Producer Support for Beef Checkoff Remains Strong

DENVER (Aug. 10, 2004) – A notable 70 percent of beef producers support the $1-per-head Beef Checkoff Program, according to research released today in Denver.

Cattlemen’s Beef Board Chairman Nelson Curry told Cattle Industry Summer Conference participants that July 2004 research indicates that a full 70 percent of cattlemen approve of the beef checkoff – on par with research conducted in January 2004, when the checkoff garnered a 69 percent approval rating.Current research shows that only 19 percent of cattlemen disapprove of the checkoff, while 10 percent are undecided or neutral.

“Continued support for the Beef Checkoff Program is encouraging,” said Curry, a Kentucky cattle producer.“But what’s even more encouraging is the fact that producers who say they strongly support the program has climbed 14 points since January 2003.An impressive 35 percent strongly approve.”

When prompted, 67 percent of producers surveyed said they believed the beef checkoff played a role in handling activists and issues in the media, such as BSE.

“The beef checkoff has never served a more critical purpose,” said Curry.“The checkoff has, since Dec. 23, been out there putting accurate, science-based information in the hands of media and consumers.Continued consumer confidence in beef and growth in beef demand can be attributed, at least in part, to these efforts.”

Conducted for the Cattlemen’s Beef Board by Aspen Media and Market Research, Boulder, Colo., the telephone survey of a random sample of beef and dairy producers nationwide was completed between July 5 and July 20, 2004 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent. The semi-annual survey of 1,225 producers is demographically representative of the various sizes and types of U.S. beef, veal and dairy operations in the United States, based on the Agriculture Census.

On other fronts, the July data shows that producer optimism is at a 10-year high, with 82 percent of respondents reporting feeling optimistic about the direction of their industry.Results also indicate that about two-thirds, or 68 percent, of producers continue to consider themselves informed about the checkoff.

“Self-reported awareness of the program has remained steady in recent surveys, but producers who could name at least one checkoff-funded program grew dramatically year on year,” said Dan Hoffman, Aspen’s lead researcher.“Sixty-one percent could name a checkoff program without prompting, up from just 47 percent in July 2003. Of course, consumer advertising is the most top-of-mind checkoff activity, with 51 percent citing this effort.”

Curry said the results indicate that the majority of producers are pleased with how their checkoff dollars are being invested. “Seven in 10 cattle and dairymen support the beef checkoff,” he said.“It’s difficult to understand why some in our industry would jeopardize this program by subjecting its future to the courts.”