Pork Checkoff                                ...

Pork Checkoff                                                                          

Appeals Court Allows Checkoff To Continue While Case Goes To Supreme Court

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit approved a request today (Oct. 30) that will allow the beef checkoff program to continue while the U.S. Department of Justice seeks Supreme Court review of a case challenging the program’s constitutionality.

The court upheld a lower court decision on October 22 that the pork checkoff was unconstitutional because it forced U.S. farmers to contribute money for an advertising campaign.

Taiwan                                                                                          

Mega Ball Sales Top $1.3 Million

Mega Ball, the U.S. beef meatball introduced by USMEF in January 2000, had more than $1.3 million worth of sales in the first nine months of 2003. Made from chuck flap and top blade muscle bound together with wheat gluten, the precooked Mega Ball used in popular and traditional Chinese hot pot dishes and soup had a sales volume of 278.4 metric tons from Jan.-Sept., 2003. It’s sold and labeled as a healthy and safe item made entirely out of U.S. beef. Mega Ball’s success has led to greater interest in such other U.S. beef products as heel muscle, boneless chuck short rib, bone-in short ribs, rib fingers, shank, top blade muscle, short plate and variety meats such as tendon and tripe. For more information, read the Mega Ball news releaseonline.

2003 Beef Mega Ball Sales

Month

Total Sales Volume (metric tons)

Total Sales Value

Jan.

37.9

$193,752

Feb.

28.1

$142,530

Mar.

31.6

$159,085

Apr.

29.1

$142,350

May

25.5

$126,451

Jun

27.6

$132,600

July

29.9

$145,782

Aug.

33.8

$169,572

Sep.

34.9

$172,938

Total:

278.4

$1,385,060

Pork Checkoff                                                                          

Appeals Court Allows Checkoff To Continue While Case Goes To Supreme Court

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit approved a request today (Oct. 30) that will allow the beef checkoff program to continue while the U.S. Department of Justice seeks Supreme Court review of a case challenging the program’s constitutionality.

The court upheld a lower court decision on October 22 that the pork checkoff was unconstitutional because it forced U.S. farmers to contribute money for an advertising campaign.

Taiwan                                                                                          

Mega Ball Sales Top $1.3 Million

Mega Ball, the U.S. beef meatball introduced by USMEF in January 2000, had more than $1.3 million worth of sales in the first nine months of 2003. Made from chuck flap and top blade muscle bound together with wheat gluten, the precooked Mega Ball used in popular and traditional Chinese hot pot dishes and soup had a sales volume of 278.4 metric tons from Jan.-Sept., 2003. It’s sold and labeled as a healthy and safe item made entirely out of U.S. beef. Mega Ball’s success has led to greater interest in such other U.S. beef products as heel muscle, boneless chuck short rib, bone-in short ribs, rib fingers, shank, top blade muscle, short plate and variety meats such as tendon and tripe. For more information, read the Mega Ball news releaseonline.

2003 Beef Mega Ball Sales

Month

Total Sales Volume (metric tons)

Total Sales Value

Jan.

37.9

$193,752

Feb.

28.1

$142,530

Mar.

31.6

$159,085

Apr.

29.1

$142,350

May

25.5

$126,451

Jun

27.6

$132,600

July

29.9

$145,782

Aug.

33.8

$169,572

Sep.

34.9

$172,938

Total:

278.4

$1,385,060