Returns from the Beef Checkoff
Washington Ag Today July 31, 2009 What have beef producers received in return for their investment in the Beef Checkoff Program over the past five years? Ward: “For every dollar it generates, and this is at the live weight level, not the retail level, it generates 5.5 dollars in gross revenue, not profits, but gross revenues.” That is Dr. Ron Ward, professor emeritus for the Food and Resource Economics Department of the University of Florida who completed a new economic study of the Beef Checkoff. And if there were no check off? Ward: “If there were no check off program at all. The conclusion is from 2003 through 2008 about 75.8 percent of the people would buy beef in a two week period. Then with the program it is 78.8. So about a three percentage point difference in attracting people to the market. That doesn’t sound large, but when you put the pencil to it in terms of value, that is a big increase in demand.” Ward gave a report on the study at the recent Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver. A group of importers and producers from Nicaragua visited seed potato farms in western Washington this week. It was a reverse trade mission sponsored by the U.S. Potato Board. The Board held a Seed Symposium in Las Vegas earlier this week and then participants headed out to visit potato seed production areas. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network. ?
