Senate Bill 55, a bill that would create the soybean market development program and the pork market development program, has cleared the Senate and will head to the House now as producers seek to make sure there’s a backup plan for the soybean and pork checkoff.
“That way, if the federal checkoff goes away, and only if the federal checkoff goes away, would this bill come into force,” explains David Hardin, membership and policy chair for the Indiana Soybean Alliance. “The checkoff rate would stay the same. Farmers would see no difference in the deductions from their check. We’re just wanting to have continuity that in case the federal checkoff went away, all of the research and promotion projects that Indiana Soybean Alliance is doing on behalf of Indiana soybean farmers would be able to continue.”
Hardin says Indiana is the largest soybean producing state to not have a bill like this already on the books.
“Indiana Pork has had the pork industry added as an amendment to Senate Bill 55, and they would also be able to have a continuity of business plan and be able to continue the work they’re doing to try and increase pork consumption and work on research that benefits the health of the Indiana swine herd.”
Hardin reiterates that this bill is only a fallback if something happens at the federal level. No additional fees are being added to existing checkoff rates.
SB55 was authored by Senate Ag Chair Jean Leising (R-42), Sen. Susan Glick (R-13), and Sen. Brett Clark (R-24). Carrying the bill in the House will be Rep. Beau Baird (R-44) and House Ag Chair Rep. Mike Aylesworth (R-11).
