06/21/06 Auctioneer Champ Tackles Issues

Auctioneer Champ to Tackle Animal ID Issue. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. The Livestock Marketing Association named the 2006 World Livestock Auctioneer Champion Saturday in Escalon, California. This year`s winner is David Macedo of Tulare, California. Macedo says he`s overwhelmed by the honor - and is looking forward to being the public face - and voice - of the Livestock Marketing Association MACEDO: Well I love to travel and I love people and I love representing LMA. I was going to represent LMA whether I was first in this contest or 31st as well as all 30 contestants should be doing on a daily basis. Going out there preaching what we do, what we have and what we have to offer. But I'm looking forward to going across the nation visiting markets, getting different points of view and trying to unify LMA member markets on certain key issues. Macedo says one of those key issues is national animal ID. And he says industry unity on animal ID is essential - if livestock markets and cattle producers want to avoid a mandatory government program. MACEDO: Well I think I'm like the rest of us at first it scares you to death and then you realize that this is something that we are going to see and something that will be implemented. You know I've always felt that we as market owners are leaders not followers so I think we need to get t out there and lead the way to what we think will work or otherwise we're going to have something forced on us that may not be workable and put unfair burdens on ourselves and our member markets. Of course - in addition to being a spokesperson for LMA - Macedo is also the world champ of livestock auctioneering for 2006 - and here`s a portion of his winning chant. MACEDO: (Auction chant) Pretty soon I thought well you know maybe I don't want to be a dentist, I want to be an auctioneer and I think that was God tugging me in the direction I was supposed to be going. Macedo says his original career goal was to become a dentist. But he ended up going into the family`s auction market business in Tulare - and he says he`s glad he did. You can read and hear this more stories on the internet at www.aginfo.com. And if you have a comment be sure and send me an email gmartin@aginfo.net. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.