A $5.00 per head Cattle Industry Development Council check-off paid by producers when cattle are sold or slaughtered in British Columbia is working for the beef cattle producer. Here is a brief look at how the check-off dollars are used to influence the marketplace for the cattle industry. The $5.00 check-off includes:
$2.50 for the National Check-off $2.50 for the Cattle Industry Development Levy fund
How is the check-off collected? The beef check-off is collected under the authority of the Farming and Fishing Industries Development Act and the Cattle Industry Development Council Regulation. Livestock dealers, agents, stock yards and slaughter houses and Ownership Identification Inc. (OII) collect the levy at time of sale or slaughter.
Who determines spending? Check-off spending is determined by the producer Council. The Council is elected by provincial cattle industry associations. Ministry of Agriculture staff is also appointed to serve on the Council.
How much money? Collections vary as to the size of the cattle herd and the number of cattle marketed. The CIDC fund currently tends to be about $1.2 million per year.
Who collects the money? Ownership Identification Inc. brand inspectors collect the CIDC check-off on private treaty cattle sales within BC where a dealer is not involved. Dealers remain responsible to collect the levy on other sales.
Who gets it? Provincial cattle industry associations can apply for project funding support.
Should the check-off be refundable? The National Check-off portion is non-refundable. In British Columbia the provincial beef check-off is refundable. Producers who do not wish to leave their check-off dollars to work for the industry can ask for it back before January 31 of the year following payment. Refunds tend to be low, and in recent years, 99% of dollars collected in BC have remained in the fund to work for the beef industry. To apply for a refund: producers can write a letter to the CIDC requesting a refund of levies paid during the previous fiscal year. Copies of invoices detailing the CIDC deductions must be included with the request for refund.
Is it a government tax? No, it is dollars collected by the industry to work for the industry in research, promotion and industry development. Receipts and expenditures are administered by the Cattle Industry Development Council.
Has the Check-off worked? Yes, by working together beef cattle producers can pool beef check-off dollars and have the power to deliver strong, focused and effective programs to benefit the beef industry.
increasing sales of beef (domestic and export), and finding better and more efficient methods of producing beef and beef cattle.
Increased sales of beef will be achieved through product promotion and development and expansion of new and existing markets by Canada Beef. Better and more efficient ways of producing beef and beef cattle will be developed through research. The Beef Cattle Research Council will administer the funds and will be tasked with ensuring research is well coordinated throughout the country and guided by sound industry priorities.
Research
The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) provides the national research and extension programming to which check-off dollars are allocated. The BCRC’s mandate is to determine research and development priorities for the Canadian beef cattle industry and to administer Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off funds allocated to research and extension.
Market Development and Promotion
As the Agency’s internal marketing committee, Canada Beef works to drive sales and awareness of the Canadian Beef Advantage and build loyalty and commitment to Canadian beef and veal while ensuring the maximum value for producer dollars.
Generic Beef Marketing
The Import Levy (collected on beef imports at the equivalent rate of $1 per head) provides funding for positive beef messaging across Canada. Generic beef marketing includes promoting the positive attributes of consuming beef and veal from all sources in Canada through consumer education, awareness, and trust through public influencers directly to consumers. These activities focus on keeping beef on the plate of Canadian consumers. The generic beef programs are facilitated by Canada Beef and the marketing resources and programming produced are housed on the ThinkBeef.ca website.
Public and Stakeholder Engagement An increasing emphasis toward building public trust and confidence in how beef cattle are raised led to the creation of the Public and Stakeholder Engagement (PSE) program in 2016. PSE is funded by the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off and jointly administered by the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) in partnership with Canada Beef. There are two main areas of focus: 1. Public Trust issue monitoring and response 2. Proactive content development and strategic partnerships
The provincial portion of the CIDC Check-off is $2.50 and is designated for provincial projects. This producer managed fund supports awareness, research, marketing, and promotion projects for the benefit of the B.C. beef industry. Provincial cattle associations apply for project funding, enabling matching funds from the Beef Cattle Industry Development Fund.