The US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing downsizing the board to 99 members from 103 members. Federal law requires the board's size to change with shifts in cattle inventory levels. Federal law mandates that a state or unit must have an inventory of 500,000 head of cattle to be represented on the board and is entitled to an additional member for each additional 1,000,000 head of cattle.
The AMS proposal calls for domestic cattle producer representation on the board to decrease to 93 from 96, and importer representation to decrease to six from seven. The agency based its proposal on changes in cattle inventories since the last board reapportionment in 2011.
The revised board membership would be effective with nominations in 2014 for appointments effective in early 2015.
