At the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in San Diego, Senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst, vice chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB). Our Coverage from San Diego is powered by Farm Data Services of Stillwater.
Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst, vice chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB), shared some key updates. Dr. DeVuyst talked about concerns over tariffs and how U.S. beef exports are adapting. “Our USMEF team, which receives CBB producer dollars, is able to pivot and still be able to get our beef variety meats and beef to those consumers in the other markets,” she said. Even with trade issues in China, “we actually have increased the volume to Korea over the past few months,” DeVuyst added, noting that beef exports still bring in about $415 per fed head.
DeVuyst also highlighted the success of an educational program by the American Farm Bureau Foundation. “They recently won another award for their beef genetics information that they get to science teachers across the country,” she said. These materials help students who may not know much about farming learn about beef production and sustainability. “That helps the students then be able to understand beef production, the genetic side, and really then understand more about the sustainable product that we do produce,” she explained.
With the new fiscal year starting October 1, CBB members are reviewing contractor proposals to decide how to spend limited funds. “This is our busy, busy time,” DeVuyst said. She described sitting at a table with fellow producers from all over the country, including Florida, Kansas, and South Dakota, going over projects and asking questions. “We’re sitting down with each other and what are the great things about this project,” she said.
She explained how producers work together to choose the most impactful projects. “We sit around a table and we go through the limited dollars that we do have and we try to make decisions about how we will fund those projects,” DeVuyst said. “We never have enough dollars, but we’re really trying to get the best bang for our producer’s buck.”
When asked why she chose to serve on the CBB, DeVuyst reflected on her background. “I grew up on a dairy farm. I’ve been involved in agriculture and it’s just another way to help really reinforce the great life but also work that we do,” she said. Her goal is to help others understand the value of producers. “Our producers… they’re scientists, they’re environmentalists you really don’t realize the amount of technology that goes into what we do,” she said.
