July 25, 2007

US beef producers sees beef checkoff as valuable marketing tool

A summer survey of 1,225 beef and dairy producers showed that seven in 10 producers approve of the Beef Checkoff Programme.

The survey commissioned by the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board was in line with results from previous studies. Disapproval rates have remained virtually the same, at 17 percent over the past year.

Beef Board member Sugie Sartwelle, a Texas cattlewoman and chairman of the Joint Producer Communications Committee said informed producers consistently rated the checkoff highly.

Sartwelle said the checkoff hopes all producers would be informed as to how their checkoff dollars were spent.

Approval ratings of the programme has tended to follow that of beef prices.

A majority of the respondents said the checkoff allows producers' viewpoints to be represented and that it contributed to positive trends in beef demand and profitability.

Three-quarters of the respondents said the beef checkoff was the only programme helping producers promote beef.

The Beef Board conducts surveys twice a year to gauge producers' expectations of checkoff investments, as well as checkoff program familiarity.