A group of over 60 industry groups submitted a letter to the Senate and House Agricultural Committees in response to opposition to the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act.
The letter was led by Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) and Farm Action Fund.
“The OFF Act does nothing to impair the ability of commodity checkoffs to fulfill their intended purpose of promoting specific commodities,” the groups wrote in the letter. “However, it does establish basic financial accountability and transparency for the over $850 million dollars in government-mandated assessments collected from farmers and ranchers. Currently, there is almost no publicly available expenditure and budget information.”
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has voiced its opposition to the bill, with President Todd Wilkinson saying, “The introduction of the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act of 2023 represents Sens. Booker, Lee, Paul, Warren and Gillibrand working to subvert the will of U.S. cattle producers. NCBA will always stand firm in its support of the U.S. Beef Checkoff program and will continue to fight the animal rights groups and the members of Congress who assist them in their efforts to end animal agriculture.”
