Navigating Risk and Opportunity in the Texas Cattle Market: A Ground-Level Look at Biosecurity, Borders, and Beef

March 9-12, 2026

From border biosecurity to herd rebuilding, the 2026 Texas Market Study Tour will give Iowa farmers a ground-level look at some of the most pressing challenges shaping the U.S. cattle industry.

This year’s tour will explore how federal and state partners are responding to emerging animal-health risks like the New World Screwworm and how border disruptions and record prices are reshaping cattle supply chains. Participants will visit Dallas, Waco, Austin, San Antonio and Houston, and engage with USDA APHIS, Texas Animal Health Commission, Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, and leading producers to better understand how national biosecurity, trade, and market policies intersect.

Key focus areas include:

• Animal-health readiness and biosecurity protocols in the face of evolving disease threats
• Border trade dynamics and the ripple effects of Mexico’s cattle import ban
• Beef market structure and price-risk management amid historically tight supplies

This tour is designed for Farm Bureau members seeking to understand how real-world production, policy, and market trends intersect. It offers a front-row look at how Texas cattle systems are evolving—and what those changes mean for producers across the Midwest.

For additional details and to view the agenda, see below.