Petition for Referendum on Beef Promotion and Research Order

Thank you to all who stood up for your cattle industry and supported the Checkoff Petition Campaign! We fell short of the signatures required by the USDA, however, we are evaluating other options to achieve the Checkoff reforms that many cattle producers desire. From here forward, the information gathered on this petition will be used to keep you informed about those efforts and others regarding cattle industry issues. If, as a producer, you wish to sign the petition knowing the petition deadline has passed, we will include you in our future efforts.

Learn more about this petition here.

PETITION FOR REFERENDUM ON THE BEEF PROMOTION AND RESEARCH ORDER

This petition is submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture for the purpose of calling a referendum and an up or down vote on the termination of the Beef Promotion and Research Order (7 U.S. Code §2901-2911 and 7 U.S. Code §7401). This petition specifically refers to the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985. Title XVI, Subtitle A of the Food Security Act of 1985.

The Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985 states in Section 7(b) that “…the Secretary may conduct a referendum on the request of a representative group comprising 10 per centum or more of the number of cattle producers to determine whether cattle producers favor the termination or suspension of the order” (7 U.S.C. 2906(b)). This petition requests the termination of the order. The number of U.S. cattle producers will be determined according to the Guidelines to Petition the Secretary of Agriculture For a Referendum on the Beef Promotion and Research Order (June 2020), which states AMS will use the most recent census data. The most recent USDA census data (2017) reports 882,692 cattle producers, so a minimum of 88,269 eligible signatures are required to meet the 10% threshold.

This petition calling for a vote on the program shall be signed ONLY by cattle producers as defined by the eligibility criteria in the same Guidelines (see eligibility criteria below), and any signatory must supply ALL required information.

Eligibility Criteria

Any cattle producer regardless of age who has owned, sold or purchased cattle from July 2, 2020 - July 1, 2021 is eligible to sign the petition.
Any person younger than 18 years of age must have a parent or guardian co-sign the petition.
A person who signs the petition on behalf of a corporation or other entity must be authorized to do so. No proxy signature is permitted.
Any individual member of a group, who is an eligible person separate from the group, may request a referendum separately.

Petition Information Required by USDA

Full name of person or entity represented
Signature and printed name (signature of parent or guardian of any person signing under the age of 18)
Complete mailing address
Daytime Telephone Number (home, business or cell)
Email address (if available)
Date petition was signed

Before signing this petition VERIFY THAT YOU MEET ALL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. The USDA will pool a statistical sample, and if selected you must be able to provide documentation that you owned, sold, or purchased cattle between July 2, 2020 and July 1, 2021.

CALLING FOR SUCH A REFERENDUM THE FOLLOWING CATTLE PRODUCERS SET OUR HAND TO THIS PETITION AS FOLLOWS:

Name

First Name Last Name

Entity (Optional)

Name Representative Capacity (Example: Owner, CEO, President)

Mailing Address

Mailing Address Line 1

Mailing Address Line 2

City State / Province

Postal / Zip Code

Daytime Phone Number

Area Code Phone Number

Email (If Available)

example@example.com

Submission Date

Date

Age Verification

I am OVER the age of 18 I am UNDER the age of 18

Printed Name of Parent or Guardian

First Name Last Name

Signature

Clear

Signature of Parent or Guardian (Under 18)

Clear

Please verify that you are human *

My signature signifies that I consent to signing this petition, that I have not been incentivized to sign, coerced into signing, or misguided as to the purpose of my signature on this petition.

For more information about this petition and more ways to help click here.