The Marketing Programs Branch implements, coordinates, and monitors federally-legislated promotion and research programs for beef, pork, soybeans, mohair, sorghum, and lamb. These programs are requested, administered, and funded by the industries themselves. Commonly referred to as "check-off" programs, they operate under promotion and research orders or agreements issued by the Secretary of Agriculture and are financed by industry-established assessments.

The beef, pork, soybean, lamb, sorghum and mohair check-off programs generate over $200 million annually in assessments collected from producers or growers. These funds finance a variety of programs including advertising; consumer education; nutrition, production, and marketing research; and new product and foreign market development. Commodity "check-off" programs are designed to strengthen the position of each respective commodity in the marketplace by increasing domestic demand and consumption and by expanding foreign markets for these commodities.