President Trump signed several executive orders aimed at promoting the US cattle industry President Donald Trump today signed executive orders advancing cattle and sheep industry reforms aimed at strengthening competition, rebuilding domestic processing capacity, addressing predation and regulatory burdens, and supporting the long-term viability of America’s independent livestock producers. Among the actions announced by the White House, the executive orders: Direct the Depar

Dont forget to check the archived audio from Bill Bullard on our R-CALF USA page. Updated Weekly! The U.S. Department of Justice announced via X today that it is expanding its ongoing investigation into beef affordability to include eight of the nation’s largest grocery retailers, including Kroger, Publix, Walmart, Albertsons, Aldi, Ahold Delhaize USA, Costco and Amazon. The investigation has thus far focused on the nation’s four largest meatpackers. R-CALF USA has long r

Sec. Rollins speaks with reporters alongside local ranchers following a roundtable discussion. LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen hosted U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins Monday evening for a roundtable discussion with Nebraska cattle producers to address key economic and environmental challenges facing the cattle industry. The event followed a visit by the USDA Secretary to the Nebraska State Fair where she announced a platform of initiatives aimed at addressing be

Momentum for MCOOL is growing in Congress. Earlier this month, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted 17-6 to advance MCOOL in the Farm Bill. The National MCOOL Coalition, a broad-based coalition of national and regional organizations representing farm, ranch, rural, consumer and other interests, launched a petition this week calling on the White House and Congress to restore mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef. The petition, “Label Our Beef,” follows a proc

Should additional counties be added to the declared disasters, residents and businesses in those counties will also be eligible to postpone filings and payments until Feb. 1. Governor Jim Pillen has announced the approved postponement of tax filings and payments for individuals and businesses in parts of Nebraska that were impacted by wildfires and storms beginning on March 12, 2026. The issuance of tax relief by the IRS applies to five separate state disaster declarations. A

From R-CALF USA WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 27, 2026 — In a proclamation signed yesterday, President Donald Trump memorialized his earlier Truth Social announcement in which he stated he would allow up to 300,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings to enter the United States within the next 90 days free from out-of-quota tariffs. The president said the plan is intended to lower ground beef prices for consumers. The United States maintains a tariff rate quota (TRQ) system for beef f

Students from Valentine, Cody Kilgore and Hyannis attended the Carcass Evaluation and Bratwurst Clinic According to Jim and Lisa Pinney, On Wednesday August 26th Husker Meats held a carcass evaluation and hands on bratwurst clinic. Area students including Valentine and Cody Kilgore and Hyannis were able to make and consume their own brats. There was also a student carcass judging contest over seen by Bo Garcia, UNL Extension Assistant Professor and Meat Judging Coordinator. T

The deadline to apply for assistance is now Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. (Lincoln, Neb. – Aug. 24, 2026) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is again extending the application period for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) in several Nebraska counties impacted by March wildfires. The ECP application period opened in late April. The deadline to apply for assistance is now Monday, Oct. 26, 2026.ECP is available to address wildfire damage in the fo

BILLINGS, Mont., Aug. 25, 2026 R-CALF USA and 12 state and local cattle associations representing thousands of cattle producers across nine states sent a joint letter to President Donald J. Trump Monday urging him to reconsider a reported proposal to allow an additional 300,000 metric tons of imported beef to enter the United States without over-quota tariffs for 90 days. The letter argues that rebuilding the U.S. cattle herd requires restoring producer confidence that invest

From Friday Press Release President Donald Trump announced today on Truth Social that he plans to allow up to 300,000 metric tons of beef intended for ground beef production to enter the United States without the out-of-quota tariff for 90 days. The president said the plan is intended to lower beef prices for consumers while providing time for the U.S. cattle herd to rebuild. In response, R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard released the following statement: “Increasing imports double

Press Release From August 21, 2026 Ricketts Issues Statement in Support of Nebraska Farmers and Ranchers Omaha, Nebraska. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) issued the following statement in support of Nebraska farmers and ranchers: “I appreciate the Administration’s work to lower grocery prices. Short term policy shifts do not equal long term solutions. Flooding the market with lower quality beef compromises Nebraska farmers and ranchers. They should be enabled to

Since 2021, Fischer has secured over $70 million to fund ARS facility Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement that the agency will direct $37 million to the construction of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) facility at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln’s (UNL) Innovation Campus: “This is great news for UNL and the future of the ARS facility. Over the years, I have worked hard

From R-CALF USA Citing historically low cattle inventories as its reason, Tyson Foods announced Thursday the closure of its Joslin, Illinois, beef facility – a 3,000-head-per-day slaughtering plant; its Eagle Mountain, Utah, case-ready facility; and the sale of its Pasco, Washington, beef facility – a 2,000-head-per-day slaughtering plant. Within less than a year, the nation’s three largest beef packers have radically reshaped the structure of America’s beef and cattle indust

The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry voted to restore Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling R-CALF USA - Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry approved a bipartisan amendment to restore mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef during its Farm Bill markup. The amendment, led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), passed by a broad bipartisan voice vote, making it the only bipartisan amendment

GSL is located near Whitman, NE. The open house is later this month. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory (GSL) will host its annual open house Wednesday, Aug. 19, near Whitman. The event is open to cattle producers and industry professionals interested in the latest beef industry updates and current GSL research. Registration begins at 7:45 a.m. Mountain time and will be followed by a weather outlook presentation. Attendees will have the

R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard issued the following statement The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Friday its plan to reopen the entry port at Douglas, Arizona, within 30 days as part of a phased reopening of the southern border to imports of livestock from Mexico. R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard issued the following statement: “We appreciate Secretary Rollins' past commitment to protecting U.S. livestock and recognize the tremendous effort USDA personnel have undertaken

Cattle on cornstalks is common, but Nebraska Extension Livestock Educator Aaron Berger suggests grazing standing corn can also be done in drought conditions. Photo by Chabella Guzman By Aaron Berger | Nebraska Extension Livestock Educator Pasture and hay are in short supply in much of Nebraska due to drought conditions, while corn prices are currently below the cost of production. These circumstances are prompting consideration of grazing standing corn with the cow herd as

From The University of Nebraska Extension The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory (GSL) will host its annual open house Wednesday, Aug. 19, near Whitman. The event is open to cattle producers and industry professionals interested in the latest beef industry updates and current GSL research. Registration begins at 7:45 a.m. Mountain time and will be followed by a weather outlook presentation. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in

R-CALF USA noted that grazing capacity on Bureau-managed lands has steadily declined for decades, citing estimates that animal unit months, or AUMs, have fallen by more than 50% since 1954. R-CALF USA submitted formal comments on the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) proposed revisions to its grazing regulations. The proposal marks the first significant changes to BLM grazing policy in decades. While calling the proposal a long-needed step in the right direction, the organiza

From R-CALF USA Effective July 22, 2026, the United States Trade Representative and the president will impose a 25% tariff on many goods from Brazil, but beef and beef products will be exempted from the new tariffs. The tariffs on many of Brazil’s goods are the result of an investigation by the USTR under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorizes tariffs on goods from countries whose acts, policies or practices are unreasonable and burden or restrict U.S. commerc