Contacts:          Scharee Atchison   (719) 538-8843   SLAtchison@nlpa.org

                        Diane Henderson   (303) 850-3465   dhenderson@beef.org

CHECKOFF-FUNDED BEEFMOBILE PROGRAM WINS NATIONAL AWARD

Colorado Springs, Colo. (April 25, 2005)- When the Beefmobile program was approved by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board on behalf of America’s beef producers, the goal wasn’t to win an award. The driving goal was to reach out to grassroots producers who contribute to the beef checkoff and let them know how their dollars are invested. Another was to provide consumers with information about beef safety and nutrition, and build demand for beef at the retail level.

In meeting those two key goals, however, the Beefmobile project has also won a national award. The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) recently selected the Beefmobile project as the best producer-funded public relations program to agricultural audiences in the nation.

“We knew we had a winner with the Beefmobile, in that it is providing beef checkoff information to producers throughout the country,” states Beef Board Chairman Al Svajgr, a producer from Nebraska. “It’s an exciting, dynamic program.”

“It’s indeed an honor that the National Agri-Marketing Association has recognized this unique program and named it the best among all producer-funded public relations programs,” Svajgr said. “In granting the award, NAMA also recognized the National Livestock Producers Association, which conducts the Beefmobile program of behalf of America’s beef producers and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.” NLPA serves as one of the Beef Board’s contractors for checkoff-funded programs.

R. Scott Stuart, president and CEO of NLPA, stated that NLPA is extremely pleased to be a contractor to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and honored that the Beefmobile program has made its mark in the beef industry and agriculture.

“When you consider the budget of the Beefmobile program and the budget of other programs, those selecting the award winners definitely had to be impressed with the Beefmobile’s return on investment,” Stuart said. “We are also extremely pleased that the Cattlemen’s Beef Board recognized the value of the Beefmobile when the proposal was presented. If they had not approved the program in the beginning, the Beefmobile would not be in existence.”

Stuart adds that the Beefmobile was funded again in 2005 and is making 100 stops at livestock marketing facilities, producer events, and consumer venues across the United States.

To learn more about the Beefmobile, visit http://www.beefmobile.com/.

____________________

The Beef Checkoff was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The Checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national Checkoff program, subject to USDA approval. Checkoff revenues may be used for promotion, education and research programs to improve the marketing climate for beef.

The National Livestock Producers Association, founded in 1921, is an organization of livestock marketing cooperatives and credit corporations representing more than 200,000 livestock producers nationwide.