Beef Checkoff Questions..
Welcome to Open Range, I’m Susan Allen. Stay tuned because after the break I’ll check in with our field reporter, Greg Martin for the AgriBeef Minute.
I’m Greg Martin with today’s AgriBeef Minute. This being an election year there have been some questions regarding beef checkoff dollars. Patti Brumbach, Executive Director of the Washington Beef Commission explains.
BRUMBACH: The beef checkoff is a program put in place by beef producers in Washington and throughout the country to help them fund program to promote their product and to address safety and nutrition concerns and that kind of thing. So it’s basically a promotion and research fund that is paid for entirely by the $1.50 that beef producers access themselves to fund this program.
Everyone has heard the “Beef, it’s what for dinner” ad campaign paid for by the checkoff dollars. But there has been a question regarding the use of the fund for political use.
BRUMBACH: The beef checkoff is absolutely prohibited from influencing the outcome of legislation. We cannot be involved in lobbying because we are a quasi-governmental agency. We exist at the pleasure of the legislature and so it is absolutely prohibited that we spend any money, public funds towards trying to influence the outcome of legislation or lobbying.
Brumbach suggests that people visit their website at wabeef.org and find out exactly where those checkoff dollars are going. I’m Greg Martin and that’s today’s AgriBeef Minute.
Thanks Greg. Don’t forget Greg will be back each Wednesday with the AgriBeef Minute. Agri Beef Co - Real Families, Great People, Exceptional Beef. I’m Susan Allen.
