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Ranchers.net

Tommy, maybe you missed this news.

Broad Coalition Meets to Study Potential Enhancements to Beef Checkoff

Chicago (May 26, 2006)

A broad coalition of beef industry leaders met in Kansas City May 22-23 to address opportunities to enhance the Beef Checkoff, and what potential changes to its operating procedures might strenghten the checkoff in the future.

The 17 member Industry-Wide Beef Checkoff Task Force established their mission; "to review, study and recommend enhancements to the Beef Act and Order for the purpose of strengthening the Checkoff for the common good of the beef industry." In its first meeting members identified key issues facing the checkoff and analyzed both strenghts and weaknesses of the current checkoff system.

(This paragraph should end arguments that checkoff work didn't really help beef demand! R-CALF/LMA/FU leaders agreed that it did.) A unanimous opinion of the Task Force at the May 11-23 meeting was that the current checkoff has succeeded in helping build beef demand and assisted in moving product. New product development efforts and work to change consumer perception of beef's healthful properties was recognized by the group. In addition, the significant contributions and program coordination of state beef councils was acknowledged.

The Task Force will embark on an information-gathering process before meeting again at the end of July.

Eleven national organizations are represented on the Task Force, as are six states. The independent group was created at the request of the Federation of State Beef Councils, various beef organizations, and the NCBA. It will conduct its efforts through October.

National organizations represented on the Task Force are American Farm Bureau Federation, American Veal Assoc., American Meat Institute, Livestock Marketing Assoc., Meat Importers Council of America, NCBA, National Milk Producers Federation, National Farmers Union, and R-CALF.

The six state representatives on the Task Force are from CA, KS, MT, TN, and TX. The facilitator for the Task Force is John Huston, Chicago.
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I believe this effort to come to agreement on the Beef Checkoff is a result or requirement of the court case won at the Supreme Court.

MRJ
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