SDCA Statement Regarding the Beef Checkoff Petition Drive


July 9, 2020 (Pierre, SD) – SDCA President Eric Jennings issued the following statement today in response to the petition filed Monday seeking to force a vote on eliminating the Beef Checkoff. “SDCA is a grassroots organization with a member-set policy that firmly supports the Beef Checkoff and the work of the SD Beef Industry Council.  We are disappointed the SD Livestock Auction Markets and other South Dakota based groups have chosen this already difficult time to further divide the industry and take the focus away from the real beef market disruption and livestock risk management issues that have reached crisis levels thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.  SDCA believes this is an irresponsible, self-serving action that threatens our industry’s only real promotion and education program, which has a proven track record of stabilizing and growing beef demand since its inception more than three decades ago.  Now is the time we need to be building beef demand, not threatening it, and we urge South Dakota beef producers to seek the facts about the Beef Checkoff and resist the petition efforts.”

 For information about the Beef Checkoff, visit the SD Beef Industry Council website at www.sdbeef.org and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board website at www.beefboard.org.