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USCA- Working to Change Beef Checkoff

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Anonymous

Guest
United States Cattlemen’s Association backs changes to beef-checkoff program



By Rapid City Journal staff - South Dakota

Monday, October 29, 2007



The United States Cattlemen’s Association last week launched a nationwide initiative seeking changes to the mandatory beef checkoff program that will permit a portion of checkoff funds to promote domestic beef.



At a meeting in Lewistown, Mont., Leo McDonnell, USCA director emeritus of Columbus, Mont., said the time is right for U.S. producers to ask Congress for modifications to the Beef Act that will permit development of marketing programs supporting domestic beef derived from cattle born, raised and processed in the United States, according to an association news release.



“Never before have producers had so much opportunity on Capitol Hill,” McDonnell said. “There are many positive things happening. We are on the cusp of seeing mandatory country of origin labeling implemented. It only makes sense for U.S. producers to direct their checkoff dollars towards supporting their domestically born and raised product. It is important that we let Congress know the changes we are seeking and this initiative is the method to accomplish that.”



The agency’s proposal would earmark a portion of checkoff funds collected from U.S. cattle producers for use in promoting products from cattle specifically born and raised in the U.S.


The Beef Checkoff was established in 1986 and has had little significant modification since then, according to a news release.



As written, the Beef Promotion Act does not allow checkoff funds to distinguish U.S.-born-and-raised beef from imported product. Only beef in a generic sense can be promoted, regardless of what country the cattle originate in.



USCA Director and Checkoff Committee Chairman Jim Hanna of Nebraska said the initiative seeks changes to the law that producers overwhelmingly support.



“We have bulletproof survey results that show over 92 percent of cattlemen nationwide support this concept. We want to back those results up with boxes of letters with producer signatures that we can show to Congress when we press for changes in the Beef Act,” Hanna said. “We have a number of other important changes that need to be made to the program, but the born and raised concept is the most critical at this time.”



Hanna said the USCA does not oppose the checkoff. “Our goal is to simply make the checkoff more responsive to those who pay the dollar-per-head fee.”


South Dakota Stockgrowers Association officials also have said they support targeting checkoff marketing to beef from cattle born, raised and processed in the United States.



USCA was established in March this year by beef producers, many of whom defected from R-CALF USA. McDonnell is a founder and former president of Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America. For more information about USCA, go to www.uscattlemen.org.



rapidcityjournal.com
 

Tex

Well-known member
The real solution here is to have the checkoff run by beef producers ONLY---no processors who have different interests.

Of course if the NCBA'ers want to join a beef producer only organization, they have at least two.
 

alabama

Well-known member
Question: Of the total collected by the check off dollar / head, how muchis paid by the producers and how much is paid by packers?
I say lets vote by the dollar paid.
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
United States Cattlemen’s Association backs changes to beef-checkoff program



By Rapid City Journal staff - South Dakota

Monday, October 29, 2007



The United States Cattlemen’s Association last week launched a nationwide initiative seeking changes to the mandatory beef checkoff program that will permit a portion of checkoff funds to promote domestic beef.



At a meeting in Lewistown, Mont., Leo McDonnell, USCA director emeritus of Columbus, Mont., said the time is right for U.S. producers to ask Congress for modifications to the Beef Act that will permit development of marketing programs supporting domestic beef derived from cattle born, raised and processed in the United States, according to an association news release.



“Never before have producers had so much opportunity on Capitol Hill,” McDonnell said. “There are many positive things happening. We are on the cusp of seeing mandatory country of origin labeling implemented. It only makes sense for U.S. producers to direct their checkoff dollars towards supporting their domestically born and raised product. It is important that we let Congress know the changes we are seeking and this initiative is the method to accomplish that.”



The agency’s proposal would earmark a portion of checkoff funds collected from U.S. cattle producers for use in promoting products from cattle specifically born and raised in the U.S.


The Beef Checkoff was established in 1986 and has had little significant modification since then, according to a news release.



As written, the Beef Promotion Act does not allow checkoff funds to distinguish U.S.-born-and-raised beef from imported product. Only beef in a generic sense can be promoted, regardless of what country the cattle originate in.



USCA Director and Checkoff Committee Chairman Jim Hanna of Nebraska said the initiative seeks changes to the law that producers overwhelmingly support.



“We have bulletproof survey results that show over 92 percent of cattlemen nationwide support this concept. We want to back those results up with boxes of letters with producer signatures that we can show to Congress when we press for changes in the Beef Act,” Hanna said. “We have a number of other important changes that need to be made to the program, but the born and raised concept is the most critical at this time.”



Hanna said the USCA does not oppose the checkoff. “Our goal is to simply make the checkoff more responsive to those who pay the dollar-per-head fee.”


South Dakota Stockgrowers Association officials also have said they support targeting checkoff marketing to beef from cattle born, raised and processed in the United States.



USCA was established in March this year by beef producers, many of whom defected from R-CALF USA. McDonnell is a founder and former president of Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America. For more information about USCA, go to www.uscattlemen.org.



rapidcityjournal.com



ask Congress for modifications to the Beef Act that will permit development of marketing programs supporting domestic beef derived from cattle born, raised and processed in the United States,


So would the check off support EVERY branded product that used "Born, raised and processed in the USA'? Because they already have companies that are doing it already with out Check Off support.
 

Tex

Well-known member
Having to "ask Congress"on how to use your own funds is ridiculous. That is the situation we have gotten ourselves into.

The beef checkoff has been hijacked by the processors with their power in the NCBA. This same model happened in poultry long before it happened in beef. The strategy is that the processors combine with the producers in an association, stating common interests, and then they hijack the organization and run it the way they want---many times against producer interests.

You are right that the Fed. govt. has helped in this process. The men with the money know how to buy their support in government they want.

Checkoff type dollars received from Canadians should benefit Canadian sales, and I hope it ends up being money well invested for producers. As it is, the Canadian and U.S. govt.s have both worked for whoever lines their pockets.

The premise of your thought shows just how bad it has become.

You should have joined with rkaiser earlier. You might already have other markets than the U.S. by now instead of believing in a complex system of bse testing (food safety issues whether real or perceived by your customers) avoidance. As it is, Canadian producers are getting screwed with this decline in the dollar (you are too closely tied to one market with many risks not controlled by you like fiscal and monetary policy). You don't have other foreign markets because of this screwed up bse policy.

I am really sorry to see the results of this packer global policy playing out on regular farmer/ranchers. It is just a shame. Look who has the house(houses) and play money in the Virgin Islands, and elsewhere. It is not you.
 
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