Agricultural News
OCA's Michael Kelsey Notes Timing of OCA's Winter Policy Development Meeting Jan. 26 Couldn't be Better
Tue, 19 Jan 2021 08:53:45 CST
Sandwiched between the inauguration of a new president and the beginning of the 2021 Oklahoma legislative session, the timing for the 2021 Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association Winter Policy Development meeting couldn't be better, said Michael Kelsey, executive director of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association.
The conference is slated for Tuesday, Jan. 26 at the Embassy Suites, OKC Northwest, 3233 Northwest Expressway, Oklahoma City.
The challenge of conducting an in-person meeting during the pandemic is recognized, however Kelsey said it's important for the group to come together to talk about the policies and future of their industry.
We have to follow Covid-19 guidelines, but our leadership thought it was important to move forward as food producers, he said.
The location of the conference is familiar with OCA veterans as it is the old Marriott Hotel, home for the OCA annual conference for many years prior to the group outgrowing the Marriott facility.
Kelsey said some of the top issues to be discussed include wildlife regulations, the structure of the cattle industry regarding live cattle trade and price discovery, and what to expect from the new Biden administration.
The timing is good as this will help us talk about all these issues prior to Oklahoma legislative session, Kelsey said.
He said they expect to work their way through about 3,900 bills filed for the Oklahoma legislature opening in February.
I anticipate a lot of ideas and questions, Kelsey said.
Other issues include sales tax exemptions, private property rights, tags for trailers to raise funds for the state, property taxes and other items for the state and local governments to increase funding.
The reality is those types of issues will become more prominent as we move forward, Kelsey said.
The OCA leader is excited about their new Oklahoma Prairie Beef solutions expected to add value to ground beef.
We're hoping to roll it out in May, and we have hired Sydnee Gerken as director of operations for the new entity, Kelsey said.
Oklahoma Prairie Beef Solutions (OPBS) was created for the Oklahoma cattle producer by Oklahoma cattle producers with the purpose to reward a premium to cattlemen and women who choose to sell their cull cows into this program. The
ground beef product will be sold in Oklahoma retails stores around the state.
There are so many moving parts to rolling out a product on a retail level, Kelsey said
We're really excited about new branded products and this will be a topic at our winter conference as well, he noted.
Click on the listen bar below to hear more of Ron's interview with Michael Kelsey.
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