The Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) announced it plans to invest about $38.5 million into programs for beef promotion, research, consumer information, industry information, foreign marketing and producer communications during fiscal 2023, subject to approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC) approved checkoff funding for 13 authorizations requests, also known as grant proposals, for the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1. The committee includes 10 producers from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and 10 producers from the Federation of State Beef Councils.

“As we expected, the proposals we reviewed (this month) were remarkably innovative, containing many thought-provoking ideas and concepts. Our challenge is balancing the budget while also distributing our limited amount of checkoff dollars in a manner that we believe will best drive beef demand,” CBB and BPOC Chair Norman Voyles Jr. said.

CBB listed the following national organizations that will receive money from the budget:

  • American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture – $900,000
  • Cattlemen’s Beef Board – $1,850,000
  • Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education – $450,000
  • Meat Import Council of America / Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative – $550,000
  • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association – $25,720,000
  • National Institute for Animal Agriculture – $70,000
  • North American Meat Institute – $360,000
  • United States Cattlemen’s Association – $450,000
  • United States Meat Export Federation – $8,200,000

CBB also detailed some of the areas in the beef industry that it plans to focus on in the coming year.

The group will invest $9.4 million for promotion programs, including beef and veal campaigns focusing on beef’s nutritional value, eating experience, convenience and production.

Research programs focusing on pre- and post-harvest beef safety, scientific affairs, nutrition, sustainability, product quality, culinary technical expertise and consumer perceptions will receive $9.4 million.

Over $7.4 million will focus on consumer information programs, including a Northeast influencer and public relations initiative, curriculum directors and national consumer public relations. Additional initiatives include outreach and engagement with food, culinary, nutrition and health thought leaders; media and public relations efforts; and supply chain engagement.

Industrial information programs will receive about $2.6 million of the budget. The funds will be used for dissemination of accurate information about the beef industry to counter misinformation from anti-beef groups and others, as well as funding for checkoff participation in the annual national industrywide symposium about antibiotic use. Additional efforts in this program area include beef advocacy training and issues/crisis management and response.

About $8.2 million will be used for foreign marketing and education in 90 countries and 13 regions.

CBB budgeted $1.8 million for producer communications. This includes investor outreach with national communications and direct communications to producers and importers about checkoff results.

The full fiscal 2023 CBB budget is about $42.7 million. Separate from the authorization requests, other expenses funded include $270,000 for program evaluation; $585,000 for program development; $200,000 for checkoff communications resources; $550,000 for USDA oversight; $210,000 for state services; $270,000 supporting services and litigation; and $2.1 million for CBB administration.

The fiscal 2023 program budget represents a decrease of slightly less than 1%, or $350,800, from the $38.9 million FY22 budget.

For more information about the beef checkoff and its programs, contact the CBB at 303-220-9890 or visit DrivingDemandForBeef.com.