Agricultural News
NCBA President Scott George Says Increasing Beef Checkoff a 'Real Challenge'
Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:20:17 CDT
When the dollar-per-head beef checkoff started 27 years ago, it sounded like a lot of money. Half of the money stayed in the state, half the money went to the national program. The funds went toward research, promotions, and advertising.
As the years have passed, the dollar-per-head collection has remained the same. There was no escalator clause. As the value of the dollar has decreased due to inflation over the last 27 years, so has the purchasing power of the beef checkoff dollars.
According to Scott George, president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, it's time to come up with a solution to this dilemma.
"As far as addressing consumers' concerns, we need those checkoff dollars. We have fewer cattle, fewer turns of the cattle-they're not turning over as often-and the buying power of the dollar has decreased so much over the last 27 years since this checkoff has been in force. Everyone, I think, recognizes that there needs to be an increase in this. And nobody wants to step out and say, 'Yeah, we'll do it.' But without the industry being united, in this effort, it's probably not going to go anywhere, and that's the problem.
George said there are organizations talking about the problem, about making some changes, and making it more palatable to stakeholders.
"That is a real challenge-to get everyone together. We watch Congress and they grapple. And we have all these ag groups that around this issue we should be able to unite. And I hope we can."
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region 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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