Animal Health and Well Being is a top priority for Hawaii's livestock producers. We aim to better educate the public on the sound modern beef production practices that our ranchers use. We also share best management practices to ensure producers have the most up to date information on how to manage their animals through Beef Quality Assurance workshops, low stress livestock handling workshops, and the Cattlemen's College. We support research and efforts to ensure animals are treated with the utmost respect and care.

HCC puts on an annual Cattlemen’s College in the fall of each year, in conjunction with our annual meeting. HCC brings experts in our industry from across the nation to keep us current on issues affecting animal health, nutrition, genetics, weather, and marketing to name a few. In conjunction with other sponsors, HCC coordinates workshops, bringing educational speakers to each of the Islands and assisting each County Association with their own educational programs. HCC sponsors an annual Scholarship Program in any field of study for college students who are the children of HCC members. HCC also participates in various public forums and at the legislature to better educate the public as to the positive purposes and favorable impacts the beef industry brings to the table.

Since the reduction of the feeding and processing segments of the Hawaii Cattle Industry, the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council has been continuously encouraging the development of marketing alternatives for Hawaii cattle producers. Ideally, we would like to keep all Hawaii cattle here in the State for local consumption but there are many variables to consider. On the national level, the Beef Board has been working hard and successfully to stimulate demand for beef and the reinvest our “Beef Check Off Dollars” into product development and advertising campaigns that benefit producers at all levels.

Locally, HCC has taken an active role in increasing demand for local beef, just as the Beef Board at the National Level, through your beef check-off program has been the driving force to increase overall beef demand in recent years, more specifically:

• HCC supports legislation to put more Island Beef in our State schools and institutions.
  
• HCC promotes local products at public events to inform and educate consumers.
  
• HCC along with the Hawaii Beef Industry Council puts on displays and serves samples at the various events including: State Farm Fair, County Farm Fairs, and Ag Conference.
  
• HCC has worked with the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) to put together a survey of beef demand in Hawaii, and summarize past marketing efforts, to help develop future marketing strategies, and then to implement those strategies.
  

• HCC has been instrumental in the development of a transportation system that allows ranchers to ship their cattle as efficiently and humanely as possible.
  
• HCC has developed shipping guidelines to better prepare cattle for ocean shipment, thereby reducing stress and adding value to the cattle.
  
• HCC has periodic discussions with Matson regarding rates and scheduling to better reflect the costs of shipping.
• HCC has increased the utilization of Livestock Ships by obtaining a strong favorable Customs Ruling allowing cattle to cross back into the United States after arriving in a foreign port on a non-Jones act livestock vessel (i.e.: Hawaii > Canada > Mainland U.S.A.). This effort cost us over $30,000, but we expect that this will save cattle producers approximately $25 per head shipped via this method, adding up to many times more than we invested. Efforts such as this can only be done through the collaboration of the many ranchers in our organization.
  
• HCC has helped to reduce testing requirements for cattle being shipped to Canada during the months of Oct thru March.
  
• HCC belongs to several National Animal Health Organizations, and Animal Transportation Organizations, attending National Conferences to represent Hawaii’s issues and to gain national support from our peers on the continent. There is strength in numbers and networking.
  
• HCC worked with the State of Hawaii to establish a staging area for cattle containers in transit at Sand Island, so that Hawaii’s cattlemen have better control over the well being of their animals during layovers in Honolulu.