Program will add value to Kentucky livestock
Commissioner Richie Farmer
I’m excited about the debut of a new program by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture that will add value to Kentucky-bred show animals, including cattle exhibited at the Kentucky Farm Bureau Beef Expo March 5-7 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.
The Kentucky Proud Livestock Tag Program will make exhibitors eligible for additional premiums in KDA-sponsored livestock shows and the Kentucky State Fair. That will provide an incentive for Kentucky exhibitors to pay more to participating producers for show-quality, Kentucky-bred livestock.
Exhibitors who earn the additional premiums will be able to put that money toward their education or into next year’s livestock projects. Producers will get more for their animals, and Kentucky’s livestock industries will get some well-deserved acclaim.
Producers may enroll in the program and purchase Kentucky Proud tags for their show-quality animals for $5 per tag. The tags are visual tools that will make it easy to identify animals enrolled in the program and issue Kentucky Proud premiums to youth livestock exhibitors. Each tag bears the Kentucky Proud logo and an identifying number. Any animals not identified by a Kentucky Proud tag at a KDA-sponsored youth livestock show will be eligible for non-Kentucky premiums only.
The tag program has been launched with Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund money through the Kentucky Proud program. Proceeds from the sales of the tags will cover the Department’s cost for the tags and fund the additional premiums.
To enroll in the program and purchase tags, submit a completed tag application to the KDA. The application can be found at www.kyagr.com/marketing/fair/livestocktag.htm.
Upon approval, you will be issued a Kentucky Proud membership certificate in addition to your tags. Being a Kentucky Proud member is free and can benefit you in many ways: a listing on the Kentucky Proud database, an opportunity to expand your marketing avenues and be a part of a local branding movement, assistance from the KDA marketing team, free printer-ready proofs of the official Kentucky Proud logo and benefiting from statewide Kentucky Proud advertising and promotional campaigns.
Kentucky is one of the nation’s leaders in promoting youth development in the livestock show industry. The KDA is conducting the Kentucky Proud Livestock Tag Program in partnership with the Kentucky Beef Network with the cooperation of the Kentucky Dairy Development Council, the Kentucky Pork Producers Association and the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office.
The KDA’s Division of Show and Fair Promotion promotes Kentucky's livestock industry by sponsoring more than 100 district, state, and national livestock shows and sales for youth and adult exhibitors. The Department administers the State Aid to Local Agricultural Fairs Program, which provides premiums for local shows and programs and grants for improvements to local fair facilities.
If you would like more information on the Kentucky Proud Livestock Tag Program or the Division of Show and Fair Promotion, call (502) 564-4983 or log onto the Department’s Web site at www.kyagr.com and click on “Programs,” then “Show and Fair Promotion.”
