Agricultural News
Cattlemens Beef Board Executive Committee on Record Calling for Separation of Federation of State Beef Councils and the NCBA
Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:48:41 CDT
We talk today on the Beef Buzz with Tom Jones, Vice Chairman of the Cattlemen's Beef Board. We had our conversation with Jones this past Friday at the 2010 LMA meeting in Oklahoma City. Today's Beef Buzz is the first of three parts with Jones on his feelings about the Federation of State Beef Councils and how they should be a legal entity apart from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Click on the Listen Bar below to hear this first of three Beef Buzz shows on this subject with Tom Jones of Arkansas.
Meanwhile, we have a Memo that has been sent out by the Cattlemen's Beef Board Executive Committee, of which Jones is a part. He and his fellow officers are now on the record calling on a complete separation of the Federation of State Beef Councils and the NCBA. The following is the Memo that was released on June 22.
Date: June 22, 2010
To: Cattlemen's Beef Board Members and Qualified State Beef Council Executives
From: Cattlemen's Beef Board Executive Committee
Subject: Action Taken at the CBB Executive Committee Meeting
The Executive Committee of the Cattlemen's Beef Board (CBB) strongly believes that the Federation of State Beef Councils is a full partner in checkoff activities, but also takes seriously its responsibility for oversight of producer-invested, checkoff funds. CBB continues to have a great deal of respect for the work and responsibilities of the Federation. Further, CBB has a significant interest in, and oversight responsibilities for, the Federation. The Executive Committee believes that a separate and independent Federation is in the best interest of all those who pay the checkoff, regardless of organizational affiliation or policy position.
The CBB Executive Committee believes that the Federation of State Beef Councils should exist independently from any policy organization. The Executive Committee prefers a Federation structure that assures that no policy organization has influence on programming, budget or governance decisions made by the Federation.
The structure and function of the Federation often are topics of discussion for the Executive Committee. Recently, these discussions have occurred more frequently, due to increased interest from industry organizations, as well as recent USDA guidance regarding the Federation. The Executive Committee met today and discussed the structure of the Federation in light of concerns expressed by USDA and other industry organizations.
On many past occasions, the Executive Committee recommended the need for greater separation of the Federation from NCBA. In addition to its programming functions, the Executive Committee's position is that two of the Federation's primary responsibilities, 1) election of Federation members to the Operating Committee, and 2) a recipient of funds from state beef councils, should be organized and operated as a separate legal entity from any industry organization. After considering USDA's recent guidance, as well as continued industry concern, the CBB Executive Committee voted today to recommend complete separation between NCBA and the Federation of State Beef Councils.
The Executive Committee-approved motion states: "The Federation should be a strong, independent, checkoff entity. The Federation should be separate from any policy organization, since all funds for the checkoff come from mandatory assessments of producers and importers. The checkoff is owned by, and responsible to, all producers and importers, and no specific organization. It is not the intent of the Executive Committee that this motion has any effect on the structure of state beef councils."
If you have questions about the Executive Committee's action, please contact a member of the Executive Committee.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the state on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the listen bar below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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