Missouri Rural Crisis Center farmer, Darvin Bentlage, submitted an op-ed to the Columbia Missourian on February 3, 2020, that noted, among other important points:
“Fifty family farm groups sent a letter asking for reinstatement of COOL, the best promotion tool for independent cattle producers and the best education for consumers. Some of these groups include National Family Farm Coalition, Farm Aid, R-CALF and Missouri Rural Crisis Center. Absent is the National Cattleman’s Beef Association and the state affiliate Missouri Cattleman’s Association and Farm Bureau. The NCBA and Missouri Cattleman’s Association benefit from beef checkoff taxes charged to U.S. beef producers and from foreign imported beef competing with U.S. producers. NCBA and MCA collect the same checkoff dollar from foreign cattle and beef as from U.S. beef producers. The more imports, the better for them, at a loss for U.S. producers.”