World Agriculture Directory: the home of the world's largest agriculture database. Fastest way to find events, farms and agribusiness that suit your needs. Agriculture Event Directory

Cattlemen Hall of FameBeef cattle barons, cowboys, breeders and builders from around the world

Beef Industry Innovators

The Beef Checkoff Program: How a Dollar a Head Funds Beef Promotion

Created by Congress in 1985, the producer-funded checkoff pays for beef marketing, research and the famous 'Beef. It's What's for Dinner' campaign.

What Is the Beef Checkoff?

The Beef Checkoff is a national program in which cattle producers pay a small fee to fund beef promotion, research and consumer information. The assessment is $1 per head each time an animal is sold, covering live domestic and imported cattle. Imported beef and beef products carry a comparable assessment, according to the Cattlemen's Beef Board's eight facts about the checkoff.

Congress authorized the checkoff in the Beef Promotion and Research Act, part of the 1985 Farm Bill. Because the legal framework comes from Congress, major changes to the program require an act of Congress.

How the Money Moves

Every dollar collected is split between state and national work. States may keep up to 50 cents of each dollar for their own use, which is how state beef councils receive their share, and USDA approval is required for state fund retention. The remainder goes to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which runs the national program subject to USDA approval.

The Secretary of Agriculture appoints the Cattlemen's Beef Board's 101 members. Importers also pay in, about $7 million annually, and are represented on the board in proportion to their payments. Funding decisions are made by the Beef Promotion and Operating Committee, which has 10 producers elected by the board and 10 elected by the Federation of State Beef Councils, as described in a brief history from the U.S. Cattlemen's Association.

What the Money Buys

The checkoff funds demand-building work such as the 'Beef. It's What's for Dinner' campaign, plus research on nutrition and sustainability. The U.S. Cattlemen's Association page cites about $50 million a year in collections, a figure from an advocacy source that should be read as an approximation.

The Cattlemen's Beef Board also publishes explainers on where the dollar goes, including a series on where your dollar goes.

What Made It Work

The checkoff has lasted because it spreads a small cost across millions of transactions and pairs it with accountability rules written into law. Producers pay a dollar, and the structure of the board, committee and USDA oversight gives them a say in how it is spent.

  • Small, predictable assessment: $1 per head is easy to collect at the point of sale.
  • Shared funding: states keep up to half, so local beef councils have their own budgets.
  • Government oversight: USDA appoints board members and approves budgets.
  • Mixed governance: the operating committee splits seats between board-elected and Federation-elected producers.
  • Imported cattle and beef pay too, which addresses fairness between domestic and foreign supply.
  • Limits: critics argue over who controls the money, and the program's rules can be changed only by Congress.

Who Runs It: NCBA, the Board and the Federation

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association was formed in 1996 by a merger of the National Live Stock and Meat Board and the National Cattlemen's Association, and it administers the Federation of State Beef Councils. The U.S. Cattlemen's Association page treats the program's governance as a subject of ongoing debate among cattle groups.

Debates and Proposals

In 2014, then-Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack proposed moving the checkoff under the 1996 Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act. USDA dropped the plan after opposition from NCBA and R-CALF USA, according to the U.S. Cattlemen's Association page. In 2015, seven members of the Beef Checkoff Enhancement Working Group signed a memorandum supporting an increase to $2 per head. The U.S. Cattlemen's Association, R-CALF USA and the National Farmers Union did not sign.

The U.S. Cattlemen's Association is itself an interested party, so its account reflects one side of the debate. A fair reading is that producers broadly agree on the goal of beef demand and disagree on governance and funding.

Learn More

For ranch and industry stories beyond the program rules, visit the ranching section at farm.FM or read a farm.FM story about cattlemen's groups.

Timeline

  1. 1985Congress authorizes the Beef Checkoff in the Beef Promotion and Research Act.
  2. 1996NCBA is formed by merging the National Live Stock and Meat Board and the National Cattlemen's Association.
  3. 2014Secretary Vilsack proposes moving the checkoff under the 1996 Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act; USDA drops the plan.
  4. 2015Seven members of the Beef Checkoff Enhancement Working Group sign a memorandum supporting an increase to $2 per head.
  5. TodayThe assessment remains $1 per head on cattle sales.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Beef Checkoff?

The assessment is $1 per head each time an animal is sold, on live domestic and imported cattle. Imported beef and beef products carry a comparable assessment. States may keep up to 50 cents of each dollar.

Who controls Beef Checkoff funds?

The Cattlemen's Beef Board, with 101 members appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, oversees the program. The Beef Promotion and Operating Committee makes funding decisions, subject to USDA approval.

What is the Beef Checkoff known for?

It funds beef demand work, including the 'Beef. It's What's for Dinner' campaign, along with research on nutrition and sustainability.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

More from the hall