NCBA President Testifies Before Congress on State of the Livestock Industry

May 22, 2023

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Todd Wilkinson testified before the House Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry at a hearing titled “A Review of Animal Agriculture Stakeholder Priorities.” Wilkinson, a second-generation cattle producer from South Dakota, highlighted stronger market conditions in the cattle industry and discussed new challenges facing farmers and ranchers from burdensome regulations and inflation.

“Many of you have said it before, and I wholeheartedly agree, food security is national security,” Wilkinson testified. “Working together, we can ensure the long-term success and viability of those on the front lines providing said crucial food security. We owe it to the next generation to get it right.”

Wilkinson explained that the cattle industry faces challenges including the threat of a foreign animal disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s overreaching Packers and Stockyards rules, and activist attacks against the Beef Checkoff.

Wilkinson’s testimony also focused on key priorities for the cattle industry during the 118th Congress including:

Passing the 2023 Farm Bill with provisions to protect animal health, promote voluntary conservation programs, reinforce disaster programs, and support risk management programs.
Nullifying the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s harmful Packers & Stockyards rule that injects heavy-handed government mandates in cattle producers’ businesses.
Defending the Beef Checkoff, which supports the cattle industry’s long-term success and is supported by the majority of producers.
Reauthorizing the Animal Drug User Fee Act to protect the efficient Food and Drug Administration review of animal drugs that keep livestock healthy.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.