Approval of the beef checkoff program is 70%, according to the latest biannual survey of producer attitudes about the checkoff commissioned by the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board. The Dec.18, 2006-Jan. 11, 2007 survey of 1,225 beef and dairy producers was conducted by Aspen Media & Market Research.

Over the past five years, producer approval rates for the checkoff have remained steady, ranging from 70-73%. The proportion of producers who disapprove of the program has remained virtually the same in the past year, although disapproval ratings are trending down. Since January 2003, the producer disapproval rate has dropped 12 points -- from 27% to the current 15%.

The top three checkoff-funded activities that respondents described as "essential" to the beef industry were: continuing to foster consumer confidence in the safety of beef (62%), advertising beef to consumers (57%), and promoting U.S. beef in other countries (51%).

-- CBB news release