Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says he did not want to move forward with a second national beef checkoff program. And while it will be a challenge to avoid administrative duplication, he believes the cattle industry gave him no choice.

Vilsack says he can’t understand why at a time when there’s increased international competition and general agreement more checkoff money is needed in the program… the cattlemen have continued to be gridlocked.

He says unless that happens he’ll go forward with the second program to illustrate what it could look like and how it could be more responsive to a wider range of producers.
The Secretary made those comments to farm broadcasters at the NAFB Convention on Friday.