The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has issued a final rule to amend the Beef Promotion and Research Order to decrease membership from 100 to 99 members of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board. The law authorizing the board requires the board’s size to change with shifts in cattle inventory levels.
A state or unit must have an inventory of 500,000 head of cattle to be represented on the board and is entitled to an additional member for each additional 1 million head of cattle. In considering reapportionment, the board reviewed cattle inventories, as well as cattle, beef, and beef product import data from 2013 through 2016. The revised representation will be effective with nominations in 2017 for appointments effective early in the year 2018.
The Beef Promotion and Research Order provides for a review of geographic distribution of U.S. cattle inventories and the volume of imported cattle, beef, and beef products at least every 3 years, but not more than every 2 years. After the review, Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board membership must be reapportioned accordingly.
This decrease is due to changes in cattle inventories since the last board reapportionment in 2014. Under the final rule, domestic cattle producer representation on the board will decrease from 94 to 92. The states of Texas and Virginia will each lose one member. Importer representation will increase from six to seven. The decrease in membership is based on requirements of the Beef Promotion and Research Order, authorized by the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985.
The final rule was published in Federal Register on June 16, 2017. For additional information please contact Mike Dinkel, Agricultural Marketing Specialist, Research and Promotion Division, Livestock, Poultry, and Seed Program, AMS, USDA, Room 2610-S, STOP 0249, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20249-0249 or by email Michael.Dinkel@ams.usda.gov.
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