ISSUES POLICY
Let Me Tell You Why I Support the New Texas Beef Checkoff
By Pete Bonds, president, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association T
HE U.S. BEEF CHECKOFF HAS ADDED VALUE TO THE BEEF cattle you and I produce. There is no doubt about it.
U.S. beef products are being sold to consumers
around the world in markets you and I could never reach on our own. Research by smart people is be- ing supported by checkoff dollars to fi nd new ways to present our beef product to the latest — and largest — generation of American consumers: the Millennials. Why do I support a Texas beef checkoff if the U.S.
program is doing so much? Because the U.S. program is operating at a disadvantage, and our industry needs our support to continue to grow. We’ve had the U.S. beef checkoff for 27 years. It
has helped build beef demand through promotion, research and education efforts. International market development programs supported by beef checkoff funds have added $170 in value to every 5-and-a-half weight steer we sell. New products have been created, like the Flat Iron
steak. The U.S. beef checkoff has helped defend our industry’s reputation during situations like the “cow that stole Christmas” in 2003. But the challenges we face keep growing. Well-
funded organizations like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) continue to push their anti-meat agenda. The next generation, people age 14 to mid-30s called
Millennials, is even bigger than the Baby Boomer generation, and many Millennials believe chicken is healthier than beef. I saw this for myself when I was in Washington,
80 The Cattleman May 2014
D.C., representing TSCRA in a legislative conference. Our group had stopped for lunch in one of the cafete- rias used by staffers for the House of Representatives. Six people, about 18 years old or so, were eating lunch together, and every one of them had chicken strips and fries. If that had been me and 5 of my friends when we were 18, we’d all have been eating hamburgers. And, yes, hamburgers were on the menu at that cafeteria. If we don’t reach out to the Millennials where they
are (on the Internet, through apps and all sorts of cus- tomizable content), this huge generation of consumers will not know about beef and nor buy beef. The $1-per-head checkoff hasn’t changed in 27 years.
That original $1 is worth only 44 cents in purchasing power today. The reduction in the cow herd from the drought has caused lower collections. It doesn’t look like the political climate in Washington, D.C., will change anytime soon so that we could increase the national checkoff. Texas cattle industry organizations are working
together to create a uniquely Texas beef checkoff pro- gram that will strengthen beef demand in the market- place. This program will be controlled and managed by Texans and will complement and extend current research, promotion and education programs of the Texas Beef Council. The new checkoff will cost me $1 a head. That’s
less than 2/10 of 1 percent of the value of that steer in today’s market. And the decisions on how the money will be spent will be made by fellow Texans. That sounds to me like a pretty good investment. Can I count on your “yes” vote during the June 2-6 Texas Beef Checkoff referendum?
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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