Month: February 2016

MO Bad News: NCBA, cattlemen’s worst nightmare, wants $1 increase in Beef Tax

Mike Callicrate

Mike Callicrate owner of Callicrate Cattle Co. was recently interviewed by George Sholtz with Big Country 99 The Rooster (KUNQ) Assumed by its name to be an advocate for the cattle industry, the NCBA is actually the independent cattlemen’s worst nightmare and now want to increase the Missouri Beef Checkoff to $2. With its control of the Beef Checkoff Program, the NCBA is: Undermining every effort to restore competition to U.S. livestock markets. Facilitating trade agreements that are Read More …

Sen. Dierks says “NO” to destroying Nebraska livestock markets. Vote “NO” on LB176.

Mike Callicrate

Attached is the letter Sen. Dierks (retired) has asked me to circulate to you on LB176. It is useful to understand that scope and size the price “meltdown” in the hog sector. From 1997 to 2000, 2,500 hog producers were forced out of business. It was a time of deeply and widely felt financial and emotional crisis in our state. Out of the expectation that “somebody ought to do something”, the Legislature responded with the Competitive Livestock Markets Read More …

Corporate Farming Bill Threatens Nebraska’s Family Farms

Mike Callicrate

NEWS RELEASE February 1, 2016 Corporate Farming Bill Threatens Nebraska’s Family Farms The Organization for Competitive Markets is calling on farmers, ranchers and consumers across Nebraska to strongly oppose a bill in the state legislature that would reduce competition in the marketplace by allowing packer ownership of hogs. Nebraska is the only state that still prohibits packers from owning hogs more than five days prior to slaughter. “We can’t let this happen in Nebraska,” said OCM President Mike Read More …

LB176 Letter to Senators – February 1, 2016

Mike Callicrate

February 1, 2016 Dear Senator: As president of the Organization for Competitive Markets, I sent the Agriculture Committee a strong letter of opposition to LB176 last year. On February 2, 1999, I testified before the Legislature’s Agriculture Committee in favor of LB832, LB833, LB834, and LB835 which were later merged into the Competitive Livestock Markets Act. I testified as the owner and manager of a large beef feedlot in Kansas, and on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Legal Fund, Read More …