Statement by Mark McHargue, President, Regarding Legislation to Make Cattle Brand Inspection System Voluntary

LINCOLN, NEB. - "Nebraska Farm Bureau continues to be a strong supporter of the work of the Nebraska Brand Committee, including its important role in mitigating cattle theft in our state. While we have been open to discussions centered around modernization to ensure the current fee system is equitable for program participants, our members have made it clear that they are not supportive of changes that would effectively end the mandatory brand inspection program as it exists today in favor of a voluntary statewide system as proposed in LB 1258, legislation introduced by Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair. Given the volume of questions we've received about the legislation, we felt it is important to be clear that Nebraska Farm Bureau is opposed and will actively work to stop any effort to implement a statewide voluntary brand inspection system."

The Nebraska Farm Bureau is a grassroots, state-wide organization dedicated to supporting farm and ranch families and working for the benefit of all Nebraskans through a wide variety of educational, service, and advocacy efforts. Nearly 55,000 families across Nebraska are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve rural and urban prosperity as agriculture is a key fuel to Nebraska's economy. For more information about Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit www.nefb.org.

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