{"id":22107,"date":"2014-10-23T18:10:17","date_gmt":"2014-10-23T18:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wfbf.com\/?p=22107"},"modified":"2014-10-23T18:14:28","modified_gmt":"2014-10-23T18:14:28","slug":"wisconsin-cattlemens-association-tells-usda-dont-hijack-the-checkoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wfbf.com\/ag-newswire\/wisconsin-cattlemens-association-tells-usda-dont-hijack-the-checkoff\/","title":{"rendered":"Wisconsin Cattlemen\u2019s Association Tells USDA: Don\u2019t Hijack the Checkoff"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/a>Late last week, the Wisconsin Cattlemen\u2019s Association along with 44 other state cattlemen\u2019s associations sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, urging him to cease any efforts to establish an additional Beef Checkoff under the 1996 General Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act. Austin Arndt, President of the Wisconsin Cattlemen\u2019s Association says cattle producers in Wisconsin are highly concerned that this effort by the Secretary will harm the success of the current Checkoff and erode producer support.<\/p>\n \u201cCattlemen and women will under no circumstances support any attempt to supplement, replace, or enhance the Beef Checkoff with the 1996 Act,\u201d said Arndt. \u201cThe Beef Checkoff has served our industry well, it is supported by 4 out of 5 producers, and it returns $11.20 for every dollar producers invest. We will not stand idly by and allow this administration to jeopardize our industry\u2019s research and promotion efforts for political gain.\u201d<\/p>\n Secretary Vilsack announced to representatives of various stakeholder groups on Sept. 30 that he intended the USDA\u2019s Agriculture Marketing Service to begin drafting a proposed rule to implement a supplemental Checkoff under the 1996 Act.<\/p>\n \u201cThe foundation of the 1985 Beef Checkoff is the participation of state beef councils,\u201d said Arndt. \u201cThrough the state beef councils, grassroots producers invest and direct programs that build demand for their product and help direct research and promotion dollars on the state and national level. By comparison, the 1996 Act is a top down, federally controlled program that not only fails to recognize the role of the states, but places the control and administration of promotion dollars in the hands of bureaucrats in Washington D.C. We oppose greater government control of our industry and heavy-handed, federally-mandated action by giving more power to the federal government.\u201d<\/p>\n More information can be found at www.beefUSA.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n