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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 http://www.uscattlemen.org.
rapidcityjournal.com
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 http://www.uscattlemen.org.
rapidcityjournal.com
