11/10/05 Cattlemen convene in Chelan

Washington Ag November 10, 2005 The 80th Annual Convention and Trade Show of the Washington Cattlemen's and the Washington CattleWoman's Associations gets underway today in Chelan at Campbell's Resort. Highlights of the meeting will include a panel discussion on Livestock ID and Trade and Marketing and a panel discussion featuring the founder of R-CALF, the president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the WCA's top two elected officers. A week ago WCA president Pete Guglielmino spoke at Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns Farm Bill Listening session in Cheney. He talked about getting the Japanese market reopened to U.S. beef and that measure in the U.S. Senate that would impose tariffs on Japan if it doesn't open up by mid-December. Guglielmino: "And we would hope that this would gain support. I think it needs something like this in order for them to realize we are serious about this. And we need that market." Guglielmino also talked about opportunities for U.S. beef in China. WCA executive vice president Jack Field also spoke talking about emergency CRP grazing and funding for USDA's Wildlife Services agency. Later they both talked with Secretary Johanns at a reception in Spokane. The Cattle Producers of Washington recently held their annual meeting in Kennewick where they heard from R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard and Governor Gregoire's international trade adviser Robert Hamilton. The next day Central Washington Livestock in Moses Lake hosted its first R-CALF USA sale generating over three-thousand dollars for R-CALF and the Cattle Producers of Washington. I'm Bob Hoff.