86 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN February 2026 CONTINUED ON PAGE 88 and Quantity Task Force, the Perkins County Canal Fund and requested changes to fees within the new department, emphasizing the importance of balancing resource management with producer needs. Nebraska Cattlemen Career Fair Students attended the NC Career Fair where they engaged with vendors at a sold-out trade show to explore internship and career opportunities. Along with networking with industry professionals, students received free professional headshots and listened to a panel discussion that shared practical tips for securing internships and preparing for future careers. Animal Health and Nutrition Committee The Animal Health and Nutrition Committee listened to a federal update from NCBA Government Affairs Senior Director Sigrid Johannes about the work their team is doing with federal agencies, Hill leadership and more to protect our nation’s cow herd from the threat of New World screwworm (NWS) as it is getting closer to our southern border. Johannes specifically discussed how USDA plans to ramp up domestic sterile fly production at Moore Air Force Base, which is being retrofitted as a sterile insect plant in Texas to help ensure we can be armed and ready should an outbreak of NWS occur. Nebraska Department of Agriculture State Veterinarian Roger Dudley, DVM, spoke about the state’s plan, in conjunction with USDA’s proposed playbook, to combat NWS. After addressing several concerns such as business continuity should an outbreak occur and other best practices during a foreign animal disease outbreak, Dudley went on to discuss the Asian longhorned tick, the threat of the Theileria parasite and what producers should be watching for in their herds. Jess Hinrichs, DVM, with Zoetis Beef Technical Services, and Lonty Bryant, DVM, manager of beef cattle technical service for Merck Animal Health, discussed their respective products that received special conditional approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat NWS. They explained treatment options and explained why speedy approval from federal agencies is important in the face of emerging animal health threats. Last, producers heard from Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Director Lindsay Waechter-Mead, DVM, about her plans to lead the program as well as recap of BQA certification NC 2025 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 84
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