000260 NPPC Appalled at Call for Checkoff Referendum

Des Moines, IA - The National Pork Producers Council is appalled at the announcement of a referendum to be held as soon as possible on the pork checkoff, made by Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman. Pork producers will debate the appropriate course of action during the National Pork Industry Forum, being held this week in Kansas City, Mo. USDA called for the referendum without the required 15% of bonafide pork producers as established by law in the Pork Act and Order, which was passed by Congress in 1985.

John McNutt, NPPC president and a pork producer from Iowa City, Iowa, said, “It is unbelievable that the law was somehow bent in favor of apparent political interests, who in many cases aren't even pork producers; while punishing bonafide pork producers who created a program that truly works to benefit pork producers of all types and sizes.

“As we have said all along, we fully support the law as written in the Pork Act and Order passed by Congress in 1985, which says that if 15% of bonafide pork producers want a referendum, one shall be held,” MuNutt said. “Our concern through this process has been that people who were not pork producers were trying to make decisions that would alter the future of the producer-funded checkoff programs.”

In a public meeting Jan. 5, USDA stated that it appeared the petitioners did not have enough legitimate signatures of bonafide pork producers. According to the USDA, petitioners were 2,600 signatures short, without even having gone through the complete verification process of the entire petition. And of the petition signatures that USDA attempted to validate, many responded that they had not even signed the petition, did not sell hogs and were not pork producers. “We are deeply concerned that people not legitimately in the business of raising pigs are making the decisions for those of us who try to make a livelihood from pork production,” said McNutt.

In 1988, pork producers voted to move to a mandatory checkoff program so that all pork producers would be a part of the fair and equitable system that provided them with programs in the areas of research, education and promotion.

According to McNutt, the real stories of the pork checkoff are that demand for pork is up, the U.S. is the No. 2 exporter of pork worldwide and research is providing producers with the tools they need to be the most efficient producers in history. Pork checkoff-funded programs played a critical role in creating these opportunities and addressing the challenges.

“Pork producers need to fight for the continuation of their checkoff program. Without the checkoff, we won't have access to basic necessities the checkoff provides for which are promotion, research and information. Now is the time for pork producers to take a stand and fight for their future which, to a great extent, includes the checkoff.”

RETURN TO HOME PAGE

E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com