AURORA, COLO. – With optimism for the cattle business remaining strong, nearly 700 cattle producers from across the country gathered in Aurora for the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting. The event helps shape the future of the industry through grassroots policy development and discussions that will guide research, education and promotion efforts.
 
“We conduct a lot of business during this meeting, but we also benefit by gathering together and learning from each other,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Gene Copenhaver. “I appreciate the time producers take away from their families to make our industry better for future generations and the commitment our state partners have to helping advance the business of the industry.”
 
Producers participated in NCBA policy meetings and Beef Checkoff committee discussions to evaluate emerging issues, advance initiatives launched at CattleCon and establish priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. Regional meetings offered attendees the opportunity to discuss local issues impacting their operations.

After policies are approved the Summer Business Meeting and also at CattleCon, policy proposals are then placed on a ballot and sent to every NCBA producer member, giving everyone an opportunity to vote in support of or opposition to each proposal.

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South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association (SDCA) members played an active role in advancing policies that support cattle producers and the beef industry through participation in the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting. SDCA led the charge to strengthen NCBA’s definition of beef, reinforcing consumer confidence that when they reach for beef at the supermarket, it was raised by cattle farmers and ranchers and not grown in a lab.

SDCA supported expanding grazing opportunities on CRP acres as we work to rebuild the nation’s cattle herd. The organization advanced discussions on improving Livestock Risk Protection coverage for bred heifers, bred cows, and unborn calves, providing producers with stronger risk-management tools. In addition, SDCA voted to address regulatory challenges that continue to increase costs for cattle producers.
 
“This meeting showcases the strength of NCBA’s grassroots policy process,” Copenhaver, a fifth-generation cattleman from Virginia, said. “State cattlemen’s associations brought forward policy recommendations on a wide range of issues affecting producers, including the Conservation Reserve Program, Livestock Risk Protection, and Theileria orientalis Ikeda, the disease transmitted by Asian longhorned ticks. These discussions and resulting recommendations are where true grassroots policy development comes to fruition, ensuring NCBA’s policy priorities are driven by cattle producers and reflect the needs of our industry.”
 
The NCBA Board of Directors approved several policy recommendations that will be submitted to the membership for a mail ballot vote in September. The board meeting also highlighted the work of the Federation of State Beef Councils and its collaborative national efforts to promote beef, support research, expand education and strengthen consumer trust, helping drive beef demand.
 
Cattle producers and industry stakeholders will again gather for CattleCon 2027, which is returning to downtown Nashville, Tennessee, Feb. 2-4, 2027, with business meetings beginning Feb. 1.

For more information, visit www.ncba.org.