AMS No. 182-12

Michael T. Jarvis (202) 720-8998

Michael.jarvis@ams.usda.gov

WASHINGTON, August 24, 2012--The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service has announced a final rule expanding the contracting authority for the Beef Promotion and Research Program.

The Beef Promotion and Research Act (Act) requires that the Beef Promotion Operating Committee enter into contracts with established national non-profit industry-governed organizations. The Beef Promotion and Research Order (Order) also required that such organizations be active and ongoing before the enactment of the Act in 1986.

With the goal of enhancing the overall success and support of the Beef Checkoff Program, several beef industry organizations met recently and agreed that it was necessary to expand the contracting authority established under the Act and Order to uphold the integrity of the Beef Checkoff Program.

The Order previously provided that only national non-profit industry-governed organizations that were active and ongoing before the enactment of the Act were eligible to contract with the Beef Promotion Operating Committee. This rule eliminates that date requirement so that organizations otherwise qualified but created since 1986 are now eligible to contract with the Beef Promotion Operating Committee to provide Beef Checkoff programs, as long as they have been active and ongoing for at least two years. The change will allow the Beef Promotion Operating Committee to contract with organizations possessing the requisite experience, skills, and information related to the marketing of beef and beef products, as is intended under the Act.

Details of the final rule will be published soon in the Federal Register. Copies of the final rule and additional information will be available at www.regulations.gov, or from Craig Shackelford; Marketing Programs Division, Room 2628-S; Livestock and Seed Program, AMS, USDA; STOP 0251; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.; Washington, D.C. 20250-0251; telephone number (202) 720-1115; fax (202) 720-1125.

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