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Press Release

From: Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska

Contact Person: ICON Director Chris Abbott, 308-282-2826

Date: February 24, 2009

Cattlemen Meet in Dierk’s Office on LB 585

A pre-hearing meeting on Monday, February 23, in Senator Cap Dierk’s office brought together several agriculture groups to discuss LB 585, the Bovine Trichomoniasis bill.

Chris Abbott and David Wright represented the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska (ICON) along with Jerry Stodola and ICON lobbyist Jim Pappas.

The morning meeting brought together ICON, the Nebraska Cattlemen, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Farmers Union, Nebraska Livestock Market Association, and the Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association. The Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture and the office of the State Veterinarian were not able to attend.

The formal hearing was held on Tuesday, February 24, but positive input by the farm organizations in Dierk’s office on Monday contributed valuable information to be presented at the hearing.

Three main areas of interest were expressed by all the groups:

  • Notification of neighbors: Current laws were questioned and what actions were required when reporting diseases. Liability worries for neighbors were voiced.
  • Authority of the state vet: The groups questioned what authority the state vet has, what information is shared with practicing vets, and how information is gathered from state and out-of-state labs. Concerns about producer herd identification were also raised.
  • Proof of slaughter of infected bulls: Questions arose about whether proof of slaughter was required and if jaw brands were used for identification. Other questions included what actions are currently taken to assist Nebraska livestock markets contain Trich.

It was agreed that these concerns would be presented to the Department of Agriculture during the Ag Committee hearing on Tuesday.

The cattlemen represented on Monday are not interested in seeing a mandatory program created from the LB 585 legislation. The bill was originally written to bring all interested parties to the table to see what can be done in the cattle industry to contain this disease.

“This legislation, today, is brought for the benefit of cattlemen, veterinarians, regulators, and auction market operators,” said Dierks in his testimony at the hearing on Tuesday. “These folks all have the same concern, that of the availability of information on animals diagnosed with Trich. Open and shared information on the presence of the disease is absolutely essential for control of the infection on the local level, as well as the state level.”

Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska
"Solid as a windmill. Always working for the independent producer."

The Mission of the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska (ICON) is to protect and promote the interests of Nebraska's independent cattle producers. The office of the organization is located in Hyannis, Nebraska, and membership can be obtained by calling (308) 458-7282.