1) A few years ago we lost many of our export markets because of BSE here in the United States. Is the checkoff doing anything about getting these markets back?

Exports of U.S. beef set new records in 2011, reaching an all-time high in both volume and value. According to year-end statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program, exports of U.S. beef totaled 2.84 billion pounds valued at $5.42 billion in 2011. This broke the 2003 volume record of 1.274 million metric tons and easily surpassed the 2010 value record of $4.08 billion. Export volume was 21 percent larger than in 2010, with value up 33 percent. Get full details here.

2) How do I know that my checkoff dollars are promoting U.S. beef in other countries?

Both the Cattlemen's Beef Board and USDA Foreign Agricultural Service insist their funding promote U.S. beef in foreign markets and evaluate every program they invest in to assure that is happening.

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