The Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) will invest approximately $38.5 million into programs of beef promotion, research, consumer information, industry information, foreign marketing, and producer communications during fiscal 2023, subject to USDA approval.

In action at the end of its September 7-8 meeting in Denver, Colorado, the Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC) approved Checkoff funding for a total of 13 “Authorization Requests” – or grant proposals – for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2023. The committee, which includes 10 producers from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and 10 producers from the Federation of State Beef Councils, also recommended full Cattlemen’s Beef Board approval of a budget amendment to reflect the split of funding between budget categories affected by their decisions.

Nine contractors and three subcontractors brought 14 Authorization Requests worth $48 million to the BPOC this week, nearly $9.5 million more than the funds available from the CBB budget.

“Producers are behind all the decisions that the BPOC makes during these meetings each September,” said CBB and BPOC Chair Norman Voyles, Jr. “We carefully consider every Authorization Request to determine how to use Checkoff dollars to drive beef demand and provide producers with the best possible return on their Checkoff investments.”

“As we expected, the proposals we reviewed this week were remarkably innovative, containing many thought-provoking ideas and concepts. Our challenge is balancing the budget while also distributing our limited amount of Checkoff dollars in a manner that we believe will best drive beef demand. I’d like to thank all our contractors and committee members for their hard work and careful consideration as we all work together to advance the entire beef industry.”

In the end, the BPOC approved proposals from 9 national beef organizations for funding through the FY23 Cattlemen’s Beef Board budget, as follows:

• American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture – $900,000
• Cattlemen’s Beef Board – $1,850,000
• Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education – $450,000
• Meat Import Council of America / Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative – $550,000
• National Cattlemen’s Beef Association – $25,720,000
• National Institute for Animal Agriculture – $70,000
• North American Meat Institute – $360,000
• United States Cattlemen’s Association – $450,000
• United States Meat Export Federation – $8,200,000

Broken out by budget component – as outlined by the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985 – the FY23 Plan of Work for the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board budget includes:

• $9,400,000 for promotion programs, including beef and veal campaigns focusing on beef’s nutritional value, eating experience, convenience, and production.
• $9,000,000 for research programs focusing on pre- and post-harvest beef safety, scientific affairs, nutrition, sustainability, product quality, culinary technical expertise, and consumer perceptions.
• $7,470,000 for consumer information programs, including Northeast influencer outreach and public relations initiatives; national consumer public relations, including nutrition-influencer relations and work with primary- and secondary-school curriculum directors nationwide to get accurate information about the beef industry into classrooms of today’s youth. Additional initiatives include outreach and engagement with food, culinary, nutrition and health thought leaders; media and public relations efforts; and supply chain engagement.

• $2,630,000 for industry information programs, including dissemination of accurate information about the beef industry to counter misinformation from anti-beef groups and others, as well as funding for Checkoff participation in the annual national industrywide symposium about antibiotic use. Additional efforts in this program area include beef advocacy training and issues/crisis management and response.

• $8,200,000 for foreign marketing and education, focusing on 13 regions, representing more than 90 countries around the world.
• $1,850,000 for producer communications, which includes investor outreach using national communications and direct communications to producers and importers about Checkoff results. Elements of this program include ongoing producer listening and analysis; industry collaboration and outreach; and continued development of a publishing strategy and platform and a state beef council content hub.

The full fiscal 2023 Cattlemen’s Beef Board budget is approximately $42.7 million. Separate from the Authorization Requests, other expenses funded include $270,000 for program evaluation; $585,000 for program development; $200,000 for Checkoff communications resources; $550,000 for USDA oversight; $210,000 for state services; $270,000 supporting services and litigation; and $2.1 million for CBB administration. The fiscal 2023 program budget represents a decrease of slightly less than 1% percent, or $350,800, from the $38.9 million FY22 budget.

For more information about the Beef Checkoff and its programs, including promotion, research, foreign marketing, industry information, consumer information and safety, contact the Cattlemen’s Beef Board at 303-220-9890 or visit DrivingDemandForBeef.com.