Contact:	Joe Snyder	303-850-3349	jsnyder@beef.org	
Cattlemen Urged to Seize Opportunities as Convention Opens

01/29/2003 
NASHVILLE (January 29, 2003) – Cattlemen were urged to take advantage of current opportunities to increase demand for beef and profitability for beef producers today at the Opening General Session of the Cattle Industry Annual Convention & Trade Show.
 
Opportunities are presenting themselves like never before both politically and in the market place, conventioneers were told by a series of speakers at the session, sponsored by Fort Dodge Animal Health.
 
On the political side, keynote speaker Hugh Sidey, a White House correspondent who has covered 10 U.S. presidents, said producers have strong allies in key positions in Congress, as well as within the Bush Administration. He praised President Bush as decisive, decent and loyal, and said he is a leader who understands the needs of cattlemen and considers rural people a crucial part of the national character. “I’ve always considered him one of you,” Sidey said.
 
While the Republican Party barely controls a majority in Congress, that majority still enables the Administration to pursue opportunities to boost business and trade, said Chandler Keys, vice president of Government Affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). “The cattle industry is closer to this Administration than any other in the past 100 years,” Keys said. He added that the White House calls NCBA’s policy office in Washington, D.C. daily and “have our view points at heart.” If properly united, the industry can take advantage of this, he said.
 
NCBA President Wythe Willey, an Iowa cattleman, told the estimated 2,400 people in attendance that while the cattle market could be better, it would have been worse without the beef checkoff, which he said has probably “added $100 to the price of every steer going to market.” The American dream is alive and well in the cattle industry, he said.
 
Dee Lacey, a California producer who chairs the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB), pointed out that the majority of beef producers support the $1-per-head checkoff, although there is a need to better inform them about some of the critical programs funded by the checkoff.
 
Part of the session was conducted by NCBA Chief Executive Officer Terry Stokes as a “town hall meeting,” similar to those being hosted throughout the country by state beef organizations and NCBA. Taking questions from the audience, Stokes emphasized that NCBA is cattleman-controlled and industry-inclusive. “Our commitment is to all cattlemen across the U.S.,” he said, “and we have to speak with one voice to make a difference.” He urged cattlemen to take advantage of the convention to participate in helping shape policies and programs that will be critical to the future of the industry.
 
Also from NCBA were Assistant Director of Beef Safety Michelle Rossman discussing strides the industry has made in E. coli 0157:H7 prevention, Executive Director of Nutrition Mary K. Young telling of the industry’s work in promoting beef as a nutritional part of a healthy diet, and Executive Director of Product Marketing Carl Blackwell, who brought the convention up-to-date on new product efforts.
 
CBB Chief Operating Officer Monte Reese told cattlemen, “Consumers are coming back to beef because of what you are doing with checkoff programs,” and said convention participants have a “golden opportunity” to make the self-help checkoff even better.
 
The crowd also heard from Florida producer and CBB Vice Chairman Andy Tucker, as well as Idaho producer and NCBA President-Elect Eric Davis. “We’re here this week for a reason: to set policies and priority programs,” said Davis. “You have an opportunity to be a part of it – don’t waste it.”
 
The Cattle Industry Annual Convention & Trade Show runs from Jan. 29 through Feb. 1 at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville.
 
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