USDA oversees 21 research and promotion programs nationwide. The funding mechanism vary for each checkoff program. The mandatory beef checkoff is $1 per head, collected each time cattle are sold. Dairy farmers contribute a 15 cent per hundredweight assessment for their checkoff. Programs, like the pork checkoff, are based on market values. Hog farmers are assessed 40 cents from each $100 in market value. “We operate where our revenue goes up and down along with the producer,” said Bill Even, CEO, National Pork Board. “When producers aren’t pulling in money, the checkoff isn’t either; we ride that roller coaster right along with them as partners in the operation.” Hog prices have plummeted in recent weeks due primarily to supply chain disruptions. Retail consumer demand for pork is up significantly.
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