The North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association (NCCA) has announced that the N.C. Cattle Industry Assessment Referendum vote will be held Oct. 30, 2024. Voting will take place at the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension office at 301 E. Mountain Dr., in Fayetteville.
All cattle owners who are at least 18 years of age as of Oct. 30, 2024, are eligible to vote. Absentee ballot collections started Oct. 1, 2024.
The purpose of the referendum is to continue the N.C. Cattle Industry assessment of $1 per head of all cattle sold and marketed in North Carolina. The money collected is used to advance the cattle industry in the state.
The assessment currently funds the following five areas:
The North Carolina dairy industry benefits from the funds collected, as a portion of the income will be allocated to the same areas within the dairy sector.
Since the assessment was reinstated on Jan. 1, 2010, research and education projects have been funded to deal with production issues facing North Carolina cattlemen in the areas of management, forage production, feed efficiency and general input reductions. Funds from the assessment have benefited youth programs including livestock schools, judging contests, skill-a-thon contests, leadership development and the youth beef industry tour.
Voting in favor of the referendum would continue the original state assessment program, which was first established in 1957. The national beef checkoff assessment of $1 dollar per head will still be collected and will be used according to guidelines established by federal law.
“The N.C. Cattle Industry Assessment Referendum would allow producers to continue to provide funds that would be controlled totally by the North Carolina beef and dairy producers to promote our product, our youth, our industry and to provide research and advocacy to protect their way of life,” said Ryan Clark, President of the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association, in a press release.
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