RFA Ethanol Podcast

Beef Board Operating Budget Recommended

Chuck Zimmerman

Cattlemen's Beef BoardThe Beef Board has a new operating budget to vote on. The operating committee met last week and came up with a new budget. It looks like the Beefmobile program has been a successful program. So much so, that the committee is recommending a re-allocation of funds to add $25K to the program this year. The recommended budget now needs full Beef Board approval as well as approval from USDA.

OPERATING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS FISCAL 2006 BEEF BOARD BUDGET

KANSAS CITY (June 14, 2005) – The Beef Promotion Operating Committee has recommended a $50 million Cattlemen’s Beef Board budget for fiscal year 2006, reflecting a slight decrease from the $50.5 million budget for fiscal 2005.

The Beef Board, which administers the national checkoff program, projects revenue of $45.4 million for fiscal 2005, plus $4.6 million to be available from current program budgets as a result of projects costing less than originally estimated.

The breakdown of the budget recommendation, which must be approved by the full Beef Board and USDA before any funds are expended, includes the following budget elements: promotion ($25.5 million); research ($7.3 million); consumer information ($5.8 million); industry information ($1.35 million); foreign marketing ($5.1 million); producer communications ($2.2 million); evaluation ($230,000); program development ($120,000); USDA oversight ($200,000); and administration ($2.25 million). The 2006 fiscal year begins Oct. 1, 2005.

“We looked carefully at challenges and opportunities in the marketplace to determine what areas we need to emphasize to give cattlemen the best return on their checkoff dollar,” said Al Svajgr, a producer from Cozad, Neb. and chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the Beef Promotion Operating Committee, which met in Kansas City June 8-9, 2005.

For more information contact Diane Henderson.

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