Cattlemen Approve $66 Million Budget

July 29, 2002

A budget of $65,759,476 for fiscal year 2003 was approved by directors of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) at the organization's summer meeting in Reno earlier this month. Fiscal year 2003 begins Oct. 1.

For the NCBA Federation Division, the budget is $58.3 million which will be used for work in consumer marketing, international marketing, research and communications on behalf of the Cattlemen's Beef Board and state beef councils. The programs are funded through the $1-per-head beef checkoff, and are funded on a cost-recovery basis with no profit to NCBA.

Revenues for the federation division reflect a procedural change by the beef board to reduce mid-year amendments to its budget. As a result, a federation division budget adjustment during the year is not expected. The NCBA Policy Division budget is $7.45 million which is funded primarily by membership and affiliate dues, investments by product council members, sponsorships and meeting registrations, a trade show, advertising revenues and the sale of materials.

The policy division conducts lobbying efforts on behalf of the cattle industry in Washington, DC, and provides research, communications and association services on behalf of cattle producers and their organizations nationwide. Total policy division expenses are budgeted $626,230 lower for the year, as compared with FY 2002.

"NCBA is committed to providing the high level of service our members have come to expect, while staying within the resources available," said Jon Ferguson, NCBA treasurer and a beef producer from Kensington, KS. "The NCBA Budget Committee has presented, and the full board approved, a very conservative policy budget for fiscal year 2003 that should allow us to accomplish our objectives. There is tremendous economic pressure in the cattle industry right now; our more conservative budget for the coming year is a direct reflection of that pressure," concluded Ferguson.