Pork Checkoff


Timeline
1954   National Swine Growers Council formed
          to pursue goal of developing a leaner, meat-
          type hog and to develop more pork-specific
          promotion funding.

1966   Meeting of 90 pork producers in Moline, Ill.,
          results in a $40,000 “Get Ready” fund to
          launch a national voluntary market checkoff.
          This group is remembered as the “Moline
          90.”

1967   The first voluntary market checkoff funds
          are collected in six pilot counties in Iowa 
          and Illinois.

1968   Pork industry launches first national,
          porkspecific voluntary producer checkoff.
          Called “Nickels for Profit,” the program

1972   Pork industry starts celebrating October as
          National Pork Month.

1977   Voluntary producer checkoff is raised to 10 
          cents per head.

1985   The Pork Promotion, Research and
          Consumer Information Act of 1985 becomes
          law. Known as the Pork Act, it provides a
          national, legislative Checkoff on sales of
          market hogs, breeding stock,
          imported hogs and pork products.

1986   National legislative Checkoff begins,
          with initial rate at 0.25 of one percent of the
          market value of each hog.

1987   National promotion campaign
          Pork. The Other White Meat® is
          introduced and  through the Pork
          Checkoff begins repositioning    
          pork as a lean, nutritious protein
          source.

1988   The first World Pork Expo at the Iowa
          State Fairgrounds in Des Moines attracts
          60,000 people.
1989   The Pork Quality Assurance®
          (PQA) Program is introduced.
          The producer education and
          management program
          emphasizes good management
          practices in the handling and
         use of animal health products.

1989   Technology developed with producer
          Checkoff funds is used by McDonald’s
          nationally to market The McRib® pork
          sandwich.

1990   The Checkoff-funded Market
          Basket Study examines the
          nutrient composition of pork
          at supermarkets nationwide.
          It reinforces the Pork. The
          Other White Meat® slogan,
          and shows pork is, on
          average, 31 percent leaner than it was 10
          years before due to pork producers
          responding to consumer desires for leaner
          pork and identifies the eight cuts of pork
          that are as lean as chicken.

1991   Pork Checkoff rate increases to 0.35 of one
          percent of value (35 cents per $100 value).

1995   Through Checkoff-funded
          promotions and focus on
          market development
          activities, the United
          States becomes a net exporter of pork for
          the first time in more than 40 years.

1995   At the request of producers, Pork Checkoff
          increases to 0.45 of one percent (45 cents
          per $100 value). This checkoff rate stays the
          same until 2002.

1995   The Environmental Assurance Program
          (EAP) is launched to help producers meet
          environmental challenges.

1995   Results of Checkoff-funded Terminal Line
          Genetic Evaluation Program are
          released. It is the largest unbiased study of
          genetic lines in U.S. pork industry.