A Senate amendment that would have made mandatory checkoffs for soybeans and other crops voluntary has been defeated.
Alan Kemper, chairman of the American Soybean Association, told AgriNews that the defeat of the amendment likely ensures the continuance of
the current checkoff structure.
“As far as we know, there will be nothing like it offered in the
House of Representatives. We don’t anticipate any
further action.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers the soybean checkoff through the United Soybean Board. In 2011, the checkoff raised more than $80 million. This monkey is used, "largely to increase exports and domestic use of soybeans as well as fund
research."
Kemper continued, “the industry has been extremely supportive of checkoffs across the country. Those against it might be people for whom we have not done a good enough job educating on the benefits of a checkoff."
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This article posted July 11, 2012.
