Beef industry leaders met in Kansas City this summer to take a fresh look at the Beef Checkoff program. The 17-member industry-wide Beef Checkoff Task Force established their mission this way: “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.”
Noble charge.
One of the four points that came out of their meetings immediately stirred controversy. Although the decision to suggest an adjustment in the checkoff rate was long overdue, the size of their request was like a captive bolt to the forehead of an unsuspecting industry. Staggering to cattlemen everywhere.
The raising of the checkoff fee is very controversial to a lot of people. There are many cattle producers who disagree with the checkoff the way it is let alone if they raise the levy. The way I understand it the producers have to vote on this idea to raise the checkoff. I'm waiting for the vote so I can vote against it. How the vote will turn out I don't know. The northern states tend to oppose it more than the southern states who tend to like it. Since the producers in the south tend to be smaller than northern producers they tend to carry the day.
Of course the NCBA likes the idea and R-CALF hates the idea. I think the industry leaders are being a bunch of Lemmings. Yes Lemmings. Australia just implemented a raise in the Checkoff rate so they think we in the US need to do the same. This is the same logic the industry is using on NAIS, Australia has it so we need to.
I think we need leaders in our industry, not Lemmings that always want to do what the Australian community is doing. American cattle producers know what they are doing and raise some of the finest beef in the world. Why do we need to copy Australia? We don't, that's what our industry needs to think about and quit following Australia's example. I am not saying Australia is wrong for themselves, just that we don't need to follow them. Make our own way.
To Follow by faith alone is to follow blindly. Benjamin Franklin
(We spend a lot more money on the dairy checkoff, but they do have some decent programs.)
However, I hate to see the beef one go up to two dollars. There are many times when a dairy bull calf will only bring five dollars or less. Take out the check off, even at a dollar, and commission, and you don't get much (and that is doing your own trucking). I have seen farmers get BILLED for selling a calf. Doubling the take out will just make that worse.