Checkoff Petition Drive Will End Oct. 3

The National Beef Checkoff Petition Drive will end on October 3, 2021.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack notified petitioners on Tuesday of the deadline, which is a three-month extension of the original deadline that expired on July 2, 2021. Vilsack wrote that this 60-day extension “reflects the prevailing will of producers.”

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) granted the organizers of the petition drive 12 months to gather 88,269 signatures calling for a producer vote on the Beef Checkoff program. AMS further granted the organizers the flexibility of utilizing an online petition in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In May, the organizers asked Secretary Vilsack for an additional year to gather signatures, but this week’s letter is the first time the Secretary has responded. Petitioners also asked Vilsack initiate a producer referendum unilaterally, but Vilsack said he does not have that authority.

The online petition had 18,790 signatures at mid-week, and petition organizers says they have additional paper signatures. After the October 3 deadline, petitioners will have 30 days to submit the signatures to AMS.