Date: 7/17/2012

Title: Producers Guide Checkoff Planning at Summer Conference

DENVER - Some 200 producers, representing the Federation and Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB), sit on checkoff committees and provide strategic direction for checkoff programs.

These committees will meet next at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference (July 25-28, in Denver), as the process of building the fiscal year 2013 checkoff plan of work continues. All committee meetings are open to the public and producers are invited to attend and learn how their checkoff is creating programs to build beef demand. Visit www.beefusa.org for a complete conference schedule.

During these program committee meetings, beef producers review proposals (called Authorization Requests or ARs) submitted by checkoff contracting organizations.* The ARs are designed to address the core strategies of the Beef Industry Long Range Plan.

For example, an AR could outline the 2013 scope of work for advertising, issues management or consumer communications. When writing an AR, contractors use multiple information sources including consumer preferences, market trends, available resources and the unique abilities of their organization to deliver results.

Following committee input, ARs are submitted every September to the Beef Promotion Operating Committee for funding consideration.

In fiscal year 2013, approximately $39 million in checkoff funds will be available from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board for national programs. Additionally, the Federation will supplement programs with an additional $7 million, contributed by state beef councils.

* Current contractors and subcontractors include CBB, NCBA, American National CattleWomen, U.S. Meat Export Federation, Meat Importers Council of America and National Livestock Producers Association.