07/24/06 Beef checkoff

The beef checkoff was created by Congress in 1985 farm bill as a producer self help promotion, research and information program. All Idaho producers and importers pay one dollar on each head of cattle and calves sold. Laura Wilder is executive director of the Idaho Beef Council. WILDER "We send 50 cents of every dollar to the Cattlemen's Beef Board for national programs. We also pay five percent to the state brand department for collecting the checkoff and then in Idaho in our state law it specifies that 20 percent of the net in-state income will go for national programs as well." That means about 36 cents on each dollar is remitted to the Idaho Beef Council. The IBC is an eight member board nominated by fellow producers and appointed by the governor. There are 108 checkoff producers and importers on the CBB, the Cattlemen's Beef Board. WILDER "Idaho has two directors on the Cattlemen's Beef Board, Carl Crabtree and Tim Shaw. We also have input into the Federation of State Beef Councils and we have two federation directors, Kim Brackett and Dan Hinman." Checkoff dollars can be spent on promotion, research, consumer and industry information, foreign marketing and producer communications but not to influence government policy or action, including lobbying. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott