Benefits of Membership
Regulatory Affairs
Legislative Affairs
Market Reporting Service
Integrated Resource Management
Issues Management
Insurance
Theft Alert &Reward Program
Carcass Data Service
Membership Policy & Recruitment
By uniting with others, your membership makes your voice louder. In short, whether it's convincing state andnational legislators, obtaining market information, keeping up with regulations or responding to consumers and the media, your membership protects and improves the atmosphere in which you do business. A Nebraska Cattlemen membership makes you more effective, leaving more time for what you prefer doing - producing cattle. The following are highlights of the various programs the Nebraska Cattlemen conducts and in which members can be involved.
Association officers, committee members and staff monitor regulation proposals that stem from the legislation. The job of ensuring a fair and practical business climate would be only half done if the Nebraska Cattlemen monitored just law makers. The cattlemen's leaders monitor state and federal agencies and provide input on proposals which would affect producers, proposals which include water use, wetlands, erosion, animal waste, animal health products, taxes, pesticides, marketing and international trade.
Grass roots policy on legislative issues developed by the NC membership is monitored throughout the legislative session by the association. The President-elect, as legislative committee chairman, is responsible for coordinating committee chairman and other volunteers who testify on important legislative bills. The professional staff and highly qualified lobbyists review all the bills, present appropriate ones for policy consideration by the legislative committee and then follow them through the legislative process from start to finish. Members are involved in the policy making process at convention and are an essential link in gaining support for our positions through contacting their individual senators about particular bills.
The Market Reporting Service (MRS) was established in 1989, and has quickly become the most respected source of market information pertaining to Nebraska's fed cattle trade. The primary goal of the MRS is to provide a timely and accurate account of current market conditions so that member feedyards can make informed marketing and risk management decisions. Staffed by two full-time analysts, the MRS currently represents over 150 feedyards with a combined capacity in excess of 750,000 head, with member feedyards ranging in size from 500 to 45,000 head. The subscriber fee-based program is anchored by a toll-free WATS telephone service to the Lincoln office, with up-to-the-minute information also via a wide array of electronic media including the exclusive MRS website, DTN/Farm-Dayta, and a statewide alphanumeric pager system. Market Update, a weekly newsletter including a recap of the week's trade, pertinent statistical data, important news items, commentary, and analysis, is published each Friday.
The Market Reporting Service collects cattle-on-feed data from member feedyards on a monthly basis, and releases the results of the each survey to participating feeders. These reports, initiated in 1991, are accepted throughout the industry as the most detailed and accurate reflection of Nebraska's on-feed inventories (reported in 100-pound increments), placements, and marketings. In addition to monitoring the cash feed cattle and feeder cattle trades, the MRS maintains a broad base of contacts throughout the cattle feeding and beef industry including prominent out-of-state feeding operations and associations, retail meat buyers, and major commodity trading organizations.
The Integrated Resource Management (IRM) Program in Nebraska focuses on two main areas. First, IRM assists producers in developing, maintaining and using financial and production records in their decision-making process. Secondly, the program aids in the development of decision groups to provide a format for producers to share information and improve their management skills. Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA), a part of IRM, is a standardized cow-calf production and financial performance analysis system. SPA facilitates comparisons of an operations performance between years, producers, production regions and production systems.
The program includes an annual conference in November and a quarterly newsletter for participants that includes activity reports. The University Extension Service develops the IRM groups and coordinates the program. The key contact is Animal Science specialist Dr. Rick Rasby based at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Rasby may be reached at 402/472-6477.
In recent years, the industry has taken steps to be more proactive in dealing with public affairs. Issues management means putting more effort toward informing consumers and reporters about the positive aspects of the industry. It also means having a strategy for responding to criticism from detractors. The issues management program has been building a network of contacts with spokespersons from a wide range of organizations that include reporters, university food, animal science and environmental specialists, lenders, retailers and human health experts. When an issue arises, this team is provided background and are informed of the Cattlemen’s position or response.
This approach has proven to help assure balanced news reports. Examples of issues the management program has addressed include items concerning E. coli contamination of food and efforts that have prevented BSE-contaminated beef from being imported to the U.S.
Grace/Mayer Insurance Agency is endorsed by the Nebraska Cattlemen to provide a comprehensive insurance program for its members. Grace/Mayer provides health benefit plans, estate planning, life insurance, property and casualty coverage including worker’s compensation and named peril coverage for cattle. NC members benefit from being a part of a large group. Members receive price breaks and can obtain all types of insurance from one agency. To obtain more information about the program benefits, call Mark Stokes or Shane Belohrad at 1-800-279-2081 or drop a note to them at 10050 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, NE 68114.
The Nebraska Cattlemen pays up to $5,000 reward to anyone who reports the theft of a member's cattle if that rustler is arrested and convicted. This program originated in the early days of the Nebraska Stock Growers Association, as cattle theft control was a primary reason for starting the organization in 1888. Anyone who has information on stolen cattle should call the Nebraska Brand Committee (308-762-2930) in Alliance and they will put an investigator on the case. This reward was paid for the conviction of a cattle theft in the Broken Bow area in the fall of 1993.
In order to make effective breeding decisions, producers must be able to monitor cattle performance. The Nebraska Cattlemen, working with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, provides a tool in which to aid those breeding decisions. At a rate of $6/head, cattlemen can receive carcass data reports on their cattle.Cattlemen interested in more information can contact Ted Montgomery at West Texas A&M University at 806-651-2560 or tmontgomery@mail.wtamu.edu.