The Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC) has approved a US$38.1 million Beef Checkoff investment plan for fiscal year 2026, reinforcing the industry’s commitment to beef promotion, research, foreign marketing, and producer communications. The funding, which remains subject to final approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), will support a broad range of initiatives designed to strengthen beef demand, protect industry credibility, and deliver value to cattle producers and importers.
The decision was finalized during the BPOC’s September 3–4 meeting in Denver, Colorado, where the committee approved funding for 14 Authorization Requests submitted for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2025. The committee is made up of 20 members—10 producers and importers representing the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) and 10 producers from the Federation of State Beef Councils. In addition to approving project funding, the BPOC recommended full CBB approval of a budget amendment reflecting how funds are allocated across affected budget categories.
This year, nine contractors and three subcontractors submitted proposals totaling approximately US$49 million—nearly US$10.9 million more than the funds available. According to Ryan Moorhouse, Chair of both the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the BPOC, the quality of proposals continues to improve each year, making funding decisions increasingly difficult. He noted that inflation is placing added pressure on Checkoff dollars, requiring the committee to prioritize programs with the greatest potential impact.
Despite these constraints, Moorhouse praised the innovation and strategic focus reflected in the proposals. He emphasized that the approved projects strongly align with the Beef Checkoff’s core priorities, including promotion, research, foreign marketing, consumer and industry information, and producer communications. The committee, he said, worked collaboratively to balance the budget while directing limited resources toward initiatives expected to deliver the strongest returns for the industry in FY26.
Ultimately, the BPOC approved funding for proposals from nine national beef organizations. The largest allocation—US$25.1 million—will go to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, reflecting its central role in promotion, research, and communications. Significant funding was also approved for the U.S. Meat Export Federation (US$7.9 million) to support global marketing efforts. Additional recipients include the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, Meat Foundation, Meat Import Council of America, Meat Institute, National Institute for Animal Agriculture, United States Cattlemen’s Association in partnership with Kansas State University, and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board itself.
When broken down by program area, the FY26 Plan of Work reflects a balanced investment across the beef value chain. Promotion programs will receive US$9.24 million, supporting beef and veal campaigns that highlight nutrition, eating experience, convenience, and responsible production. Research initiatives will receive US$9.3 million, focusing on beef safety, nutrition science, sustainability, product quality, and consumer perceptions, both before and after harvest.
Consumer information programs are allocated US$7.71 million and will include influencer engagement, public relations campaigns, nutrition education, and outreach to schools and curriculum developers to ensure accurate information about beef production reaches young audiences. Industry information programs will receive US$2.21 million to counter misinformation, support antibiotic-use education, and strengthen advocacy training and crisis response efforts.
Foreign marketing and education initiatives account for US$7.9 million of the budget, targeting 13 global regions and more than 90 countries, underscoring the importance of export markets to U.S. beef demand. Finally, US$1.8 million is allocated to producer communications, including investor outreach, direct communications with producers and importers, industry collaboration, and continued development of digital content platforms and state beef council communication hubs.
Together, the FY26 Beef Checkoff plan reflects a strategic and disciplined approach to investment, ensuring that every dollar works harder to promote beef, support science-based decision-making, expand global markets, and keep producers informed. As the industry navigates inflation, market volatility, and evolving consumer expectations, the approved plan positions the Beef Checkoff to continue delivering measurable value across the beef sector.
