The USDA is preparing to pull the plug on the Pork Checkoff Program.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced Thursday that all votes from last year’s producers referendum had been tallied and the program was rejected, 15,951-14,396. The balloting was conducted between Aug. 18 and Sept. 21.
Glickman said that he would direct USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service to prepare and issue a final rule to terminate the program begun in 1988.
“This outcome demonstrates that the Pork Checkoff Program does not have the support of the producers it serves and therefore cannot fulfill its stated purpose,” Glickman said in announcing the results.
The congressionally mandated program was authorized by the Pork Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act of 1985.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThe checkoff benefited the National Pork Producers Council, which helped promote pork with a catchy marketing slogan launched in 1987.
“Pork. The Other White Meat®,” was named last year by Northwestern University as the fifth-most memorable tagline in contemporary advertising, the NPPC said.
About $54 million was collected through the pork checkoff in 2000, the NPPC
said. As required by the Pork Act and Order, 20% of money was returned to state pork associations for investment in state-directed promotion, consumer education and research programs.
The 2000 referendum was the first time producers had the opportunity to vote on the issue. Only those who paid the checkoff were eligible to vote. That included persons who produceand sell hogs and pigs in the United States in their own name, persons whoimport hogs, pigs, or pork products into the United States in their own name;and persons who are designated to cast the single vote for a business thatproduces and sells, or imports hogs, pigs, or pork products into the United States.
In all cases, to be eligible, the person or business would have had to sell hogs, pigs or pork products sometime during the year preceding the referendum voting period, the USDA rules said.
Craig Jarolimek, National Pork Producers Council president, alleged that there were voting irregularities and that a lawsuit would be filed challenging the results.
“Instead of a sincere attempt to capture the will of the majority of legitimate pork producers about their checkoff, USDA let political motivation decide the fate of one the most successful commodity programs in American agriculture. USDA unequivocally understands the negative impact termination of the pork checkoff will have on every pork producer in this country,” he said.
“To this end, a group including concerned independent producers, state associations and NPPC, is uniting to file for an injunction to overturn this decision,” said Jarolimek, a pork producer in Forest River, N.D.
The USDA said the Office of Inspector General said there was no basis for inquiry into the allegations.
