Cattle Producers Call For Vote On Creating $1.6M Iowa Checkoff

Iowa cattle producers have sent a petition to the state ag department calling for a vote to create a state checkoff program that would generate up to $1.6 million annually.

Producers would pay 50 cents per head of cattle under the proposal, with the money used to promote Iowa beef, fund production research, and expand international markets, consumer education and other activities, according to the Iowa Cattlemen's Association.

Iowa's nearly 27,000 cattle producers already pay $1 a head to support a national beef checkoff.

Katie Olthoff, an Iowa Cattlemen's spokeswoman, said the national checkoff cannot be used for activities such as production research, an area where Iowa producers would like to see more investment.

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