Oklahoma beef producers vote down checkoff increase

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry (ODAFF) announced the refundable Oklahoma Beef Checkoff referendum failed with 2,506 no votes and 1,998 yes votes. If passed, the new beef checkoff program would have mandated all Oklahoma cattle producers pay the Oklahoma Beef Council an additional one dollar for every head of cattle they sell. Currently, under a federally mandated beef checkoff program, all cattle producers are required to pay one dollar. This state referendum would bring in an additional $3.2 million a year...more