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Texas Agriculture Archive

March 1, 2002

Beef checkoff widely favored

Nearly seven in 10 beef producers support the beef checkoff, according to the results of an independent survey released at the recent 2002 Cattle Industry Annual Convention.

The research indicates that 68 percent of producers approve of the checkoff, while about 20 percent disapprove. The level of support was 72 percent in July 2001.

Conducted for the Cattlemen's Beef Board (CBB) by Aspen Media and Market Research, Boulder, Colo., the research was completed in January 2002. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent. The semi-annual survey is demographically representative of all beef producers, including, cow/calf, stocker and feedlot operators, veal producers and dairymen.

According to the survey, 61 percent of producers consider themselves either well informed or somewhat informed about the checkoff, while 39 percent said they were uniformed or unaware of the checkoff. Beef producers surveyed also expressed their desire to be kept informed about what the checkoff is doing. And 91 percent said it was important to them to "know how your checkoff dollars are being invested and what the results of those investments are."

The independent research also found that 88 percent of producers agree with the statement: "It is important to me that importers pay the beef checkoff on imported beef and beef products." Seventy-one percent of producers agree that the beef checkoff program has helped contribute to a positive trend in consumer demand for beef, while 72 percent believe the checkoff helps producers compete with the aggressive promotion programs of poultry and pork.