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USDA
Announces Results of Soybean
Checkoff Request for
Referendum
Results Reflect Strong
U.S.
Soybean Farmer Confidence and
Support of their Checkoff
The
U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) announced the results
of the request for referendum
on the Soybean Promotion and
Research Program (soybean
checkoff).
USDA
received only 759 request for
referendum forms at county
Farm Service Agency Offices,
which reflects approximately
one tenth of one percent of
all eligible
U.S.
soybean farmers. Had 10
percent of the 589,182
eligible farmers – with no
more than one-fifth of the 10
percent coming from any one
state – requested a
referendum, the U.S. Secretary
of Agriculture would have
conducted the referendum on
the soybean checkoff within 12
months.
USDA
requires a soybean checkoff
request for referendum period
every five years. The most
recent period took place from
May 4 to May 29.
“These
results reaffirm that
U.S.
soybean farmers strongly
support our soybean
checkoff,” says USB Chairman
Chuck Myers, a soybean farmer
from
Lyons
,
Neb.
“Our effective, efficient
and farmer-driven program will
continue to strive to maximize
the return on investment of
each checkoff dollar to ensure
that U.S. soy is the highest
quality and most competitive
in the global marketplace.”
Farmers
certifying that they paid the
checkoff, which is one-half of
one percent of the price per
bushel sold, at any time
during a period beginning
Jan.
1, 2007
,
and ending
Dec.
31, 2008
,
were eligible to participate
in the petition for a
referendum. Eligible farmers
who did not want a referendum
did not need to take any
action.
USDA
requested and approved a
notification plan by USB to
inform
U.S.
soybean farmers about the request for referendum period. USB placed paid
request for referendum
notifications in national
agricultural publications and
30 regional and state
agricultural publications. USB
also distributed the
notification to all Qualified
State Soybean Boards and the
news media. In addition,
USDA’s Agricultural
Marketing Service and Farm
Service Agency distributed
information about the request
for referendum period.
“Farmer-leaders
of the soybean checkoff are
very pleased to have this
validation of the
effectiveness of the soybean
checkoff program,” Myers
added. “All leaders within
the
U.S.
soybean industry should join
us and the overwhelming
majority of
U.S.
soybean farmers to help ensure ongoing success of the
U.S.
soybean industry in this
increasingly competitive
marketplace.”
USB
is made up of 68
farmer-directors who oversee
the investments of the soybean
checkoff on behalf of all
U.S.
soybean farmers. Checkoff
funds are invested in the
areas of animal utilization,
human utilization, industrial
utilization, industry
relations, market access and
supply. As stipulated in the
Soybean Promotion, Research
and Consumer Information Act,
USDA’s
Agricultural Marketing Service
has oversight responsibilities
for USB and the soybean
Checkoff.
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