Beef Buzz News
NCBA Responds to Groups Having Concerns Over Restructuring Plan with Their Own Letter to USDA's Vilsack
Tue, 23 Mar 2010 6:15:34 CDT
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has had ample reading material sent to him in recent days by groups that have members that raise cattle and have a stake in the beef checkoff program. We reported on Monday on our Beef Buzz- click here to jump to that report which includes a link to the letter sent last week to Secretary Vilsack from six groups that have cattle producers as a part of their membership. Those groups include the American Farm Bureau, the National Farmers Union and the Livestock Marketing Association (plus 3 more) that expressed "grave concerns" about the National Cattlemen's Beef Association redoing the structure of their organization.
The concern lies in how that impacts the half of the Beef Checkoff dollar that is controlled by State Beef Councils and who put a portion of that money into the pot that is controlled by the Federation of State Beef Councils. They express the opinion that NCBA policy members will have an "insiders" track on being able to influence how checkoff dollars will be spent that cattle members from other groups will have little or no influence over.
Today on our Beef Buzz, we review a second letter that has been put together by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and signed by their three national officers refuting the first letter and claiming that NCBA will become more inclusive and that any and all cattle producers of any group will be welcome to come to their Committee meetings and express their opinion and even have a vote. "Likewise, in the improved structure, cattle producers no longer have to be appointed to NCBA Committees. These meetings will be open to all individual members of NCBA, members of the Federation of State Beef Councils, Cattlemen Association and Breed Association Affiliates and invited guests like members of the Cattlemen's Beef Board. This will be a 'come-all' meeting where everyone has the opportunity to speak and vote."
On the real issue that these groups are arguing over is the money. NCBA claims in their letter that only those cattle producers that have been charged with a fiduciary responsibility will have the right and the ability to decide how checkoff monies will be spent. "Many State Beef Council Boards choose to invest in the Federation of State Beef Council Division of NCBA to execute state-national plans to build and protect beef demand. This is a voluntary investment. Every year, NCBA has to earn this investment. So how is this investment earned? It is earned by doing effective beef demand-building and protecting work and delivering the promise of the Beef Checkoff. This is an inherent check and balance and why it will never be in the best interest of NCBA to use checkoff funds in any other way than what the checkoff was created to do: Build and Protect Beef Demand. "
We review key elements of both letters and you can see the Farm Bureau/NFU/LMA letter by clicking on the link above- and you can see the NCBA letter by clicking on the PDF file link found at the bottom of this page.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the state on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the listen bar below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
00006_3_22_10_NCBA_letter_to_USDA.pdf
Ron Hays Beef Buzzes on the battle of letters over beef checkoff issues.
right-click to download mp3
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Beef News
January Cattle on Feed Report Three Percent Under Year Ago- Derrell Peel Says Tighter Supplies Will Be Around for Awhile Mon, 23 Jan 2023 05:15:04 CST
Derrell Peel Talks Latest Cattle on Feed Report- Showing Fewer Cattle on Feed, Lighter Placements and Stronger Marketings. Mon, 26 Dec 2022 08:19:00 CST
Kara Lee with Certified Angus Beef Tells Cattlemen 'Cut the Bull' Fri, 23 Dec 2022 14:30:39 CST
Beef Checkoff Utilizes Digital Marketing Techniques to Interact with Consumers Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:02:51 CST
Beef Checkoff Research, Education, and Promotion Efforts Point Consumers to Beef Wed, 21 Dec 2022 16:15:46 CST
OSU Economist Derrell Peel Expects US Beef Export Strength to Continue Into the New Year Tue, 20 Dec 2022 08:00:35 CST
NPPC's Michael Formica Feeling Positive About Supreme Courts Upcoming Proposition 12 Decision Mon, 05 Dec 2022 10:08:27 CST
NCBA Fights to Improve Marketing Options for Cattle Producers Fri, 02 Dec 2022 09:58:28 CST
Chinese Consumers Continue to Grow Appetite for U.S. Beef Thu, 01 Dec 2022 09:23:49 CST
Merck Creates Value for Producers and Consumers with Technology and Biopharmaceuticals Wed, 30 Nov 2022 09:55:28 CST
NCBA’s Todd Wilkinson Ready to Fight Back Against Regulatory Overreach in the Cattle Industry Tue, 29 Nov 2022 10:13:33 CST
NCBA and PLC Call ESA Listing Plan of Lesser Prairie Chicken Punitive for Cattle Producers in Southern Plains Wed, 23 Nov 2022 14:51:02 CST
November Cattle on Feed Report Confirms October Pattern of Lower Placements and Tighter Cattle Numbers in Feedlots Tue, 22 Nov 2022 05:07:02 CST
Turning the Corner- OSU's Derrell Peel Sees Tighter Cattle Inventories into 2023 in Latest Cattle on Feed Report Mon, 21 Nov 2022 04:36:33 CST
Turning the Corner- OSU's Derrell Peel Sees Tighter Cattle Inventories into 2023 in Latest Cattle on Feed Report Mon, 21 Nov 2022 04:27:40 CST
Midterm Elections to Set Stage for What Can Be Expected in 2023 Farm Bill Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:13:57 CST
USMEF's Dan Halstrom Remains Cautiously Optimistic about Strong Beef Demand Going Forward Thu, 03 Nov 2022 09:35:46 CDT
Economic Factors Create Hesitancy in Beef Plant Expansion Plans Wed, 02 Nov 2022 11:03:34 CDT
NCBA's Mike Simone Says Consumer Interest in Fake Meat is on the Decline Tue, 01 Nov 2022 11:41:02 CDT
Beef Remains Valued Product for Consumers as it Allows Them to Stretch their Dollar Mon, 31 Oct 2022 09:15:56 CDT
Hugh Aljoe Provides Methods to Begin and Maintain Good Land Stewardship Fri, 28 Oct 2022 09:30:13 CDT
Implement Soil Health Practices Now to Increase Forage Production when Rains Come Thu, 27 Oct 2022 15:14:07 CDT
Third Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300 Promotes the Beef Industry on a National Level Wed, 26 Oct 2022 15:32:23 CDT
Latest Cattle on Feed Report from USDA Implies Fewer Pounds of Beef Available in 2023 Tue, 25 Oct 2022 10:17:53 CDT
OSU's Derrell Peel- Lower Placements and Smaller On Feed Number Highlight October Cattle on Feed Report Sun, 23 Oct 2022 12:45:37 CDT
Beef Checkoff Research Continues to Share Beef Sustainability Story with Consumers Fri, 21 Oct 2022 09:23:36 CDT
Beef Checkoff Research Works to Ensure Consumers Beef is a Product They Can Trust Thu, 20 Oct 2022 13:44:44 CDT
Odds for Significant Wheat Pasture Going Lower Daily in the Southern Plains Wed, 19 Oct 2022 14:35:46 CDT
NCBA Weighs in on California's Proposition 12 Tue, 18 Oct 2022 11:32:24 CDT
2022 Stockyards Steak Out Takes Oklahoma Beef to the Next Level Mon, 17 Oct 2022 11:09:07 CDT
Holding Onto Your Cow Herd a Little Longer is Projected to Pay Off, says Randy Blach Fri, 14 Oct 2022 08:14:05 CDT
Randy Blach Confident in Better Cattle Market Conditions Down the Road Thu, 13 Oct 2022 09:43:02 CDT
No Imports or Exports Would Result in a Smaller U.S. Beef Cattle Industry Wed, 12 Oct 2022 16:11:15 CDT
Derrell Peel Explains Why International Trade of Beef is Valuable Tue, 11 Oct 2022 08:19:29 CDT
Animal Agriculture Hopeful for a Win as U.S. Supreme Court Looks at California's Proposition 12 Mon, 10 Oct 2022 09:26:17 CDT