The Beef Checkoff program and fifteen grassroots-led state beef councils won a major court victory last week. 

The United States District Court of Montana ruled in favor of USDA and the Montana Beef Council in the matter of R-CALF vs. Sonny Perdue and USDA. 

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association praised the court’s decision, which ends a legal battle that has spanned more than three years and interrupted beef promotion functions in Montana. 

NCBA says the case had threatened local input and promotion efforts at the state level across the country. NCBA CEO Colin Woodall says the victory “goes a long way toward ensuring” Beef Checkoff investments continue. 

He says the foundation of the Beef Checkoff has always been state beef councils that collect checkoff funds and determine how those investments are used for research, marketing and promotion efforts in individual states. 

Woodall emphasized that NCBA will continue to stand with state beef councils whose work is crucial to the beef industry.