Livestock Producer Profitability Initiative

This is Tim Hammerich of the Ag Information Network with your Farm of the Future Report.

Despite recent record-high livestock prices, it’s tougher than ever to be a producer. Lack of access to land and labor, over-regulation and input costs are causing more people to exit the business. Livestock Marketing Association members have launched a producer profitability initiative, which aims to bring all segments of the livestock industry together to seek out solutions to strengthen producers’ bottom lines.

Goggins… “We just continue to disperse cow herds. We continue to disperse flocks of sheep. We continue to lose thousands and thousands of acres out of protein production. And we really feel that we better push back, we better unify this industry somehow, some way, to try to encourage and incentivize people to want to do this.”

That’s Joe Goggins, who owns Public Auction Yards in Billings, Montana. By working together, he says, all industry segments can accomplish so much more than working individually.

Goggins… “We're not going to unify around all things, but I think we can unify as an industry. I think if we create a grassroots movement, I really do believe that we can get some unity on this idea of creating some incentive not only for young people, for all people to want to stay in this and to leave their land in production.”

Goggins encourages producers of all types, sizes and location to reach out to those in their network – and to organizations they are part of – to have conversations about the biggest barriers to profitability.