In a bid to bring more transparency to the cattle price discovery process, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) last week outlined a new system requiring beef packers to meet certain thresholds of negotiated cash sales in order to avoid a push for government mandates.

Dubbed the “75% Plan,” the system lays out a framework for  establishing minimum negotiated cash trade benchmarks that packers must meet on a regional basis. 

The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association earlier this year announced support for...