Posted September 10, 2014
The
National Farmers Union (NFU) board of directors has voted to withdraw from the
beef checkoff working group, according to a NFU release available here. MeatingPlace also
published an article available here and
Cattle Network here.
NFU
President Roger Johnson released the following statement:
“After
three years of pushing for real reforms in the beef check-off program, NFU has
decided that the process has become a bridge to nowhere and a waste of time and
resources. The working group was designed to bring together vested parties from
across the beef industry and to attempt to reach a consensus on substantial
reforms that would make the check-off a stronger, more effective tool for the
beef industry. Sadly, it has become clear that in reality, there is no
willingness from key players within the group to allow real reforms to take
place. NFU remains willing and eager to engage with others who are interested
in reforming the beef checkoff, such that it operates in a manner like other
checkoff programs.”
The NFU is
asking U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to consider several reforms such
as allowing the Cattlemen’s Beef Board to conduct checkoff projects on its own,
according to MeatingPlace.
The NFU
recommends that USDA consider rewriting the program under the 1996 generic
research and promotion act, according to Cattle
Network.
For more information on commodity programs, please visit the
National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
