Agricultural News
Independent Cattle Producers in Oklahoma to Form Alternative Industry Group
Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:14:51 CDT
For the first time in many years, a new cattle industry organization for the state of Oklahoma is being formed. The effort to establish this new group dubbed the Oklahoma Independent Stock Growers Association, is being led by Andrea Hutchison of the Chain Ranch in Canton. She explained to Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays that this organization is needed to give likeminded producers a voice in the industry, at a time when they perceive it to be headed in the wrong direction.
"There's a growing concern among independent state producers, that we're kind of losing our voice," she said. "I've watched at-large forces come in, global forces come in - the World Wildlife Fund being a major player - in this drive to squelch our voice."
Hutchison claims the problem started with the creation of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. She believes this and the US Roundtable for Stainable Beef, are "usurping" producers' rights to produce livestock and market them as they see fit. She believes the sustainability movement happening throughout agriculture is being orchestrated through the United Nations, and is being implemented by groups like the USRSB to spread its influence on a grassroots level. Now, she says mainstream cattle industry associations are signing on with collaborative initiatives being promoted by the USRSB - which Hutchison says will ultimately squeeze independent producers out of the market if they do not conform to the rules and regulations of these initiatives.
"I just wrote a resolution and presented it at the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association meeting this past summer and - I got beat," Hutchison said, explaining her decision to branch off and form a new group of producers who share her interest. "This is a global beef trust. We can't have foreign law come into the United States, but that's what this is. If you don't comply with the rules and the policy and such that they deem acceptable then they're going to incrementally drive you out of the market."
Hutchison plans to formally get this new organization off the ground with its first official meeting, October 28th at the Chain Ranch Headquarters in Canton, Oklahoma featuring guest speakers and an election of officers. For more information, the group has a presence on Facebook now. Just search for Oklahoma Independent Stock Growers Association.
Listen to Hutchison further explain her position on the state of the beef industry and why she believes there is a need to form a new industry group, with Ron Hays, on today's Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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