Commentary By Bill Bullard, Ceo, R-calf Usa
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
There are two important initiatives underway in Washington, D.C., to help America’s cattle farmers and ranchers. One is intended to ensure that mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef is included in the 2024 Farm Bill. The other is to ensure that the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) new rule that mandates the use of electronic identification (EID) eartags is overturned. Let’s discuss both, but first… Despite all the rhetoric and propaganda to the contrary, there are two separate and distinct industries that comprise the multisegmented beef supply chain. You have the cattle industry, the supplier of live cattle; and you have the beef industry, the buyer of live cattle and manufacturer and seller of beef. These industries sell different kinds of products: The cattle industry sells live cattle, and the beef industry sells beef.