News
Illinois farmers vote to increase corn checkoff
Illinois corn farmers have approved an increase in their corn checkoff rate.
The referendum to raise the rate by a quarter-cent per bushel was a passed by a vote among corn farmers of 1,137 to 317 and was certified by the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Effective October 1, the current 3/8 cent per bushel checkoff will increase to 5/8 of a cent per bushel.
The measure won approval in 71 of the state’s 102 counties and was supported on 78 percent of the ballots cast. The checkoff is deducted at the point of sale, but if they choose, farmers can get a full refund.
The Illinois Corn Marketing Board requested the referendum. That volunteer board of corn farmers, elected by their peers, invests checkoff funds in market development, research, education and promotion programs.
The board, chaired by Bill Christ, a family farmer from Metamora, determined four major areas of investment for the funds generated by the increase. They are infrastructure development, supporting science based research and data that can be used to fight regulations, public education and outreach, and ethanol market development for E-15.
In a prepared statement, Christ said the investment priorities were decided after surveying corn farmers and gathering input from members of the Illinois Corn Growers Association.
“We feel a sense of obligation and duty to be sure that corn checkoff dollars are wisely invested to enhance the profitability of corn farmers in Illinois,” said Christ.
How can this possibly be legal. How can a group of producers of a commodity force other producers of the commodity to pay for their marketing program? Maybe its time for another legal challenge to the so called checkoff program.