PRESS RELEASE: Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska (ICON)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 2, 2010
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information, contact ICON Executive Director Destry Brown, 308-458-2244,
or ICON president David Wright, 402-929-0339, or Communications Director Linda Wuebben, 402-357-3778.

ICON Concerned with NCBA Audit

The recent audit of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association by The Cattlemen's Beef Board (CBB) has raised eyebrows across the country. The Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska (ICON) organization is very concerned about the misuse of funds trusted to the NCBA which is garnered from the $1 per head mandatory Beef Checkoff Program.

The audit shows that Beef Checkoff funds were used by NCBA for expenses that are not in line with the policies of the CBB, who administers the Beef Checkoff funds on the national level. The audit, conducted by a third party firm, looked at less than 1 percent of NCBA's total budget, yet found approximately $37,000 worth of discrepancies. The CBB has promised to look deeper into the budget with another audit and ICON strongly supports this move.

"It is imperative that the CBB do a more extensive audit given the violations that the first audit uncovered." said Destry Brown Executive Director of ICON. "The producers around this State, who pay into the mandatory Beef Checkoff program, deserve to know if a contractor is taking advantage of them."

ICON is committed to the Beef Checkoff program and will support any action needed to assure the producers of this State that there is proper separation between the checkoff money and NCBA's policy division, and that there is responsible spending of checkoff dollars.
"Producers work very hard for their money and they spend it wisely," said Brown. "It is only appropriate that the money they pay into the mandatory Beef Checkoff program be spent the same way, whether that is by the CBB, The Federation of State Beef Councils, the Nebraska State Beef Council or their contractors."

Again, ICON is also reminding Nebraska cattlemen from one end of the state to the other they are sponsoring a bus trip, which will leave on August 26, to the USDA/DOJ Workshop in Ft. Collins, CO, on Friday, August 27, 2010. The bus ride will be free thanks to ICON and several sponsors and the deadline to sign up for the tour is this upcoming Friday, August 6th. A block of 20 rooms at a rate of $79 for two double beds have been reserved at the Best Western University Inn which is directly across the street from Colorado State University where the workshop for the Livestock Industry is being held.

ICON encourages livestock producers to support this once-in-lifetime opportunity so a clear message is sent to the USDA and Congress. There is a problem with the current market practices and it needs fixing.

For more info on rooms and to reserve your seat on the bus please call Destry Brown at 308-458-2244.

 

 

Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska
"Solid as a windmill. Always working for the independent producer."