The South Dakota Cattlemen's Association filed comments last week asking Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to withdraw his proposal to create a supplemental beef checkoff under the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996.
"SDCA and our members do not support an additional beef checkoff and our preference would be for the secretary to withdraw the proposal," said SDCA president Todd Wilkinson in the comments. "We are concerned about the confusion and duplicative nature of having two separate beef checkoffs operating simultaneously."
The comments note that Vilsack’s proposal gives more control and power to the federal government, fails to assure a coordinated, grassroots-driven industry effort through state beef councils and is subject to government, rather than producer, direction and control.
The SDCA says it acknowledges the need for additional checkoff resources, and has a policy that supports an increase in the beef checkoff to $2 per head. However, SDCA says its members prefer for these additional resources to be continued through the current program.
Wilkinson said the 1985 checkoff program still enjoys widespread support in the country with 78 percent of producers recently indicating approval of the program that has returned $11.20 for every $1 invested.
