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Vote on Iowa state beef checkoff set for this fall

Iowa cattlemen will vote this fall on whether they want to establish a state beef checkoff of 50 cents per head.

The state checkoff would be in addition to the one-dollar per head national checkoff. But Katie Olthoff with the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association says the state checkoff would provide more flexibility when it comes to the funding of research.

“The national checkoff can be used for research on the beef product, but not on the beef production process itself. So you can’t use the national dollars to research raising cattle. The state checkoff would allow us to do that,” Olthoff says. “Our producers have seen a need for more research into production methods and that’s one of the big things the state checkoff would allow us to do.”

Olthoff says a separate board of directors will be set up to decide how the state checkoff funds are used.

“It is partially leaders of the Iowa Beef Industry Council, who also facilitates the use of the national checkoff dollars—and then we will have two Iowa Cattlemen’s Association appointees on that board, too,” she says. “It’s really important that everyone knows that those boards are elected and they are cattle producers who are very active in the cattle industry across the state of Iowa.”

Producers will have the opportunity to vote in person on November 30th or request an absentee ballot to cast their vote starting mid-September. If a simple majority (50%) is in support of reinstating the Iowa Beef Checkoff, collections will begin January 2, 2017.

The checkoff would be mandatory, but with a voluntary refund option.

Several other states have state specific beef checkoffs in place. Michigan is in the process of exploring the need for a state beef checkoff.  A beef checkoff referendum in Missouri was defeated earlier this year.

AUDIO: Katie Olthoff

Link to more information on the ICA web site