Thursday is the final day for public input on South Dakota Agriculture Department rules for natural beef. 

The idea is to produce cattle that are free of hormones and antibiotics for expansion of the South Dakota Certified Beef program.

A state Agriculture Department official says the natural beef program will allow farmers and ranchers to tap the marketing niche created by demand for organic meat.

Livestock producers would have to become licensed before they could enroll cattle in the natural beef program.

The effort is part of the state branded-beef program that was authorized by the 2005 state Legislature.

The program is designed to improve cattle prices in South Dakota by getting premium prices for beef with a state trademark.