Cattle associations urge USDA to drop new supplemental beef checkoff program
The Beef Checkoff Program, established in 1985, is a producer-funded marketing and research program designed to increase demand for beef. The Cattlemen's Beef Board and USDA jointly oversee the collection and spending of checkoff funds, but now the cattlemen say the government is trying to “hijack” the program.
Forty-five state cattle associations signed a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, urging him to drop a proposed supplemental checkoff. The letter says the measure would give too much control to the federal government.