NCBA president-elect Buck Wehrbein
THE American cattle industry’s peak lobby group, the National Cattleman’s Beef Association has announced a new president, with Nebraska cattleman Buck Wehrbein promising to advocate for opportunities for the next generation.
Mr Wehrbein, who has had a 45-year career in the cattle feeding sector, was announced as the new president at the NCBA’s biggest event, CattleCon, which is this year being held in San Antonio, Texas. (See previous article on CattleCon)
The NCBA president is a prestigious role in the US industry, with most presidents taking years to get the appointment and having one year to do the role.
Last year’s president, Wyoming cattleman Mark Eisele, developed close ties with the Australian industry – spending part of his term at the Beef 2024 event in Rockhampton and opening his gates for the Societal Role of Meat conference in Denver.
Mr Wehrbein is particularly passionate about fostering opportunity for the next generation of cattle producers, recognizing their ability to drive innovation and industry progress.
“They’re ahead of where we were in my time,” he noted. “They understand the issues, and they’re ready to make a difference.”
Wehrbein’s focus during his time as president is to advocate for profit opportunities while also strengthening the freedom to operate. Securing tax relief provisions and pushing back on regulatory overreach is also crucial during the year ahead.
“The tax issue is critically important for agriculture,” Wehrbein said.
“A few years ago, there was talk of doing away with the deduction of expenses, and that would have been devastating. We also have to keep pushing on the Death Tax. With what land values have done, if families are forced to sell or split up land to pay taxes, it would put a lot of people out of business.”
For Wehrbein, leadership is guided by faith, family, and vocation. A devout Christian, he credits his faith with providing direction and strength throughout his career and in raising his family. Married to his wife Sandy for more than 52 years, Wehrbein cherishes the support of his family, including his two daughters, seven grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. He looks forward to the year ahead, working with NCBA members toward a stronger, more viable future.
“The overarching principle and aim of NCBA is to make things better for our members and create an environment where each of us focus on our farms and ranches,” Wehrbein explained. “That’s a big strength of NCBA—we’re not just big feedlots or big ranches. We’re everybody,” Wehrbein said.
Source: NCBA
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