National Check-Off update

Former MCPA President, Marlin Beever, was at this year’s CCA semi-annual meeting to report on the progress and status of the National Check-off.

While most provinces pay into the organization that was established to promote beef consumption, market development and research, producers from two provinces still do not.

“Quebec and P.E.I are in the final stages and it looks like it will happen,” Beever said. “Once we get everybody signed, we can begin collecting on the imports. If everybody isn’t in, we can’t force the importers to contribute. It has to be national in scope and all producers must be contributing at an equal level.”

Beever explained collecting on imports will add an approximate $1 million a year to the fund. He said this is critical because for every $1 collected, they are able to leverage more dollars in funding.

“Producers should know that for every dollar they commit, those dollars double or triple, so they are getting a good return for their money.”

Beever has been an advocate of National Check-off since the idea was proposed and became involved at the national level in the 1990s.
NATIONAL CHECK-OFF EXPLAINED