America’s cattle farmers and ranchers don’t ask for much from the federal government, but they do rely on a few key programs to protect animal health, aid in disaster recovery, reduce risk, and strengthen our nation’s food security.
Overview
Authorized by Congress every 5 years, the Farm Bill is the most comprehensive piece of legislation impacting agriculture. For the cattle industry, farmers and ranchers rely on several critical programs that help producers manage risk, recover from natural disasters, protect animal health, and promote conservation.
Strengthening Risk Management
Cattle farmers and ranchers support risk management programs like Livestock Risk Protection (LRP), which can help hedge against price decline and protect producers from extreme market conditions that could detrimentally affect their businesses.
Supporting Disaster Programs
When disaster strikes, cattle producers sometimes need support to get their operation back up and running again. NCBA strongly supports programs such as the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), and the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) that help producers recover from predator attacks on livestock, and extreme weather conditions like heat, drought, and wildfire.
Promoting Voluntary Conservation Programs
Cattle producers are our nation’s original conservationists. Every day they care for millions of acres of land, soil, and water. To help producers continue caring for the land, NCBA supports voluntary conservation programs that help producers invest in improvements to the land, water, and natural resources, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
Protecting Animal Health
Foreign animal disease is one of the most significant threats to the cattle industry. An outbreak of a disease on American soil could lead to billions of dollars in economic losses and significant disruptions to food security. Support for programs like the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) are important for foreign animal disease protection and detection. NADPRP helps states, agricultural organizations, universities, and others carry out research projects, emergency planning, and producer education to prevent animal disease outbreaks.
NCBA strongly supports funding for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB), which currently holds the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine. A disease like FMD could decimate the cattle industry, therefore, making investments in these countermeasures is essential for protecting the U.S. livestock industry and the overall economy.
Contact
Allison Rivera
202-347-0228