Seven of the eight stakeholder organizations represented in the Beef Checkoff Enhancement Working Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Friday proposing several changes in the checkoff.

The groups that signed off on the proposal are the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American National CattleWomen, Inc., the Livestock Marketing Association, the Meat Import Council of America, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Livestock Producers Association and the National Milk Producers Federation. The United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) declined. ” Unfortunately the MOU fell far short of our expectations in the form of structural changes that would warrant USCA’s support for an increase in the assessment,” said USCA past President Jon Wooster.

The National Farmers Union dropped out of the working group last year and president Roger Johnson says the MOU signed on Friday “fails to make revisions that would result in reform for the way the checkoff operates” which they are seeking.

The MOU proposal includes a refundable increase in the assessment of $1 and a change to the nominating process for candidates to the Beef Promotion Operating Committee