Beef & Dairy: A Growing Connection
As beef-on-dairy continues to reshape the cattle industry, Beef Checkoff research and demand-building efforts are helping create value across the supply chain.
Beef and dairy have always been connected, but the rapid growth of beef-on-dairy crossbreeding has brought the two segments even closer. Dairy cattle have long represented a share of the beef supply, and today’s dairy producers contribute significantly to the Beef Checkoff as cattle move through the marketplace.
That connection makes Checkoff-funded research, promotion and producer involvement relevant across the cattle industry.
By the Numbers
- About 20%
of the U.S. beef supply
originates from dairy farms.1 - 18%
of total Beef Checkoff collections comes from the $1-per-head assessment paid when dairy producers sell cattle or calves.2 - 12%
of Cattlemen’s Beef Board members are currently dairy producers.
Together, those numbers demonstrate that dairy isn’t a separate conversation from beef; it is an important part of the U.S. beef industry and the Beef Checkoff.
Staying Ahead with Research
As beef-on-dairy production grows, new questions grow with it. What genetics produce the most valuable carcass? How do beef-on-dairy cattle perform in the feedlot? How does the product compare in eating quality and retail performance? And how can producers improve animal health, efficiency and profitability?
Beef Checkoff-funded research is helping answer those questions with data that can benefit dairy producers, cattle feeders and the broader beef industry. That research covers:
Performance — Finishing, Feed Efficiency, Yield, Carcass Value
Product Quality — Eating Quality, Flavor, Shelf Life, Retail Display
Animal Outcomes — Animal Health & Welfare, Liver Abscesses
Business & Sustainability — Profitability, ROI, Sustainability
Visit BeefResearch.org to see the full list of current and historical studies.
Creating Value
Research is only one way Checkoff dollars work on behalf of producers. The Beef Checkoff also invests in promotion, consumer information, industry information and international marketing to drive demand for beef.
The most recent Beef Checkoff ROI study, covering 2019–2023, estimated that every $1 invested in the Beef Checkoff returned approximately $13.41 to the industry3. The study also estimated that domestic demand-driving efforts helped keep steer prices approximately 8% higher annually3 during the same period.
Through the Beef Checkoff, producers across both segments help fund research, build demand, strengthen consumer confidence and identify opportunities that increase the value of beef. As beef and dairy become even more interconnected, that shared investment will become increasingly important.
- Taylor Leach, “Beef-on-Dairy is Becoming a Bigger Engine for the Beef Supply Chain,” Dairy Herd, Feb. 25, 2026.
- Cattlemen’s Beef Board 2024 Annual Assessment.
- Source: National Beef Checkoff 2024 Return on Investment & Broader Economic Impact Studies.
The Beef Checkoff program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
