050642 Beef Council Supports Training For Certified Beef ProgramJune 27, 2005Pierre, SD - South Dakota beef producers, through their checkoff program dollars, will help train in-state meat processors in the specifics of the new South Dakota Certified Beef program. Directors of the South Dakota Beef Industry Council, or SDBIC, voted during the organization's quarterly meeting June 14 to help fund training, materials and research for the program. South Dakota Certified Beef is a new state program that guarantees consumers they are buying beef born, raised and processed in the state, according to SDBIC President Nancy Montross. The first of three training programs was held at South Dakota State University in mid-June, with another two training sessions planned this summer. About 18 processors are expected to participate in the pilot phase through the fall, with general enrollment in the program to begin around the end of the year The SDBIC collects the $1-per-head checkoff fee on all cattle sold in South Dakota. The council, whose board is composed of representatives from eight state agricultural organizations, can retain up to 50 cents for in-state projects, forwarding the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board to be used for national promotion, research and educational projects.
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