Pass It On! Checkoff Investments Help Domestically and Worldwide

The Beef Industry Long Range Plan (LRP) is developed every three to five years and lays out aggressive goals to strengthen the beef industry. As part of this initiative, the Beef Checkoff interviewed cattlemen and women across the country to hear the checkoff is helping them for long-term success on their operations.

Joplin Regional Stockyards: Joplin, Mo.

Joplin Regional Stockyards is a family business involving two generations. Jackie Moore has worked at the stockyards since the 1970s, and he says the Beef Checkoff is crucial to promoting beef not only in the U.S., but worldwide.

“We are big on family. We are big on promotion of our own products, and I think when you talk about the Beef Checkoff and those kind of things, we’ve got to promote what we do as an industry worldwide and globally,” says Jackie Moore.

His sons Skyler and Bailey say other aspects of the checkoff like the focus on beef quality and new product research helps maintain and increase consumer demand, ensuring growth opportunities for future beef producers.

“Going forward from here for the next generation, I think it’s really important that we keep people informed of the quality of beef we are raising and the different things that we are doing to strive to make this a better industry. And, I really think with the Beef Checkoff’s help we can keep everybody on the same track to let them know we are raising a safe, good product every day of our lives,” says Skylar Moore.

“You know I think as we move forward the Beef Checkoff dollars are going toward research to make these ready-made beef product meals. I think that’s going to be a crucial part of our business. As we move forward to be able to reach those people in the inter-cities and the suburbs, you know the mom gets home after work at 5 [o’clock] and she wants someone quick and easy to fix her kids. I think these ready-made meals that the Beef Checkoff is putting the money in for the research is going to be a crucial part of this business as we move forward,” says Bailey Moore.

How does the Beef Checkoff Help?

The Beef Checkoff plays an important role growing and maintaining beef demand, thus opening new opportunities for cattle producers to sustain their businesses for generations to come. That includes keeping close tabs on what consumers want in terms of end products, as well as sharing information regarding safe and sustainable beef production carried out by cattle producers — ensuring that’s what they find at the meat case when they go to purchase food for their families.

It’s no small task, but checkoff investments are part of the reason that beef demand has remained strong throughout the extremely tight supplies of recent years. In fact, a study by Dr. Harry Kaiser at Cornell University demonstrates that every checkoff dollar invested has a return on investment of $11.20. That means that every dollar invested by cattle producers returns $11.20 more to an operation than would have received without the checkoff in place.