Oklahoma cattle producers reject fee increase

Oklahoma cattle producers reject fee increase
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry says that a referendum to increase the drop-off fee for cattle by $1 per head has been defeated.
Oklahoma Agriculture Secretary Jim Reese announced Thursday that the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association rejected the measure, which would’ve raised the fee and generated an additional $3.2 million to be used to promote beef sales.
Some ranchers opposed the measure and requested the Montana-based Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund and the Organization for Competitive Markets file an injunction to stop the vote.
The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association supported the measure.
Richard Thorpe is the association’s president. He says he was disappointed the measure didn’t succeed.
Thorpe says that cattle raisers in Texas “have seen an immense benefit from their state-level checkoff program.”