Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) is the voice for local livestock auction markets on state and federal legislative and regulatory issues. They brought that voice to NAFB’s Trade Talk to bring to light key ag policy issues relevant to the livestock marketing sector.
Chelsea Good, Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs, said the Packers and Stockyards Act is the main regulatory law for local livestock markets providing financial protection for sellers, but the law was written in 1921 and needed a facelift. Throughout 2015, LMA held listening sessions across the country identifying what works and what needs changed. “In 2016 we were able to take that first step and had a bill passed which made some amendments to the Packers and Stockyards Act starting to modernize the law.”
Animal disease traceability is the requirement of certain animals 18 months of age or older, moving across state lines to be officially identified with an ear tag. Good said LMA is working to help in this identification process which has been in place since 2013 and still has some kinks to be worked out. “This can help those producers come into compliance by identifying those cattle, having a veterinarian on staff to write health certificates if needed and to keep commerce moving.”
Listen to my complete interview with Good here: Interview with Chelsea Good, LMA
Switching gears a bit and moving on to a fun event LMA hosts each year. The 54th World Livestock Auctioneer Championship took place in Billings, Montana this past June. High-caliber livestock auctioneers from around the world gathered for the competition and Andy White took home the title.
Growing up attending auctions with his father, White never really saw himself as an auctioneer. But at 21 a friend handed him a pamphlet for the Missouri Auctioneer School and 15 years later White said he is blessed to still be in this profession. “I am a melting pot of a lot of auctioneers around me. I have taken their styles and messed them with my own. Through that process, I have been able to work with a lot of the best auctioneers around.”
Listen to my complete interview to hear White’s award winning chant first-hand: Interview with Andy White, 2016 World Livestock Auctioneer Champion
View and download photos from the event here: NAFB Convention Photo Album
