Surveying the Feasibility of a Voluntary Beef Checkoff: Do Demographics and Attitudes Matter?

Abstract

The beef checkoff, a generic marketing program, funded through producer assessments, may soon be been ruled unconstitutional. Several states have proceeded toward voluntary checkoffs to replace the broadly supported mandatory program. These factors raise the question: Is a voluntary beef checkoff feasible? A choice experiment, employing cheap talk and certainty calibration is conducted on a mail survey to 2,950 Oklahoma cattle producers. Several checkoff designs are examined, and participation in either a state or federal checkoff appears sufficient to initiate a checkoff. Producers prefer checkoff expenditure to be heavy in advertising, favor a per-head fee less than one dollar and are not strongly influenced by a minimum participation rate. Several demographics correlate with checkoff preferences including: higher household income, membership in certain farm groups and veal production. Attitudes regarding the current checkoff correlate strongly with preferences for a voluntary program.