Plaintiffs Pleased With Checkoff Stay
DENVER, Colo. The U.S.
Court of Appeals’ decision to
grant a stay and allow the beef
promotion program to continue
without interruption during ap
peal is a good one, according to
the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, one
of the defendants in the case.
Defendants also include the
U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Nebraska Cattlemen, and a
group of producers who are inter
vening in the case.
“We are pleased that the court
recognized the importance of
continuing the Beef Checkoff
Program through the appeal pro
cess,” said Beef Board Chairman
Dee Lacey, a cow-calf producer
from Paso Robles, Calif. “This
will allow continuance of promo
tion efforts on behalf of beef pro
ducers during challenging mar
ket conditions.”
During the appeal process,
Lacey said, the Beef Board will
continue as it has throughout
the course of this litigation to
work to strengthen the position
of beef in the marketplace and
expand uses for beef and beef
products.
While this certainly is good
Pork Producers Invited
To AI School
COLUMBUS, Ohio Work
ers’ job satisfaction, working con
ditions, technical skill and atti
tude can affect the success of
artificial insemination (AI),
according to recent studies at
North Carolina State University.
Producers of show pigs may pay
up to $5OO per dose of semen,
making the success of AI pro
grams an important investment.
To help Ohio’s pork producers
increase the efficiency of their AI
programs, the Ohio Pork Indus
try Center (OPIC) is holding an
AI school July 24, in the Animal
Science Building of the Ohio
State University, 2029 Fyffe
Road, Columbus, Ohio. The
school is designed to give hands
on training in artificial insemina
tion and practices that will in
crease reproductive efficiency.
The Ohio Pork Industry Cen
ter is an arm of The Ohio State
University Extension that brings
together expertise from an array
of disciplines to help sustain the
profitability of the Ohio pork in
dustry by establishing leadership
in information, technology, prod
uct quality, and sound relations
with urban and rural neighbors.
Designed for employees and
decision makers involved with
the breeding and gestation area
of pork producing operation, the
day will consist of demonstra
tions on collecting boar semen,
and inseminating estrous sows as
well as sessions addressing key is
sues in pork reproduc
tion.
One such issue is
the effect inseminators
have on reproductive
performance, a signifi-
cant problem accord
ing to Don Levis, coor-
dinator ot OPIC. “The
No. 1 problem I see
with AI is people,” he
viid. “People get in
coo big ot a hurry, they
don't have the proper
training, or they don’t
understand what they
are trying to accom-
plish.”
Studies have shown
that overworked or
disgruntled workers
can greatly decrease
news for those who support the
Beef Checkoff Program, Lacey
said, it is one step in what prom
ises to be a lengthy court battle.
“It’s definitely disappointing
that industry resources continue
to be diverted from beef market
ing and promotion efforts to
spend money and time in the
courtroom instead. But this ap
peal is one more step forward in
a lengthy battle, and we’re in it
for the long haul.”
In annual independent surveys
conducted since the launch of the
beef checkoff 15 years ago, pro
ducers have repeatedly voiced
strong support for the program,
Lacey said. In the latest survey,
released in January 2002, about
68 percent of producers said they
approved of the Beef Checkoff
Program.
NCBA Responds
In a related press release, the
president of the National Cattle
men’s Beef Association (NCBA),
Wythe Willey, a cattleman from
Cedar Rapids, lowa, called the
ruling “a significant victory for
the majority of beef producers
who have continued to support
the industry’s dynamic self-help
program.
the farrowing rate of gilts. The
farrowing rate decreases by al
most 15 percent when a techni
cian inseminates more than IS
gilts without taking a break.
Also, unpleasantly handled gilts
had a farrowing rate almost 55
percent lower than pleasantly
handled gilts. Participants of
OPIC’s AI school will leam more
about these effects and how to
minimize their influence in their
operation.
They also will leam about the
influence of biological variation
on inseminations, selection of AI
boars and emerging AI technolo
gies, such as sexed semen and
embryonic transfers.
The school is organized into a
morning, afternoon and evening
program to accommodate the
schedule of producers. The dem
onstrations will be held in the
morning and evening and the ed
ucational sessions will make up
the afternoon program. Partici
pants can register for morning
and afternoon, afternoon and
evening, afternoon only, or all
three sessions.
The registration fee is $4O per
person, which includes meals, re
freshments and reference materi
als. The deadline to register is
July 17 and enrollment is limited
to 60 people. For more informa
tion or to register for the school,
contact OPIC at 1-800-398-7675
or contact Don Levis at (614)
292-1351.
“We are gratified the Appel
late Court has recognized the
magnitude of the national beef
checkoff program,” said Willey.
The motion to stop the injunc
tion was filed by the Justice De
partment on behalf of the United
WORC Statement Regarding
Kommann y s Ruling
BILLINGS, Mont. Judge
Kornmann’s ruling of the uncon
stitutionality of the beef checkoff
was “a victory for independent
cattle producers,” according to
the Western Organization of Re
search Councils (WORC).
In conjunction with the Live
stock Marketing Association,
WORC was an original plaintiff
in the case.
In response to that ruling
Linda Rauser, a WORC spokes
person and North Dakota ranch
er, made the following
statements.
“Judge Kommann found that
the checkoff is unconstitutional
because it forces producers to pay
for speech with which they dis-
Candidates Solicited For
National Board On Rural America
WASHINGTON, D.C. Agri
culture Secretary Ann M. Vene
man announced recently that
USDA is accepting applications
for the newly created National
Board on Rural America. Re
sponsibilities of the board include
developing a national strategic
investment plan for rural Ameri
ca and overseeing the delivery of
planning and innovation grants
to regional boards.
“Continuing to strengthen
America’s rural communities is
an important priority for the
Bush Administration,” said Ve
neman. “This board will provide
valuable input as we examine
ways to expand opportunities
and investment in rural areas
throughout the nation.”
The National Board, which
consists of 14 members appointed
Hfe Salute Our faming Industry
States Department of Agriculture
on July 8. The Eighth Circuit
granted the motion less than 48
hours later.
“Every prior attempt to under
mine the constitutionality of the
beef checkoff has failed, and we
agree. This decision is a victory
for cattle producers, WORC and
the Livestock Marketing Associa
tion.”
“WORC challenged the man
datory, $1 per head tax on cattle
sales because we believe it is un
fair, undemocratic, and unconsti
tutional. It is unfair that produc
ers are taxed to support the
National Cattlemen’s Beef Asso
ciation, an organization that con
sistently opposes their interests
most recently on mandatory
country of origin labeling, ban
ning packer ownership of live
stock, and fast track trade legis
lation. Nearly nine of every ten
dollars in the NCBA’s budget
comes from the beef checkoff.”
by the Secretary with staggered
four-year terms, was created with
the recent passage of the Farm
Security and Rural Investment
Act of 2002. The Board will over
see the Rural Strategic Invest
ment Program, which includes
$95 million of planning and com
munity development grants.
Among those considered for
Board positions will be represen
tatives of: nationally recognized
entrepreneurship organ
izations, regional planning and
development organizations, com
munity-based organizations,
elected members of county gov
ernments, elected members of
State legislatures, the rural phil
anthropic community, and Indi
an tribes.
Recommendations by elected
members of federal, state, or
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are confident that in the end this
effort too will fail,” said Willey.
“In the meantime, cattlemen,
through NCBA, will not rest in
our resolve to protect the beef
checkoff that has served the-cat
tle and beef industry so well.”
“The checkoff is undemocratic
because the producers who pay
the checkoff did not have a vote
in selecting those who decide how
the money is spent, and have
been denied the right to vote on
continuation of the beef check
off.”
“With today’s ruling, indepen
dent cattle producers have tri
umphed over the beef packers
and packer-led institutions in the
battle to take back control of our
livestock markets.”
“We appreciate Judge Korn
mann’s well thought-out deci
sion. Now we can go about the
business of creating beef promo
tion programs that truly benefit
U.S. ranchers and producers.”
county governments, and nomil
nations from organizations will
be accepted. Nominations from
individuals will not be consid
ered. Nominations should be
written on the organizations let
terhead. An AD Form 755,'Nom
inee Background Information, is
required for each nominee and is
available on the USDA Rural De
velopment Website at http://,
www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/''
farmbill2oo2.html.
Completed applications are
due by 5 p.m. on July 19. Appli
cations should be submitted to
the Office of the Under Secretary,
Rural Development, Attn: Duane
Ischer, 1400 Independence Ave
nue, S.W., Room 206-W, STOP
0107, Washington, D.C.
20250-0107. To ensure timely de
livery, applications may be faxed
to (202) 720-2080.