Letter from the Chairman

This past year has been a tough one for beef producers. Between packing plant fires and Mother Nature’s wrath, swinging cattle markets, and new plant-protein challenges, the lifestyle we love has put us to the test. Our occupation has never been for the faint of heart, but years like 2019 have helped me truly appreciate the fact that we’re all in this together, and we have the power of the Beef Checkoff to support us through it.

The Beef Checkoff is an incredible vehicle of promotional power. Every producer dollar given to the program goes to work as a strong ambassador for beef by maximizing beef’s presence across all markets (both domestic and international), upholding and celebrating our quality standards, and above all else, driving demand.

This past fiscal year 2019 saw the checkoff leading consumers to beef through new technology in Chuck Knows Beef, the all-knowing beef expert powered by Google Artificial Intelligence on both Amazon Alexa and Google Home. The checkoff also launched new initiatives to drive consumers to the nutritional and sustainable powers of beef, in light of emerging protein alternatives. We also experienced international growth as the checkoff continued to forge new markets and relationships with foreign buyers. By sponsoring Fox’s MasterChef, a week of competitions on the reality show featured Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. Look through the following pages to see more programs and projects of all the great work at hand by your checkoff.

The bottom line: we need the checkoff. As our global population increases, so does the need for high-quality, sustainable beef. The producer-driven Beef Checkoff is here to bolster that protein supply – in the name of BEEF.

CHUCK COFFEY
2019 Cattlemen’s Beef Board Chairman