NASHVILLE (Feb. 6, 2014) - For cattlemen and women, investing in the future and ensuring the next generation has the skills and knowledge to lead the industry is of paramount importance. We're proud to have partnered with the CME Group in this effort for what will be our 25th year through the CME Beef Industry Scholarship.

The CME Beef Industry Scholarship was introduced in 1989 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Live Cattle futures contract on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The scholarship recognizes and encourages talented students who will one day be industry leaders. This year marks the 25th year for presentation of these scholarships and the 50th anniversary of the Live Cattle futures contract.

In honor of this milestone, the CME Group is awarding 25 scholarships of $1,000 to outstanding students

who are pursuing careers in the beef industry.

The overall scholarship winner, Garret Kays of Weir, Kan., was awarded an all-expense-paid trip to the 2014 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show in Nashville, where he will be recognized during the Best of Beef Breakfast program.

"This scholarship program is an investment to the future of our industry and its future leaders," said Scott George, NCBA president. "We are proud to have this lasting partnership with CME Group and to offer $25,000 this year for these students to advance their careers in the beef industry."

CME Group Managing Director of Agricultural Commodities & Alternative Investments Tim Andriesen expressed the importance of risk management to the beef industry, which was the subject of the applicants' essays this year. According to Andriesen, the beef scholarship also enables talented young people committed to the beef industry to pursue their careers.

"Over the last 25 years, this scholarship program has enabled us to invest in the next generation of our nation's food producers," said Andriesen. "NCBA remains a critical partner in advancing risk management education to future beef industry leaders."

Each applicant must have demonstrated a commitment to a career in the beef industry through classes, internships or life experiences, as well as have written an essay describing a risk confronting the beef industry with their solution to managing that risk.

The additional 24 scholarship recipients are:

Name

Hometown

University

Jessica Beer

Milford, IN

Redlands Community College

Julie Choate

Pleasant Hope, MO

Missouri State University

Samantha Dailey

Ocala, FL

University of Florida

Kelly Garrett

Cuero, TX

Texas A&M University

Kaylyn Groce

Siler City, NC

Oklahoma State University

Kyle Herbrand

Dane, WI

University Wisconsin, Platteville

Sarah Anne Johnson

Williamsport, OH

The Ohio State University

Jenna Lansing

Worthington, IA

Iowa State University

Valene Lickley

Jerome, ID

Colorado State University

Maci Lienemann

Princeton, NE

University of Nebraska

Chandler Mulvaney

Opelika, AL

Chattahoochee Valley

Elizabeth Nixon

Orange, VA

Butler Community College

Taylor Ohlde

Easton, KS

Hutchinson Community College

Kim Rounds

Grass Valley, CA

Colorado State University

Shelby Schiefelbein

Kimball, MN

Texas A&M University

Madeline Schultz

Faribault, MN

South Dakota State University

Andrew Simon

Baton Rouge, LA

Louisiana State University

Courtney Souva

Bronson, MI

Michigan State University

Cassie Spear

Loomis, WA

Eastern Oregon University

Jessica Spear

Loomis, WA

Washington State University

Renae Tokach

St. Anthony, ND

Kansas State University

Katelyn Vincent

Fort Scott, KS

Kansas State University

Aaron Weaver

New Smyrna Beach, FL

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Evan Woodbury

Quenemo, KS

Kansas State University

About CME Group

As the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) is where the world comes to manage risk.  CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes, including futures and options based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural commodities, metals, weather and real estate.  CME Group brings buyers and sellers together through its CME Globex® electronic trading platform and its trading facilities in New York and Chicago.  CME Group also operates CME Clearing, one of the world's leading central counterparty clearing providers, which offers clearing and settlement services across asset classes for exchange-traded contracts and over-the-counter derivatives transactions. These products and services ensure that businesses everywhere can substantially mitigate counterparty credit risk.

CME Group is a trademark of CME Group Inc. The Globe Logo, CME, Globex and Chicago Mercantile Exchange are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.  CBOT and the Chicago Board of Trade are trademarks of the Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Inc.  NYMEX, New York Mercantile Exchange and ClearPort are registered trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc.  COMEX is a trademark of Commodity Exchange, Inc.  KCBOT, KCBT and Kansas City Board of Trade are trademarks of The Board of Trade of Kansas City, Missouri, Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Further information about CME Group (NASDAQ: CME) and its products can be found at www.cmegroup.com.

About NCBA

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) has represented America's cattle producers since 1898, preserving the heritage and strength of the industry through education and public policy.  As the largest association of cattle producers, NCBA works to create new markets and increase demand for beef.  Efforts are made possible through membership contributions.membership@beef.org.

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