Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack met this week with the beef checkoff working group and with National Farmers Union to talk about needed reforms to the program. The group has been meeting for three years and hasn’t come up with any recommendation. Farmers Union’s Vice President of Programs Chandler Goule says Secretary Vilsack told him he’ll be writing a new check off proposal to be considered by the beef industry.
Goule says the second check off proposal will be presented to producers for them to give their input.
Goule says there would be two programs because the current check off program is codified into law and would need to be repealed by Congress before any new program could go forward.