversely, ethanol stocks dropped 4.1% to 21.0 million barrels, the lowest volume since Sept. 2017 (111 weeks). Inventories were 4.1% lower than the same week last year and 10.8% below the level two years ago. Stocks fell across all regions except the Rocky Mountain region (PADD 4).

There were zero imports for the second consecutive week. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of September 2019.)

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market increased 1.9% to 9.321 million b/d (391.5 million gallons per day, or 142.89 bg annualized). Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol rose 2.5% to 940,000 b/d—equivalent to 14.41 bg annualized.

Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production decreased to 11.05%.



Skor Joins USDA on Trade Mission to Mexico

Last week, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor joined the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and 100 agricultural groups in a trade mission to Mexico City, Mexico, led by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue and Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney. From Nov. 6-8, Skor and ethanol market development colleagues met with government officials and industry stakeholders to showcase the benefits of E10, a fuel blended with ten percent ethanol, as the government considers its adoption in Mexico’s three largest cities: Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara. Following the trade mission, Skor issued a statement:

“It was an honor to join USDA and USGC on this important mission to Mexico,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “Opening the Mexican fuel market to E10 nationwide would provide significant benefits for the country’s fuel and ag economies, citizens, and the environment. During this trade mission, we were able to further engage in critical discussions with stakeholders to demonstrate the health and economic benefits of replacing toxic additives, such as MTBE, with cleaner-burning and more-affordable ethanol.”

Growth Energy has been a leader in promoting the use of ethanol-blended fuel in the Mexican fuel market, participating in and supporting bilateral trade missions in the U.S. and Mexico. This year, Growth Energy launched a workshop series, alongside USGC and the Mexican Association of Service Station Equipment Providers, to educate Mexico’s fuel retailers on ethanol-blended fuel and how to incorporate it into their fuel offerings.

Background:
Mexico is currently using methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in their fuel. MTBE is an octane additive, however due to groundwater contamination concerns and its impact on human health, it’s been explicitly banned in 26 states in the U.S. and phased out of the U.S. fuel supply.

In 2017, the Mexican government announced that it would increase its blending goal to 10 percent ethanol (E10), from the previous 5.8 percent blend, across the country, excluding it’s three largest cities Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara. However, in a recent study on five major international cities facing significant air quality issues, Mexico City had the highest potential greenhouse gas emissions reductions at an E10 blend, with 5.1 percent cumulative emissions savings. Additionally, according to a 2018 study by Mexico’s Instituto Mexicano de Petroleo (IMP), ethanol is historically two pesos per liter less expensive than MTBE, while also providing benefits for engine performance and emissions reductions.



Biodiesel Industry and Stakeholders Ask Congress to Act on Tax Extenders

Today, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), its member companies, allied trade associations, and industry partners sent a letter to House and Senate leaders, urging them to extend the expired biodiesel tax incentive before the end of the year. The letter attempts to impress on the Congressional leaders "that an immediate extension of the biodiesel tax incentive is needed to prevent a severe economic disruption of the U.S. biodiesel industry."

Signed by 140 companies and organizations from across the biomass-based diesel value chain, the letter states, "The U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel industry's continued success is at stake. Tens of thousands of American workers and manufacturers -- as well as the millions of Americans who benefit from cleaner air and water -- are depending on you to provide our industry the certainty we need to continue our growth."

"Since the start of the year, ten biodiesel plants have closed or cut back production, furloughing several hundred workers; the states impacted include Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Texas. The economic fallout spreads across the U.S. economy, impacting more than 7,500 total jobs," the letter also states. "Immediate extension of the tax credit is needed to prevent more plant closures, more production cutbacks, and more job losses."

Kurt Kovarik, NBB's VP of Federal Affairs, adds, "Continued uncertainty about the tax incentive impacts businesses, workers and industry partners across the economy and in every state. The number of companies and trade groups that joined us on the letter demonstrates the broad impact.

"Biodiesel producers simply can't plan and invest for the future -- they're making the very difficult choice to shut down. Our industry needs Congress to act before the end of the year to stop more shutdowns and job losses."



NFU Urges Congress to Pass Biodiesel Tax Incentive

Congress needs to quickly extend the biodiesel tax credit to prevent severe disruption of the U.S. biodiesel industry. National Farmers Union has joined more than 40 groups in a letter today urging House leadership to extend the now expired incentive before the end of the year.

Biodiesel production has declined in part due to uncertainty over the tax incentive, which was last addressed in February 2018 to retroactively cover 2017 but has not been extended since. Without this incentive, the once promising domestic biodiesel industry has stalled. Since the beginning of 2019, nine biodiesel plants have closed or reduced production, cutting or furloughing workers.

Biodiesel has a range of economic and environmental benefits. Biodiesel is a renewable piece of U.S. domestic energy independence, and releases less carbon and fewer toxic pollutants than certain other fuels. Biodiesel production is important for farmers as it creates value for agricultural coproducts and lowers the cost of animal feed. The industry has also created more than 65,000 domestic jobs, many in economically disadvantaged areas.

The letter asks that Congress immediately take up and pass legislation to provide a multi-year extension of the biodiesel tax incentives, and work forward on a long-term biodiesel tax policy.

“The U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel industry’s continued success is at stake,” the groups wrote in the letter. “Tens of thousands of American workers and manufacturers—as well as the millions of Americans who benefit from cleaner air and water—are depending on you to provide our industry the certainty we need to continue our growth.”



Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame Joins Forces with Cattle Industry Convention for Second Year

Cattle feeders will honor their own Feb. 4, 2020, during their 11th annual banquet, held for the second year in conjunction with the nation’s largest annual cattle industry gathering. The Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame banquet will precede the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, to be held in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 5-7.

The Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame was established in 2009. It annually honors leaders who have made lasting contributions to the cattle-feeding industry. Inductees for 2020 will be Carl Stevenson, Red Rock Feeding Company, Red Rock, Ariz., and the late Don Opplinger, Opplinger Land and Cattle, Amarillo, Texas. Dr. Robert Hummel, founder of Animal Health International in Greeley, Colo., will receive the Hall of Fame’s Industry Leadership Award.

Attendees of the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame banquet will find it convenient to stay in San Antonio for the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, which starts the next day. That event will feature important industry meetings, motivational speakers, valuable education, music and entertainment, a massive trade show, producer recognition, an NCBA Invitational PBR Bull Riding event and much more.

All proceeds from ticket sales to, and corporate sponsorships of, the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame will benefit future Hall of Fame initiatives. As an added incentive, Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame banquet attendees will receive a $50 discount on their Cattle Industry Convention registration, courtesy of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

“These cattle feeders have devoted their careers to preserving our mission and improving production practices in the industry,” said Cliff Becker, vice president of publishing for Farm Journal Media and Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame board member. "We can’t wait to honor these men and add them to the existing Hall of Fame members and award winners who have made extraordinary contributions to the cattle feeding industry.”

Information on the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, including tickets to the 2020 Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame banquet, can be found at http://convention.ncba.org. For more information on the Hall of Fame go to www.cattlefeeders.org.