30 YEARS
Building Beef Demand
BUILDING BEEF DEMAND 1986-2016
Anne Anderson , Texas 2016 CBB Chairman
30 Years of Building Beef Demand
Checkoff keeps us competitive in good times and bad
Fiscal 2016 marked the 30th year of national demand-building programs funded by America ’ s beef producers and importers . This is particularly momentous to me because I remember participating in the meetings and phone calls and faxes and discussions that led to 79 percent of America ’ s beef producers voting to create this much-needed program to build demand for beef . And as a cattle producer and the 2016 chairman of the Cattlemen ’ s Beef Board , I can say with confidence that our checkoff dollars have been and continue to be invested for the benefit of our entire beef community and in concert with what producers said they wanted the program to do from its very start .
After all , if we didn ’ t pool our dollar-per-head checkoff assessments into promotion and information programs – like the Families in Motion and other popular beef promotions ; correct misinformation about our industry ; or commission beef nutrition research , to name a few – who would be representing us to consumers ? The action groups and individuals who sometimes misrepresent information about beef by sharing outdated or inaccurate information ?
If we want consumers to understand how we raise their food , who better to represent us than us ? That ’ s what the checkoff is all about .
Of course , we all know that 2016 has been a trying year , especially for cattle prices , and its been tough for some producers to ride it out . It ’ s not the first time , for sure , but it is one reason that I am grateful that we have a national self-help program that maintains strong consumer demand for our end products , both in good times and bad . Despite the troubling nosedive that cattle prices endured in fiscal 2016 , consumer demand for beef remained relatively strong , thanks in part to checkoff programs that help us get important beefindustry information to consumers who buy our product . Unfortunately , we can ’ t control the marketplace , but maintaining strong demand through the roughest times gives us the best possible outcome for producers , given the marketplace fluctuations .
So , take some time to page through this report . Get to know who is representing you on the Cattlemen ’ s Beef Board . Learn how those volunteers are investing our dollar-per-head assessments to achieve a return on investment for every dollar . They ’ re your dollars and mine , so it ’ s our responsibility to educate ourselves about how they are used on our behalf .
Happy 30th anniversary to My Beef Checkoff !
ANNE ANDERSON 2016 CBB Chairman
Administration USDA Oversight 0.9 % Program Development 0.7 % Evaluation 0.5 %
19 + 25 + 18 + 7 + 20 + 4 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 4 + A
Producer Communications
FY16 CBB Actual Expenditures
3.7 %
4.4 %
18.8 %
24.6 %
Promotion
Research
Foreign Marketing
20.5 %
7.7 %
18.3 % Consumer Information
Industry Information
2