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Texas Agriculture Archive

August 2, 2002

Support strong for checkoff

Two-thirds of beef producers continue to support the Beef Checkoff Program, according to the results of an independent survey released July 19 at the 2002 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Reno. The research indicates that 66 percent of producers approve of the checkoff, while 22 percent disapprove. The level of support was 68 percent in January.

Conducted for the Cattlemen's Beef Board (CBB) by Aspen Media and Market Research, Boulder, Colo., the research was completed in June 2002. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent. The semi-annual survey is demographically representative of U.S. beef and veal producers and dairymen.

Not surprisingly, in light of weak market conditions, the independent research found that 45 percent of producers believe the industry is headed in the wrong direction, while only 40 percent feel optimistic about the current direction of the beef and dairy industries. Producer optimism about the direction of their industry has plummeted 35 points since July 2001. At the same time, however, the research also indicated that 71 percent of producers believe that the beef checkoff program has value, even when the market is down.

"Despite the depressed cattle market, it's gratifying to see that producers understand the value of the checkoff," said CBB Chairman Dee Lacey. "Not only is the checkoff currently funding a very visible $2.8 million summer grilling promotion designed to move the record supplies of beef on the market, but it's also funding a variety of behind-the-scenes efforts, like managing negative issues in the media, conducting new product development and food safety research and educating youth and consumers about the nutritional benefits of beef."

The survey indicated that more than three out of five producers believe that if there were no beef checkoff program, no one else would pay for beef promotion, while 88 percent of producers find it important that beef importers pay the checkoff on imported beef and beef products. In addition, nearly seven in 10 believe the checkoff helps producers compete with the aggressive promotion programs of poultry and pork.

According to the survey, 57 percent of producers consider themselves either well informed or somewhat informed about the checkoff, while 43 percent said they were uninformed or unaware of the checkoff. But most beef producers say they want to be kept informed about the checkoff; 91 percent said it was important to them to know how their checkoff dollars are being invested and what the results of those investments are.

The Producer Attitude Survey involves telephone interviews with a random sample of producers. The sample is representative of the various sizes and types of dairy and beef operations in the United States, based on the Agriculture Census.