NCBA Releases 2026 Policy Priorities At CattleCon

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today announced its 2026 policy priorities following approval by the organization’s Executive Committee at CattleCon 2026. NCBA’s focus centers on policies that directly impact producer profitability, including reducing regulatory costs, defending free markets, expanding trade opportunities, and maintaining strong beef demand.
 

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Livestockdon molino
EPA Advances Farmers’ Right to Repair Their Own Equipment, Saving Repair Costs and Productivity

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advanced American farmers and equipment owners’ lawful right to repair their farm and other nonroad diesel equipment. EPA’s guidance to manufacturers clarifies that the Clean Air Act (CAA) supports, rather than restricts, Americans’ ability to make repairs on their own, and makes clear manufacturers can no longer use the CAA to justify limiting access to repair tools or software. For America’s farmers, timely and affordable repairs are essential to planting, harvesting, and keeping operations running.

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kristen oaks
Freezing Temperatures Take Toll on South Louisiana Crops

South Louisiana may not have gotten the ice and snow seen further north, but parts were blanketed in white. 

In Tangipahoa Parish, strawberry grower Joey Liuzza has been working to protect his crop while continuing to harvest. White fields dotted with frost cover aren’t snowdrifts—they’re protective row covers used to shield strawberry plants from freezing temperatures. 

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Farmer Financials: From a Yellow Light to a Check Engine Warning

In 2025, the average size of loans for farmer operating expenses reached a record high (30% higher than last year) and pushed up lending volumes, according to the National Survey of Terms of Lending to Farmers. As noted by Federal Reserve of Kansas City Economist, Ty Kreitman, demand for farm loans has risen with tighter working capital, elevated production costs and higher cattle prices.

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kristen oaks
The Louisiana Red Swamp Crayfish Has Invaded European Rivers, Transmits a Deadly Fungus, Eliminates Native Crustaceans, and Transforms Freshwater Ecosystems in Just a Few Years

The red swamp crayfish of Louisiana doesn't seem threatening at first glance. It measures on average between 5 and 12 centimeters, lives at the bottom of rivers, lagoons and canals, and resembles a common crustacean. But this North American species has become one of the... the most destructive aquatic invasive species on the planet, capable of reshaping entire ecosystems in just a few years, wiping out native populations, and spreading a virtually lethal disease to other crustaceans.

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Aquaculturekristen oaks