PORK CHECKOFF REFUNDS LESS THAN EXPECTED The National Pork Board announced at the American Pork Congress convention in Indianapolis that refunds under the legislative checkoff program are running less than expected. The Board oversees collection and distribution of funds from the checkoff program that was mandated by the 1985 farm bill. Virgil Rosendale, a pork producer from Illinois and chairman of the National Pork Board, said over 2.2 mln dlrs was collected in January and refunds are running almost nine pct, considerably less than expected. "We believe that this indicates good producer support for the new checkoff. We're getting good compliance from markets, from packers and from dealers," Rosendale said.