Beef Checkoff Approves $38.1 Million in FY2026 Programs

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The Cattlemen’s Beef Board Beef Promotion Operating Committee has approved $38.1 million in programs during fiscal year 2026. These investments are pending USDA approval and are designed to advance key areas including beef promotion, research, industry information, producer communications, foreign marketing, and consumer information.
The Beef Promotion Operating Committee—made up of 10 producers and importers from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and 10 producers from the Federation of State Beef Councils—approved 14 authorization requests for programs scheduled to begin October 1, 2025.
Ryan Moorhouse, chair of both the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the Beef Promotion Operating Committee, emphasized the tough decisions behind funding selections:
“We continue to be impressed by the quality and creativity of the proposals our contractors bring forward each year, which makes funding decisions especially tough. While we receive many outstanding proposals, our limited resources mean we can’t fund everything we’d like.”
Moorhouse also addressed how rising costs continue to challenge the program’s impact:
“Inflation continues to reduce the impact of each Checkoff dollar, so prioritizing the most impactful programs is more important than ever. As expected, this year’s Authorization Requests were full of fresh ideas and innovative approaches that support the Beef Checkoff’s core efforts—research, promotion, foreign marketing, industry and consumer information, and producer communications.”
He added:
“I’m proud of how our committee worked together to thoughtfully balance the budget and direct our limited resources in the most strategic way. I’m grateful to our contractors and fellow committee members for their dedication, and I look forward to seeing the results of their hard work in FY26.”
The newly funded initiatives reflect a continued commitment to strengthening consumer trust, supporting international markets, and providing tools for producers to communicate beef’s value.
A full breakdown of the FY2026 funding amounts and program awards is available at BeefBoard.org.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.