The Beef Checkoff

Cattle farming is a long time tradition in Kentucky dating back to the 1700s. Farmers can feel confident that their Kentucky beef checkoff team is working hard to ensure that tradition may live on for many generations to come.

The Kentucky beef checkoff works on behalf of the state's more than 38,000 cattle farmers. The mission of the beef checkoff is to increase consumer demand for beef through promotion, research, and education. While farmers are hard at work caring for their land and livestock, the beef checkoff is connecting with consumers to promote their product - delicious, wholesome beef.

Through various programs and partnerships, the beef checkoff is able to connect with consumers to share the Kentucky beef story from pasture to plate. Through programs such as retail & foodservice promotions, classroom visits, consumer influencer tours, nutrition education, new product development, advertising, producer education, and more, the beef checkoff is working to stimulate others to sell more beef and consumers to buy more beef.

CHeckoff Requirements

By law, all producers selling cattle or calves, for any reason and regardless of age or sex, must pay $1-per-head to support beef/veal promotion, research and information through the Beef Promotion and Research Act. Here are some specifics:

Whoever makes payment to the seller is considered a "Collection Point" or person and must withhold $1-per-head, remitting those funds to the Qualified State Beef Council (QSBC) where they live. Collection points could include auction markets, feedyards, dealers/order buyers, other producers, auctioneers, clerking services, banks, packers and other entities.
The buyer is generally responsible for collecting $1 per head from the seller. By law, both buyer and seller are equally liable to see that $1-per-head has been collected and paid.
No producer is exempt from the checkoff. Buyers who resell cattle no more than 10 days from the date of purchase may file a non-producer status form and avoid paying an additional dollar. They are, however, responsible for remitting collected funds and reporting any transaction to the QSBC.Remember: A dollar or a document! All selling/purchase transactions must be reported. In each case, either $1-per-head or non-producer status form document must be collected by the buyer from the seller to show the dollar has been collected and paid within the past 10 days.
If it's more convenient, the seller of cattle may collect and remit funds collected. For instance, purebred breeders selling to many different buyers may wish to remit the checkoff themselves; persons exporting cattle should also pay when the cattle change hands. Buyers should keep receipts showing the checkoff has been paid.
Persons in non-compliance with the Act and Order are subject to a civil penalty of up to $5,500 per transaction, plus un-remitted checkoff dollars and interest