Ontario Check-off Rate to Increase on November 1

October 7, 2025

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) has approved a $1.50 increase to the national portion of the mandatory provincial beef check-off fee, raising the total to $7.00 per head effective November 1, 2025. Of this amount, $2.50 will be directed to the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-off Agency, while the provincial portion will be directed to the Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) and will remain at $4.50. This increase applies to all persons who sell cattle in Ontario and to all persons who collect and remit the fee payable to BFO under Regulation 54 of the Beef Cattle Marketing Act.

BFO would like to thank our members for recognizing the importance of this change, and to acknowledge the delegates who supported the increase at the 2025 Annual General Meeting. As noted earlier this year, the proposed check-off increase received strong approval, with 92 per cent of voting delegates in favour at the February meeting.

Unlike previous increases, this adjustment is primarily about sustaining our ability to effectively maintain services, capacity, and our presence with government and key decision makers. It also helps align Ontario with other provinces and supports our national organizations, whose work we believe brings strong value to our industry.

The new funding will be directed to maintain BFO programming and services, increase support for the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association and the Ontario Beef Market Development Program, and increase investment in national research and building trust and consumer confidence in beef and beef farming.

BACKGROUND

The check-off system has a long history in the province dating back to its first introduction in 1968. Provincial check-off has been collected since that time at various rates, and the mandatory national check-off of one dollar was first implemented in Ontario in 2008. Prior to that, Ontario voluntarily directed funds to the national organizations to support marketing and research.

Ontario beef farmers, and the sector as a whole, have faced significant change and challenge in recent years. As an association, BFO has also been confronted with several pressing issues that needed to be addressed.

The proposed increase in check-off was designed to deliver several key benefits. It will help address financial pressures faced by BFO due to inflation and flat marketings, while also enhancing support for the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association in its operations and management of the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program. Additional funds will be directed toward greater investment in the Ontario Beef Market Development Program, jointly managed by BFO and OCFA. At the national level, the increase to the national portion of the Ontario check-off will align Ontario’s rate with the rest of Canada and enable greater investment in national research, consumer outreach, and public engagement efforts under the National Beef Strategy.

After careful consideration and consultation, BFO requested an increase in check-off of $1.50 per head which, combined with existing check-off, would make a total Ontario beef check-off of $7.00 per transaction. This would bring the total national portion of check-off to $2.50, which aligns with the rest of the country, and the provincial portion would remain at $4.50.

BFO voting delegates, attending the 63rd Annual General Meeting in Toronto on February 19-20, 2025, approved an increase of $1.50 to the national portion of the beef cattle check-off with strong support and a vote of 92 per cent in favour of the increase.

NEWS RELEASE: Beef Cattle Check-off Increase Approved with Strong Support from Delegates

The approval of the increase from $1.00 to $2.50 to the national portion of the Ontario beef cattle check-off rate was formalized by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness in September 2025. The increase will take effect on November 1, 2025.

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