USDA: No Referendum Vote Needed on Pork Checkoff Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that because very few pork producers and importers requested a continuance referendum on the Pork Checkoff Program, no such vote will be held this year. The current program, under which pork producers invest 40 cents for each $100 value of hogs sold, will continue.

From Dec. 8 through Jan. 2, USDA conducted a request for referendum among eligible pork producers and importers to determine whether producers and importers favored holding a referendum vote on the checkoff. If at least 10,417 (15 percent) of the nation’s 69,446 eligible pork producers and importers had participated in the request for referendum, a referendum vote would have been held within one year. But only 96 participated, and only 94 valid requests for a referendum were cast. Further details are included in this USDA news release.

The Pork Checkoff Program is a major catalyst for USMEF’s global marketing efforts for U.S. pork. In 2008, the U.S. pork industry exported more than 2 million metric tons (4.52 billion pounds) of pork and pork variety meats worldwide, valued at $4.9 billion. This represented almost 25 percent of total U.S. production.

“Pork producers understand that their checkoff program is delivering positive results,” said USMEF Chairman Jon Caspers, who operates a nursery-to-finish swine operation near Swaledale, Iowa. “International marketing is one of the key elements behind that effort, and I look forward to continuing USMEF’s successful partnership with the Pork Checkoff Program.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that because very few pork producers and importers requested a continuance referendum on the Pork Checkoff Program, no such vote will be held this year. The current program, under which pork producers invest 40 cents for each $100 value of hogs sold, will continue.

From Dec. 8 through Jan. 2, USDA conducted a request for referendum among eligible pork producers and importers to determine whether producers and importers favored holding a referendum vote on the checkoff. If at least 10,417 (15 percent) of the nation’s 69,446 eligible pork producers and importers had participated in the request for referendum, a referendum vote would have been held within one year. But only 96 participated, and only 94 valid requests for a referendum were cast. Further details are included in this USDA news release.

The Pork Checkoff Program is a major catalyst for USMEF’s global marketing efforts for U.S. pork. In 2008, the U.S. pork industry exported more than 2 million metric tons (4.52 billion pounds) of pork and pork variety meats worldwide, valued at $4.9 billion. This represented almost 25 percent of total U.S. production.

“Pork producers understand that their checkoff program is delivering positive results,” said USMEF Chairman Jon Caspers, who operates a nursery-to-finish swine operation near Swaledale, Iowa. “International marketing is one of the key elements behind that effort, and I look forward to continuing USMEF’s successful partnership with the Pork Checkoff Program.”