DENVER, Colo. – A $40.6 million budget for Fiscal 2011 was unanimously approved by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (C.B.B.). This approved budget is down 7.4% from the Fiscal 2010 budget and down about 24% in the last five years. Approved during the Beef Board’s meeting on July 31 at the close of the 2010 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver, the 2011 budget still must be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.).

"With the dwindling funds, we’re facing some real challenges as we try to fund the programs we need to promote our product and educate consumers about our industry," said Robert Fountain Jr., CBB Secretary Treasurer and producer from Georgia. "Costs for these programs continue to climb as our checkoff revenues continue to decline with the herd population. We really have to be extremely creative to leverage every checkoff dollar to the greatest extent possible."

Highlights of the budget includes:

  • $17.4 million for promotion, including advertising, foodservice, retail and veal promotion and new-product development.
  • $7.2 million for research programs, including beef safety, product enhancement, nutrition research, and market research.
  • $3.3 million for consumer information programs, which includes consumer public relations and information, and outreach to nutrition influencers.
  • $2.8 million for industry information programs, including beef and veal quality assurance and issues management.
  • $5.5 million for foreign marketing, including promotion and public-relations programs in export markets around the globe.
  • $1.7 million for producer communications, including trade advertising, media relations, and direct communications to producers about the results of their checkoff investments.
  • $240,000 for evaluation of checkoff programs.
  • $160,000 for program development.
  • $263,000 for U.S.D.A. oversight.
  • $2 million for administration, which includes costs for Board meetings, legal fees, travel costs, office rental, supplies, equipment, and administrative staff compensation.

Beef Board funds for national checkoff programs in Fiscal Year 2011 will be augmented by about $9 million in voluntary contributions from state beef councils to their national Federation of State Beef Councils.

In other action at the summer conference, the Beef Board:

  • Voted to reverse a recommendation from the C.B.B. Executive Committee encouraging separation of the Federation of State Beef Councils from the policy division of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (N.C.B.A.). The Board subsequently passed a motion to support Federation efforts to achieve a more independent, self-governed structure, but retain affiliation with the NCBA.
  • Agreed to meet with N.C.B.A. in Orlando, Fla. in the summer of 2011 and in Denver in 2012.