Contact: Diane Henderson                 303-850-3465            dhenderson@beefboard.org  

                           Beef Board Releases Fiscal 2005 Annual Report

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (Feb. 8, 2006) – The 2005 annual report of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, released at the Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Denver last week, highlights some of the leading promotion, research, information and education programs funded by cattlemen and importers through their beef checkoff investments during the last year.

In addition, the report provides detailed, audited financial information for the 2005 fiscal year, which ran Oct. 1, 2004 through Sept. 30, 2005. It further includes state-by-state checkoff revenue listings and compares 2005 expenditures to those in 2004.

“As a producer, I’m extremely pleased with the accomplishments of my checkoff dollars in 2005,” said newly seated Beef Board Chairman Jay O’Brien, a cattleman from Texas. “This report outlines some of the ways that we focused on building demand for beef through a variety of programs centered on beef safety, nutrition and promotion.”

During the last fiscal year, O’Brien said, checkoff programs varied from the highly visible “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” radio and print advertising promoting beef and veal to research efforts tightly focused on maintaining the U.S. beef supply as one of the safest in the world. In addition, beef checkoff dollars were invested in efforts to educate consumers and nutrition influencers about the naturally nutrient rich qualities of beef and in foreig-marketing efforts to rebuild demand for U.S. beef abroad.

“Consumer demand for beef has grown more than 20 percent since 1998, and this annual report shows that the results of checkoff programs were extremely positive in 2005,” O’Brien said. “We’ve set a solid base on which to proceed as we start under our new Beef Industry Long Range Plan toward a goal of building beef demand another 10 percent by 2010.”

Free copies of the 2005 Cattlemen’s Beef Board Annual Report are available by writing to the Beef Board at 9110 E. Nichols Ave., Ste. 303 , Centennial, CO 80112, by calling 303-850-3465, or by sending a request via email to beefboard@beefboard.org. The annual report for 2005 and those for several previous years are also accessible online at www.beefboard.org by clicking on the “Financial & Audit” button on the home page, and then on the “2005 Annual Report” button.