Later this year Iowa cattle producers will get to vote on a possible state beef checkoff. Iowa Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director Matt Deppe says a survey conducted last fall indicated support for a state assessment and outlined various industry needs that are not currently being fulfilled by the national checkoff.

He says they’ve used the survey results to convince lawmakers to reinstate Chapter 181 of the Iowa Code, which outlines uses for state checkoff funds. A bill updating the code is currently being passed through the House and Senate that will allow a referendum later in the year.

Deppe says they’ve been talking about a state checkoff for the last four years, but didn’t move forward during the height of the cattle market cycle because of the possibility for a national checkoff increase.

He says they don’t have an accurate estimate yet on how much money a 50-cent state beef checkoff would raise annually.