01/22/08 Beef checkoff changes

Cattle producers in Idaho and several other states are debating the merits of changing the beef checkoff from its current one dollar per head to two dollars. Supporters of the increase say the checkoff brings in 80 million dollars a year for promotion, education and research but inflation over the past 20 years has cut deeply into the buying power of those dollars. TEWALT "I don't think there's anybody out there who could operate their business on the budget they had in 1986." Idaho Cattle Association executive director Josh Tewalt says a national task force formed several years ago was the first to recommend the checkoff hike. TEWALT "That task force came out with some recommendations to not only increase the assessment but also with some proposed modifications to the checkoff itself making it easier for producers to petition." To increase the beef checkoff there has to be approval from the Idaho state legislature. Tewalt says any talk of a hike is in the infancy stage while ICA reaches out to those why pay the fee to see what level of support exits. TEWALT "We're going to take out time and do it right because ultimately the checkoff is extremely important for the beef industry as a whole and as far as we're concerned getting it right is far more important than getting it right now." So don't expect any legislative action on a two dollar fee proposal this year. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott