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Executive Director’s Report

published: October 31st 2008
by: Bill Hyman
source: ICA Of Texas

“The road goes on forever and the party never ends,” at least that is what Robert Earle Keene sings about. I guess the same is true about the cattle industry and the challenges we meet each day. Earlier this month the Texas Animal Health Commission hosted the Trichomoniasis Working Group to discuss actions to be taken to minimize the further introduction of trich in Texas cattle herds. Trich is a venereal disease in cattle which can be controlled in cows through vaccination but is incurable in bulls that become infected and spread the disease. After much discussion the group tentatively agreed on a set of recommendations for the TAHC Commissioners to adopt as rules. The proposed rules would require all breeding bulls sold in Texas to be tested and free of trich if the bulls meet certain age requirements. The adoption of these rules would require all bulls shipped from out of state or raised in Texas to be tested. Breeding bulls sold that meet the age requirements (approx. age over 18 months) that did not pass the test or were not tested could only be sold for slaughter. This would allow the industry to stop the progress of the disease and then let producers and breeders work to clear the state of this problem. The ICA representatives at the meeting, Bob Nunley and myself, along with the Livestock Marketing Association representative, Frank Helvey, worked to convince the group that we didn’t need a full blown quarantine-type program but with a few rules and utilizing existing TAHC inspectors, the industry could deal with the disease. We recognize the potential dangers to the cow herd but we also do not want the repeat of a program that paralyzes the cowman.
    Later in the month, a meeting was held in Zapata to discuss the fever tick issue. US Congressman Henry Cuellar was on hand and spoke to the assembled ranchers. Various speakers commented on the problem and appealed to the government and USDA to increase funding and work to stop the northward march of the tick. A panel consisting of representatives of state and federal agencies along with the ICA and the Texas Wildlife Association spoke about the problem and fielded questions from the audience. The main focus of the meeting was that the problem is getting worse and ranchers throughout the entire country need to voice their concerns to USDA and educate our legislators that this is an industry problem, not just a local issue.
    The plight of the Southeast Texas ranchers remains dismal as federal and state agencies work to provide long term assistance with fencing and pasture restoration. A recent meeting in Winnie, sponsored by SETICA, was held to address these issues. Hopefully government aid will be forthcoming and these folks can begin ranching again. They are not giving up and will still need our help in the upcoming months to survive.
    With these issues very much a part of our future and the fact that the Texas Legislature is set to convene in 2009, I ask each of you to support Cattle Drive 2008. These are the funds we use to make the voice of the cow-calf producer heard in the halls of the Capitol on issues important to you. If you have already made your pledge, we thank you most graciously, if not please take time today to support ICA and the Texas cattleman.