South Dakota Farm Bureau members passed a resolution at their annual convention reiterating support for the current national beef checkoff and the Federation of State Beef Councils. State President Scott VanderWal says a second national program will create confusion and duplication and undermine an efficiently run checkoff.
He says merging the two checkoffs down the road will also be difficult.
The resolution passed also suggests the board of directors and decisions for a national beef checkoff should be given to the state checkoff boards. Plus any assessment change would need a 2/3 vote of the Qualified Beef Councils, but only after a producer referendum.
This resolution will go on for consideration at the American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in January.
