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National Cattleman’s Beef Association President J.D. Alexander on the House passing a bill to provide $100,000 in aid for livestock farmers because ...
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Just getting worse by the -- now more than half of the counties -- -- US are designated as disaster areas.
The government punching up efforts to give relief to desperate farmers.
We just got word that the house passed its livestock drought aid bill which could provide.
Up 200000 dollars -- livestock producer plus the government has opened up millions of acres of protected conservation land for grazing.
JD Alexander is Nebraska cattlemen president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association I appreciate you coming back to the show JD.
You're welcome glad to be back with you what do you think of this latest development.
A 100000 dollars for cattle producers and opening up the grazing -- how much help -- back.
You know it's a step in the right direction and we really do appreciate it I think the big issue is so we have to realize is this is a band aid.
The real issue at hand as we need to get the 2012 farm bill passed so we don't have to come and that react accordingly.
When things like this to happen so how how desperate has the situation gotten how serious is -- the thing that I look at -- this is the worst in my lifetime.
This with a lot of veteran cattle producers around the area and they tell me that they don't recall -- thing as bad assist.
Since really 1956.
Or 55 in that area.
So it's really gotten pretty serious it's forcing cattlemen to do a lot of different things that they haven't done before and things are usually don't practice and and having to move cattle around to look for feed stuffs and quote alternative method methods.
Why do you say that the 100000 dollars which -- ice and we don't have a lot of details on that I assume that that's just relief it's not alone in many -- it seems like it's just.
A grant and opening of the acres of land for breezing why is that just abandon.
Rob -- that this is a short term this is for the immediate disasters my knowledge this is the long term event.
We don't know how long the Stroud is going to last and I think that's having a look at.
But of that good thing is is what it does it covers -- immediate disaster.
Unfortunately in the the high heat and ordered disasters are holding get some death loss.
The other we have as we have to have feed stuffs.
This -- allow a lot of people to.
Get some feed steps that they they may need to it to continue the health of their cattle -- so it's a very critical part of what we need to do.
But what do you need but beyond that.
-- we need as long term looking out of that mean.
You know this is band aid approach for this this immediate disaster and I think the real thing we want to -- is a long term.
Plan with the farm bill so we can make -- our plans accordingly.
You know we have to make decisions every day in and day out with the market the volatility.
And the other thing we have to be looking at -- mother nature this drought disaster is really every day it's getting worse we don't know what's gonna end tomorrow.
It may have to be a two or three year deal so really need is is long term knowledge of of how we can be helped him in fact if we do you have another disaster next year the year after down the -- Eighty real quick before we go can you tell our audience how it's going to impact them.
Well long term table feed stuffs are getting higher price we have to feeder -- livestock.
The cost government raises our cost to game.
You know that -- -- the end result is so I don't -- -- around the factor and are gonna have higher beef prices and or protein prices and other commodities as well the drought is affecting a lot of things it eventually end up on the a consumer's table.
-- JD Alexander thanks for joining us and best of luck to you.
Thank you very much appreciate it.
