National Farmers Union and the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association are in full support of the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service’s proposed amendment to expand beef checkoff contracting authority under the Beef Promotion and Research Order. The proposed amendment will change the current date requirement so that organizations otherwise qualified could be eligible to contract with the Beef Promotion Operating Committee for the implementation and conduct of beef checkoff programs if the organizations have been active and operating for at least two years.

Current language in the Order requires the BPOC to contract with organizations, which qualify as “established, national non-profit, industry-governed organizations that were active and ongoing before Congress passed the Beef Act.”  While the law itself does not define criteria for “national, non-profit, industry-governed organizations” the order states that these organizations must be governed by a board of directors representing the cattle or beef industry on a national basis and that the groups were active and ongoing prior to enactment of the Act by Congress.

USCA President Jon Wooster says his organization will be filing comments supporting the proposed change and he encourages all cattle groups to do so as well. A 60-day public comment period on the proposed amendment closes on May 2, 2012.

Courtesy: NAFB News