How are Checkoff Dollars Collected? | Checkoff Chat
The buyer generally is responsible for collecting $1 per head from the seller, but both are responsible for seeing that the dollar is collected and paid.
Q: Who polices the checkoff collection? Is the checkoff really being collected in other states, especially ones that don’t brand like we do in Montana and other Western states?
A: That is a tough one, because state beef councils and the Beef Board can’t police every transaction. To some degree, these collections depend on the integrity of our friends and neighbors. But state beef councils and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board have a variety of tools for following cattle sales, and any private sales discovered after-the-fact not to have paid the checkoff assessment are subject to penalties, fines and late fees. The buyer generally is responsible for collecting $1 per head from the seller, but both are responsible for seeing that the dollar is collected and paid.
The Beef Checkoff Program increases profit opportunities for producers by keeping beef top-of-mind with consumers, restaurants, butchers and other food retailers. It also reaches out to educators, dietitians and medical personnel and influencers. In short, it is always working to ensure a wholesome, quality beef-eating experience consistently.
Read more about the Beef Checkoff Programs in our Checkoff Chat Series with the Montana Beef Council. Click here to submit your own questions to be answered in future posts.
About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program (MyBeefCheckoff.com) was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. It assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the $1 and forward the other 50 cents to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval. The Montana Beef Council was created in 1954 by cattlemen as a marketing organization for the Montana beef industry and is organized to protect and increase demand for beef and beef products through state, national and international beef promotion, research and education, thereby enhancing profit opportunities for Montana beef producers.
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About Author
The Montana Stockgrowers Association, a non-profit membership organization, has worked on behalf of Montana’s cattle ranching families since 1884. Our mission is to protect and enhance Montana ranch families’ ability to grow and deliver safe, healthy, environmentally wholesome beef to the world.