The two general farm organizations in the country have differing views about the proposal for a second beef checkoff.
Chandler Goule with the National Farmers Union says they absolutely would like to get rid of the current 1985 beef check off and have a new one under the 1996 generic check off act. “If we would move to the ’96 act, it would be more flexible, it would be more cow-calf producer friendly,” he said. “We will do everything we can to write a good checkoff, but we can only have one checkoff running at the same time.”
Goule says people in the beef industry want reform. “That’s what NUF is working for,” he said. “That’s why we left the beef working group because we felt we were just being walked in a circle by organizations who don’t want to see change because they’re afraid they’re going to lose money.”Interview with Chandler Goule, NFU
American Farm Bureau Federation says simply getting rid of the current checkoff and establishing a new one is complicated and their membership will be making a policy statement on the issue at the annual convention in January. “The Secretary can’t touch the ’85 act,” said Moore, who adds there are only two ways the act can be changed. “Producers hold a referendum, or Congress changing the law. That’s why the beef industry can’t just go to the Secretary and say they want an increase and have that conversation around the dollar.”
“The secretary’s action has pushed at least half of the Farm Bureau members states to add some new policy thinking that we’re going to be consider at convention,” Moore added. While that would come after the December 10 deadline to provide input on the way a second beef checkoff would be structured, Moore says once they have a real proposal to consider, they will have a clear policy direction. Interview with Dale Moore, AFBF
In their interviews from the National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention, Both Goule and Moore also comment on Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), on which the organizations also hold different viewpoints.
2014 NAFB Convention Photos