BISMARCK, N.D. (AgNews 890) – The North Dakota Beef Commission (NDBC) is celebrating “May is Beef Month” in North Dakota, recognizing the beef industry’s vital contribution to the state’s economy and beef’s role in providing essential nutrients to consumers.
North Dakota produces more than 822 million pounds of beef annually and contributes annual cash receipts from beef cattle sales totaling $2.575 billion. Beef Month also recognizes the dedication of North Dakota’s beef producers to raising high-quality, wholesome and nutritious beef that feeds the world.
“Recognizing May as Beef Month is not only important in promoting beef as a product, but it also lets people know how proud the producers are of their product. They want consumers to recognize the care and effort put into the production and quality of beef, and recognize its high nutritional value,” says NDBC board member Matt Lachenmeier of Mandan.
North Dakota House rejects change to state beef checkoff
The North Dakota House has rejected a bill that would have allowed beef producers to choose whether to pay a $1-per-head assessment to the state Beef Commission, favoring the current system where the $1 must be paid but can be refunded. 5:30 am, Feb. 19, 2021 ×
North Dakota Beef Commission Chairman Weston Dvorak registers healthcare professionals to receive meals during a Sept. 11, 2020, event put on by North Dakota beef groups. (Jenny Schlecht / Agweek)
A one-word law change that would have made North Dakota s state-specific beef checkoff an opt-in rather than an opt-out program failed earlier this month.
for Tri-State Livestock News
Rep. Sebastian Ertelt of Lisbon introduced a bill in the North Dakota House of Representatives to make the state beef checkoff voluntary.
Since the bill was enacted in 2015, which requires all cattle sold in North Dakota or sold by a North Dakotan to pay an extra $1 per head of cattle sold, to the North Dakota Beef Commission, sale barns have been required to withhold these funds from producers’ checks and producers who sell private treaty are required to submit payment to the beef commission.
House Bill 1487, introduced this year by Ertelt, would make a simple change to the law. Rather than the law stating that producers “must” remit the state checkoff, the bill amends the law to state that producers “may” remit payment. This effectively changes the mandatory refundable checkoff program into a voluntary checkoff program.