FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2002
South Carolina Represented at Cattle Industry Convention
COLUMBIA---Several local beef producers traveled west to the 2002 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Denver, CO, February 6-9.
James Sease of Ehrhardt, SC - SC Beef Board Chairman; and Buck Bell of Summerton, SC - SC Beef Board Vice Chairman and National Cattlemens Beef Association (NCBA) Federation Director; Tricia Brownlee of St. George, SC, - Cattlemen's Beef Board director; and Jim Pooser Executive Director of the SC Beef Board. Also attending the convention as industry exhibitors to the trade show were beef producers, Steve McGill and Ronnie Able.
A dynamic series of events at the convention led to some exiting moments for the cattle industry. President George W. Bush made a guest appearance at the convention. Cattle ranchers and farmers praised President Bush for recognizing the cattle industry as "an incredibly important part of America's future." Lynn Cornwell, president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) and a beef producer from Glasgow, Montana, called the president's remarks "a great tribute to the one million men and women who work our nation's cattle ranches and make up the largest segment of America's food and fiber industry."
New policies to support and advance the beef industry initiative were adopted during the convention related to agriculture policy, cattle health and well-being, federal lands, cattle marketing, property rights, international markets and science and technology. A major topic of discussion at the meeting was country-of-origin labeling. A new policy was adopted to urge and advance market-driven country-of-origin labeling for beef. In addition, action was taken to provide livestock auction market operators and order buyers with an increased presence and voice within the NCBA.
Efforts of the National Cattlemens Beef Association and state beef organizations like the SC Beef Board helped the demand for beef continued its upward trend in 2001. The Beef Demand Index has climbed in 12 of the last 14 quarters on the heels of a decline that stretched almost 20 years. Chairman Sease said, "Because of the state and national cooperation that exists today in the beef industry, we are continuing to build demand, even when the country is in an economic slump. I am glad that we had the opportunity to attend the national convention as representatives of SC's beef industry."
For more information about SC's beef industry, call Jim Pooser at 803.734.9806
or email scbeef@scda.state.sc.us.