PRESS RELEASE
Organization for Competitive Markets
P.O. Box 6486
Lincoln, NE 68506
www.competitivemarkets.com
Contact:
Mike Callicrate, OCM President
785-332-8128
callicrate@competitivemarkets.com
August 5, 2013
Beef Checkoff dollars undermining producer interests!
The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) today called for the immediate dismissal of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) as a contractor for the Beef Checkoff Program.
On July 8th, NCBA and seven other plaintiffs, including the American Meat Institute, American Association of Meat Processors, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canadian Pork Council, National Pork Producer’s Council, North American Meat Association and Southwest Meat Association, filed suit against the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Marketing Service to block the implementation of the new COOL rules requiring meat products to be labeled as to the country where the animal was born, raised and processed.
A study commissioned by the Beef Checkoff’s Cattlemen’s Beef Board showed consumers overwhelmingly want to know how where their food is produced. Checkoff-paying cattle producers have also long favored country of origin labeling. In an affront to the wishes of both producers and consumers, NCBA, deriving more than 80% of its total revenue from the Beef Checkoff, seeks to have the program abolished.
OCM President, Mike Callicrate, said, “It is outrageous that our own money is being used against us to promote the interests of the global corporations that have stolen our markets. This issue will be an important topic of our upcoming conference in Kansas City.” Anyone interested in fair markets and in building a food system that serves both producers and consumers is welcome to attend.
The OCM Conference will be held at the Residence Inn adjacent to the Kansas City International Airport, beginning at 8:30 on August 9th.
