This past week the Montana Stockgrowers Association held a presentation called the “Producer Profitability Initiative”. This program is a grassroots movement started by cattle ranchers and led by cattle ranchers who have a vision to create a sustainable future for the American livestock industry. This initiative is intended to encompass ranchers of all ages, management styles, operations large and small. Western Livestock Auction hosted the event and provided space for a crowd of producers to meet and discuss several issues pertaining to the livestock industry.
In an effort to find common ground with an eye towards developing future public policy, four main topics were explored for comment. Conversations revolved around taxes, livestock risk protection, barriers for young farmers/ranchers and obtaining labor. The general idea of these meetings around the state is to engage all the farm organizations into a single voice that can then be used to approach government policymakers.
Congressional candidate and Stockgrowers member, Ric Holden, from Dawson County attended the meeting in order to gather information for future consideration. Holden talked with the membership prior to the meeting. Holden pointed out that currently Montana does not have any representative sitting on any of the house agriculture committees in Washington DC. Becoming a member of the house agriculture committee is a top priority for Holden.
Many in the crowd expressed disfavor with the policy of letting recreational land be taxed as agricultural land by the use of loopholes in tax policy. The acreage amount that can be used as a trigger point for determining agricultural land is coming under scrutiny.
Livestock risk protection programs provide a method to establish a floor selling price for livestock, and it protects against catastrophic price declines. Smaller operations can use this program, but it is unclear why this USDA program is not better understood.
Many older ag producers in the room expressed concern with not being able to turn over the operation to the next generation due to tax laws and land appraisals. Young people are challenged to get into agriculture due to the cost of land, obtaining bank loans, and getting land lease terms they can afford.
All farming entities are having a problem accessing a pool of labor. In recent years agriculture has seen less people willing to work in the extreme conditions that outdoor farm labor requires. Some of the local attendees expressed concern with trying to maneuver through the federal H2A program. This program allows legal farm workers to come to America to work for a set period of time. Many suggestions were made on how the federal government might be able to make the program more inviting.
The Stockgrowers Association will be holding these initiative listening sessions all over the state. Refer to the Montana Stockgrowers Association website for more information and meeting schedules.
Press release By Ric Holden for Montana: May 13, 2024 – Great Falls, Mt
