2015 report to members - mbbeef.ca€¦ · 2015 annual report cover photo credit: jeannette greaves...

INSIDEMessages from the President and General ManagerCommittee ReportsNational Organization Reports

2015 REPORT TO MEMBERS

2 2015 R E P O R T TO M E M B E R S

2 0 1 5 A N N U A L R E P O R T

COVER PHOTO CREDIT: JEANNETTE GREAVES

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Heinz ReimerPresidentDistrict 4

Peter Penner District 3

Ben Fox2nd Vice President

District 13

Larry GerelusDistrict 7

Thereza ZukTreasurerDistrict 10

Ramona Blyth 1st Vice President

District 5

Caron Clarke District 11

Bill MurrayDistrict 12

Gord AdamsDistrict 1

Dianne Riding District 9

Dave KoslowskySecretaryDistrict 2

Stan FosterDistrict 14

Larry WegnerDistrict 6

Tom TeichroebDistrict 8

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ............................................. PAGE 3

GENERAL MANAGER’S MESSAGE ............................. PAGE 4

ANIMAL HEALTH COMMITTEE .................................. PAGE 5

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE ............................. PAGE 6

CROWN LANDS COMMITTEE .................................... PAGE 7

ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE ..................................... PAGE 8

FEEDLOT COMMITTEE ............................................... PAGE 9

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE .......... PAGE 10

RESEARCH COMMITTEE ........................................... PAGE 11

CCA REPORT ............................................................. PAGE 12

NCFA REPORT ........................................................... PAGE 13

CANADA BEEF REPORT ............................................ PAGE 14

CCIA REPORT ............................................................ PAGE 15

BCRC REPORT ........................................................... PAGE 16

MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS 3

M E S S A G E F R O M

THE PRESIDENTHeinz Reimer

President

I f the conditions are right there are substantial

opportunities for renewal and growth in

Manitoba’s beef industry. That’s why ensuring

that beef producers have access to the right

tools, programs, policies and business climate

so their operations can succeed remained the focus

of Manitoba Beef Producers’ (MBP) activities in 2015.

In late 2014 and early 2015 MBP, with funds from

Growing Forward 2 (GF2) engaged a consultant

to survey our members to determine your priority

areas, both for the association and for Manitoba’s

beef industry in the years ahead. Producers and

other allied stakeholders were asked about the

challenges and risks facing Manitoba’s cattle

industry, as well as the opportunities. The findings

mirrored much of what MBP hears in its ongoing

outreach to producers.

Not surprisingly, a future border closure was

deemed the biggest threat. Other concerns you

raised included: the need for more effective Business

Risk Management (BRM) programs; land costs,

including land prices and rental costs (especially

among young producers); government regulations

and a lack of competitiveness with both the United

States and other provinces; natural disasters;

animal health considerations; livestock predation;

the ability to access loans (especially for younger

producers); the need for new management tools

(like improved technology and research); Crown

lands polices; and, succession planning.

Information gleaned from this survey has proven

very useful to MBP as we provide input to elected

officials and policy makers on matters affecting the

industry. For example, these types of concerns were

taken forward as part of MBP’s submission to the

province’s Agriculture Risk Management Review

Task Force. We cited the importance of having

access to sound business risk management (BRM)

programs like forage insurance and the Western

Livestock Price Insurance Program, as well as the

need to revisit programs to ensure they are as

responsive as needed. It is an extremely competitive

environment out there and MBP wants to ensure

beef producers can compete on a level playing

field with other commodities.

Although Manitoba’s weather was generally

more forgiving in 2015 than 2014, MBP recognizes

that events like flooding and droughts challenge

the sustainability of our industry. Mitigation is

key to managing these types of risks. In 2015

MBP continued to ask governments to upgrade

water management infrastructure around the

province to reduce the threats posed by these

types of natural disasters. Unless producers can

operate from some sense of confidence that they

will not be subject to repeated water-related

disasters they will be reluctant to grow their herds.

Enhanced interjurisdictional cooperation on water

management is also critical in MBP’s view.

Maintaining the beef industry’s social license

is also essential to its long-term success. Initiatives

such as an enhanced Verified Beef Production

(VBP) Program with new components related to

animal care, the environment and biosecurity will

be key to assuring our customers and the public

that Canada’s beef value chain is sustainable.

MBP continues to be a member of the Canadian

Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. Looking ahead,

MBP has requested support for the VBP Program

and the Environmental Farm Plan Program in

Growing Forward 3.

These are just a few of the examples of MBP’s

advocacy activities in 2015. Others included:

providing input into the development of Growing

Forward 3; animal diseases like bovine tuberculosis;

finding effective strategies to reduce the risks

of livestock predation; ensuring producers have

affordable access to agricultural Crown lands;

the transition of the community pastures to

management by the Association of Manitoba

Community Pastures; labour shortages; workplace

safety and health and more.

Producers recognize that investments in research

and development are also critical to the future

success of our industry. MBP – through Manitoba

Beef & Forage Initiatives Inc. is working with several

stakeholders, including Manitoba Agriculture,

Food and Rural Development, Manitoba Forage

and Grassland Association and Ducks Unlimited

to develop a beef research and extension farm

in the Brandon area. The federal and provincial

governments are investing $3.1 million in this

important initiative through GF2 funding. MBP is

providing financial and in-kind support toward it.

Other key partners include academic institutions.

MBP believes it will provide substantial value

to the beef and forage sectors and help build

industry capacity and thanks all partners for their

commitment to this worthy initiative.

Another key finding in MBP’s member survey was

the importance of communications, both within

the industry and with the general public. MBP

uses many tools to communicate directly with our

members, including Cattle Country, our electronic

newsletter and social media channels, producer

meetings and more. In 2015 we traveled to The

Pas to learn about challenges faced by producers

raising cattle in this more northerly region and it

was a valuable experience. MBP communicates

with the public through many different means,

including radio advertising, the Great Tastes of

Manitoba cooking show on CTV, trade shows, fairs

and exhibitions, as well as events organized by

Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba. We also

promoted beef through Winnipeg Blue Bombers

games, both as an association and through a

partnership with Canada Beef.

MBP also strongly encourages producers to help

tell the story of how beef cattle are raised in Canada.

Unfortunately there are many misconceptions out

there about the industry, especially as society at

large becomes increasingly disconnected from our

farms and ranches. That is why it is so important

that whenever we have the opportunity to talk

to lay people about agriculture we should take

advantage of it. A little information goes a long way

when it comes to demonstrating the sustainability

practices we use in our operations every day.

There was considerable discussion in 2015 about

the National Beef Strategy and a proposed increase

to the National Check-Off (NCO) to help action the

industry pillars and goals identified in it. They relate

to connectivity, productivity, competitiveness and

beef demand. MBP took part in many meetings

related to both the strategy and the NCO. The vision

of the strategy is to create “a dynamic profitable

Canadian cattle and beef industry.” Although there

may be differing views on how to accomplish that, I

believe all the value chain members are committed

to achieving this and creating a stronger industry

for future generations.

MBP was very pleased to host the Canadian

Cattlemen’s Association Semi-Annual Meeting and

Convention in Winnipeg in August. Thank you to

the participants and sponsors for making it such a

great success!

The beef industry had some significant gains

on the trade front in 2015 with the resolution

of the longstanding Country of Origin Labeling

dispute and Canada’s participation in the Trans

Pacific Partnership. MBP’s fall 2015 district

meetings were a tremendous success with the

largest participation in many years and a good

number of young producers in attendance. Factors

like these should bode well for the future of

our industry.

In closing, I would like to thank my family for

their ongoing support as I devote time away from

home to my MBP activities. Thank you as well to my

dedicated fellow directors and our hard working

staff. You help lighten the load as we work on behalf

of all Manitoba beef producers.

IT IS SO IMPORTANT

THAT WHENEVER

WE HAVE THE

OPPORTUNITY

TO TALK TO LAY

PEOPLE ABOUT

AGRICULTURE WE

SHOULD TAKE

ADVANTAGE

OF IT. A LITTLE

INFORMATION

GOES A LONG WAY

Heinz Reimer


Melinda GermanGeneral Manager

Maureen CousinsPolicy Analyst

Chad SaxonCommunications Coordinator

Esther ReimerExecutive Assistant

Deb WalgerFinance

Carollyne KehlerProject Coordinator

S T A F F


GENERAL MANAGERMelinda German

General Manager

K nowledge is the key to success of any

business, industry or association. To that

end in late 2014 and early 2015 a Members’

Need Survey was conducted on behalf

of Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP). The

purpose was to hear from our members and allied

industry stakeholders about the types of challenges they

are facing and what types of advocacy work and services

they need from MBP to help Manitoba’s beef industry

thrive. I thank everyone who provided feedback and

valuable advice. MBP will use the survey results to help

guide our future activities.

One of the key findings was the need for MBP

to better communicate with our membership. You

want to know more about the work we’re doing on

behalf of Manitoba’s beef industry. You want us to

continue our public outreach efforts and to build

relationships to ensure the industry’s voice is heard

by the public. As a result we have been diligently

strengthening our communication strategies.

We have made improvements to our main

communications vehicle, Cattle Country. Published

eight times annually we use this newspaper to

inform you about key issues facing the beef sector,

to talk about our advocacy efforts, to update you

on research initiatives and, to increase overall

awareness of the industry. MBP also produces a

bi-weekly eNewsletter and is very active on social

media. We make every effort to reach you in a timely

manner.

Our Communications Committee has made some

bold steps forward in terms of how we connect with

consumers and the public. Our Eat Like ant Athlete Campaign on TSN Radio 1290 Winnipeg is a huge

success. Advertising spots can be heard regularly on

this station promoting the health attributes of beef

using easy-to-prepare recipes. The promotion’s tag

line is “If You Can’t Play Like An Athlete, You Can Still

Eat Like One.” Listeners are driven to MBP’s website

to learn more. This resonates with an important

consumer demographic, allowing us to direct them

where to find factual information on the beef they

eat.

As the exclusive voice of 7,000 beef producers

in Manitoba communications is only one of MBP’s

activities. Advocacy is a second key area of focus for

MBP. Manitoba’s cattle producers are very fortunate

to have extremely talented and dedicated staff and

directors who work tirelessly on this front, both

locally and nationally. Key advocacy areas in 2015

included extensive consultations with governments

on matters such as business risk management

programs, rural veterinary services, Crown lands,

bovine tuberculosis, labour shortages, traceability

and, many more.

As well, a tremendous amount of time and

effort was dedicated to trade issues. We have been

extremely fortunate to finally see the resolution of

the Country of Origin Labelling dispute which had

posed a major trade barrier with our largest export

market, the United States. MBP worked with and

supported our national partners to ensure this costly,

long-standing issue was resolved. As an export

country international trade is key to our success

and this past year we have seen so much happen

that will contribute to the Canadian beef industry’s

stability, such as the Trans Pacific Partnership. There

is still much work to do on the advocacy side as

MBP seeks meaningful solutions to major issues

such as water management and predation. We will

continue to work with governments to assist us in

implementing permanent solutions to challenges

like these that threaten growth and prosperity in

our industry.

MBP’s third key area of focus is research. We

work with and support stakeholders to develop,

guide and extend research aimed at advancing

our industry. In 2015 we saw the gates open to

the Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiative research and

extension farm in southwestern Manitoba. This farm

is designed to provide opportunities to conduct

discovery research with academic institutions

and to demonstrate how new and innovative

production practices can enhance the profitability

and sustainability of the industry.

In addition to its involvement in this valuable

research and demonstration farm, MBP supports

research within and outside Manitoba when the

results are important to the beef industry here

at home. For example, a couple of years ago a

resolution was passed at our AGM to support

research around the development and use of

needle-free technology. MBP has and will continue

to support this and other research projects that

investigate and test technologies and production

practices that help keep our producers on the

cutting edge.

MBP budgets the check-off dollars collected

on the marketing of beef cattle to help with our

advocacy and communications efforts and to

support research aimed at strengthening the

industry. When compared to MBP’s 2013-2014

fiscal year the revenue from check-off collected

by MBP in 2014-15 was up 25% but the number of

head marketed was down by approximately 10%.

MBP’s overall revenue was up due to the increase

in provincial check-off as MBP started collecting

$3/head marketed effective July 1, 2014 compared

to the previous $2/head. The result is that MBP

had a surplus in revenue over what was budgeted

for in the 2014-15 fiscal year based on average

annual marketings. Those dollars are reinvested in

the industry and the association as we continue

to advocate on key issues, to communicate more

effectively with our members, to make stronger

connections with the public and, to support

key research activities. At the same time MBP is

being careful to plan for the future. The size of the

provincial and national beef cattle inventories has

declined in recent years, so we must be diligent in

using your check-off dollars and be prepared for

possible lean times until herd rebuilding is firmly

established.

I want to thank the staff and directors for their

hard work and dedication once again this past

year. The volume of work and issues that need to

be addressed is never ending but their steadfast

commitment and guidance ensures that we do

make a difference. We are proud to represent the

grassroots producers of this province and we will

continue to work diligently on your behalf.

In closing, I would ask that you the producer help

us in advocating on your behalf. In particular, your

voice is needed to reach out and build relationships

with consumers and the public as our industry

evolves. You are the best advocate and only you

can tell your own personal story of the great care

and pride you take in the raising of a high quality

and nutritious product. There are many ways for

you to tell your story, to family members, friends

and neighborus, or even to a stranger you meet in

a grocery store. There are many resources available

to you to help tell that story such as Beef Advocacy

Canada. I encourage you to look for ways to connect

and let people know what you do and the role the

beef industry plays in a sustainable economy. As

your association we would be happy to provide

ideas and information to help you be that advocate.

I wish you all health and green lush pastures in

2016.

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


COMMITTEER E P O R T S

A N I M A L H E A L T H C O M M I T T E E

B ovine tuberculosis initiatives, a review

of the province’s rural veterinary

services and pending changes to

the Code of Practice for the Care and

Handling of Beef Cattle were just some

of the matters examined by the Animal Health

Committee in 2015.

MBP has long recognized the costly and disruptive

impact bovine TB has exacted on beef producers in

the Riding Mountain Eradication Area (RMEA). MBP

has representatives on both the bTB Task Force

Committee and the TB Policy Steering Committee.

Working collaboratively with stakeholders including

producers, the federal and provincial governments,

the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, First Nations and

others, efforts continue to achieve two key goals.

One is the ultimate eradication of this disease. The

other is to achieve a state whereby surveillance

of live cattle will end with a shift to slaughter

surveillance.

Work continued in 2015 on three initiatives aimed

at achieving these goals. Funding has been secured

from both the federal and provincial governments

toward them and MBP is appreciative of this.

Components include on-farm risk assessments

(OFRAs) for producers in the RMEA. Two field staff

began conducting the OFRAs in 2015. They are

aimed at reducing the risk of interactions between

wildlife and livestock. Support is available to

producers in the RMEA seeking to install barrier

fencing or to secure livestock guardian dogs.

Another initiative is the creation of a scenario

tree model which will examine the risk of bovine

TB occurring. This will help allow management of

lands to reduce potential interactions between

wildlife and livestock thus minimizing the risk

of disease spread. A third component involves

premises identification and a linkage to the

Canadian Cattle Identification Agency’s (CCIA)

traceability system. This latter project will link to

the work being done on a federal project so that if

bovine TB is found at a slaughterhouse or abattoir

as part of routine monitoring, it can then be traced

back to an individual farm.

The TB Coordinator plays a key role in keeping

all the stakeholders focused on achieving the

aforementioned goals. MBP thanks the federal

government for funding this position and the

Canadian Cattlemen’s Association for its support of

this position which is so crucial to this work.

MBP continued to provide $1/head for producers

required to participate in the Canadian Food

Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) bovine TB surveillance

program and to advocate for assistance to producers

that is reflective of the costs they incur to present

their cattle for surveillance. MBP raised several TB-

related concerns when it met with elected officials

and representatives from the CFIA in Ottawa in

May. The work being done in Manitoba is critical

to Canada maintaining its TB free status. MBP

appreciates the participation of affected producers

in these initiatives and recognizes governments for

their commitment to these important projects.

In 2015 the provincial government launched the

Rural Veterinary Task Force to review the current

veterinary structure in the province, including

existing and future client needs. Manitoba has a

combination of private veterinary practices as well

as Veterinary Service District clinics for which some

provincial government support is provided. MBP

provided two written submissions to the Task Force,

and participated in several of its public meetings

and focus groups. MBP noted the importance of

beef producers having timely access to veterinary

services for reasons ranging from protecting animal

health, to biosecurity and trade considerations. As

well, having an established Veterinary-Client Patient

Relationship is critical for producers wishing to

access some beneficial management practice (BMP)

funds under the Growing Forward 2 (GF2) program.

MBP regularly provides feedback about BMP

offerings under the GF2 -- Growing Assurance –

Food Safety On-Farm Program. Support for several

new items was achieved in 2015 including tilt table

and hoof trimming chutes, on-farm veterinary

training for administration of pain blockers, calf

catching pens and portable calf carts, remote

surveillance of calving and calf pens and barns, and

livestock guardian dogs for beef herds.

Work continues at the national level to create an

enhanced Verified Beef Production (VBP) Program

that will include components related not only to

food safety, but also animal care, biosecurity and the

environment. MBP, through its local VBP Program

Coordinator, has provided feedback into this pilot

process. The creation of the VBP+ Program is part of

ongoing efforts to demonstrate to our customers

and the public that Canada’s beef industry adheres

to the principles of sustainability. Efforts have been

undertaken to ensure the new VBP+ program is

outcomes-based and scalable to different sizes of

beef operations.

Elements of the Code of Practice for the Care

and Handling of Beef Cattle dealing with pain

management take effect in 2016. Specifically,

effective January 1, 2016 producers will be required

to use pain control when castrating bulls older

than nine months of age and when dehorning

calves after horn bud attachment. Producers are

advised to consult with their veterinarian for more

information. MBP will be holding some workshops

on the Code of Practice in 2016 and we encourage

producers to attend.

MBP has an ongoing dialogue with provincial

and federal officials about animal health and care.

MBP also uses communications tools like Cattle

Country, its electronic newsletter and its social

media channels to raise producer awareness about

animal health and care matters, including the

Code of Practice, the VBP+ Program, research and

emerging issues.

Thank you to my fellow Committee members for

their ongoing insights.

Respectfully submitted,

BEN FOX

Animal Health Committee Chair

Dianne Riding, Vice-Chair

Stan Foster

Caron Clarke

Gord Adams



C O M M U N I C A T I O N S C O M M I T T E E

C ommunications, be it with our

members, industry, consumers, or the

public, is a key area of focus for MBP

and it took shape in a variety of ways

in 2015.

Speaking with consumers and promoting our great

product was a prominent piece of the communications

strategy. New this year was our Eat Like An Athlete

promotion highlighting beef’s nutritional qualities.

Beginning in the spring, MBP ran one-minute spots

four times a week on TSN1290 Radio featuring an easy

to make, nutritional recipe ideal for athletes or busy

families wishing to lead an active and healthy lifestyle.

As the promotion’s slogan states, “If You Can’t Eat Like

An Athlete You Can Still Play Like One” The radio spots

were hosted by Chef Daryl Crumb of CentrePlate

Hospitality who works with the Winnipeg Jets and

is a former junior hockey player. In the spots Crumb

spoke about the recipe, provided information on the

beef industry and directed listeners to mbbeef.ca for

the full recipe.

Response to the campaign has been positive.

Aside from showcasing the nutritional aspects of

beef at a time when it is sometimes under attack, Eat

Like An Athlete has raised MBP’s overall profile. Since

the spots began airing MBP has been approached

about opportunities to promote beef and we will be

exploring them. Eat Like An Athlete will resume airing

on TSN1290 Radio in spring 2016 and we are looking

at plans to take it beyond just radio.

MBP continued its longstanding involvement with

the popular Great Tastes of Manitoba (GTOM) program.

Now in its 26th year on CTV Manitoba, GTOM provides

MBP with another venue to showcase beef as our

meat expert Adriana Findlay presents delicious, easy to

make, practical meals. Two new episodes aired in the

fall and are replayed in the spring. MBP has committed

to GTOM for 2016 and we look forward to providing

viewers with interesting ways to eat beef.

Informing consumers about the safety of our

product and dispelling myths was another component

of MBP’s communications work. MBP invested in

brochures on the use of hormones in cattle and has

distributed thousands of them to Manitobans. We are

also distributing brochures on the use of antibiotics in

cattle and antimicrobial resistance.

MBP engaged in considerable public outreach

work in 2015. Among the highlights was Agriculture

in the City held in March at The Forks Market in

Winnipeg. Attended by an urban audience often

unaware of modern agricultural practices, this event is

a great opportunity to focus on the care our members

take in producing a safe and delicious product. Along

with information on beef’s nutritional qualities, MBP

distributed hundreds of the hormones brochures to

attendees. Other events attended by MBP in 2015

included: the Amazing Rangeland Adventure and

Moo Mania held in conjunction with the Manitoba

Livestock Expo in Brandon; Amazing Agriculture

Adventure at the Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food

Discovery Centre; and, the Canadian Nutritionists’

Society National Conference in Winnipeg. MBP

continued its longstanding presence at the Royal

Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon and Red River Ex in

Winnipeg.

Another highlight this year was MBP’s involvement

with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In September, as part

of Canada Beef’s sponsorship deal with the Canadian

Football League, MBP was the host sponsor when the

Bombers took on the Calgary Stampeders. Staff and

directors manned a booth in the Tailgate Plaza prior to

the game. During the game Kristine Blair and Graham

Tapley, our 2015 winners of The Environmental

Sustainability Awards (TESA), were recognized for their

accomplishments.

MBP also partnered with the Bombers as the official

sponsor of the Family of the Game award. For all 10

Bombers’ home games four tickets were provided

to deserving Manitoba families courtesy of MBP. The

sponsorship was an excellent way for MBP to support

the families who support our members by purchasing

their product.

Participation in trade shows and agriculture-

focused events allowed MBP to meet with its

members and to promote the industry. Staff and

directors participated in the Manitoba Livestock Expo,

Manitoba Ag Days, Southeast Beef and Forage Day,

and Benchland Forage Symposium, among others.

MBP will be very active on that front again in 2016.

Aside from attending events and district meetings

for face-to-face contact with members, MBP’s primary

communications tool is our newspaper, Cattle Country.

Its focus remains on keeping members updated on

MBP’s activities on their behalf and important industry

news. Extension is a significant component of Cattle

Country with our columnists and industry contributors

providing information on everything from animal

welfare to new technology to help producers improve

the efficiency of their operations. To complement

Cattle Country, we also distribute a bi-weekly electronic

newsletter to update subscribers on MBP’s activities,

coming events and other important industry news.

Contact the office to sign up.

Social media remains a major part of MBP’s

communications strategy. Along with our website

mbbeef.ca, MBP is very active on Twitter and Facebook.

Our strong following on both platforms gives us an

excellent way of immediately communicating with

members on breaking industry news, MBP activities

and articles of interest to producers.


DIANNE RIDING

Communications Committee Chair

Ramona Blyth, Vice-Chair

Stan Foster

Gord Adams



C R O W N L A N D S C O M M I T T E E

Manitoba Beef Producers promotes and defends beef producers’ livelihoods

through a united effort. Your membership furthers our opportunities to achieve this goal.

Please contact us today with your questions and

comments at [email protected] or 1-800-772-0458.

Contact MBP with issues that affect your operation.

Make your voice heard at district meetings.

Vote on issues by attending the annual general meeting.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

MBP IS YOUR ORGANIZATION

Having access to agricultural Crown

lands is essential to many Manitoba

beef producers’ operations and several

familiar issues dominated the work of

the Crown Lands Committee in 2015.

MBP attended two meetings of the Agriculture

Crown Lands Advisory Working Group in 2015 and

also had contact with the Minister of Agriculture,

Food and Rural Development about a variety of

Crown lands matters. One of the key items discussed

at the Working Group and with the Minister was the

triennial review of agricultural Crown land lease

rates in Manitoba. A higher lease rate is expected

to take effect for the period 2016-18. MBP has

expressed concern that if producers are going to

be asked to pay more to lease Crown lands then

some outstanding concerns related to these lands

must be addressed. Key among these is the issue of

informed access.

It remains MBP’s steadfast position that beef

producers should have the right to know when

someone intends to access their leased agricultural

Crown lands. This is necessary for several reasons

including biosecurity, to protect the safety of

livestock and people and, to reduce the risk of

property damage and losses. Producers go to

great lengths to protect their livestock and their

operations and they would like the public to play a

role in this as well by informing producers of their

movements on Crown lands.

Changes MBP continues to seek around

agricultural Crown lands policies include: notice

to the lessee is required before public access;

permission from the lessee is required before public

access; and, lessees should be given the ability to

discourage public access where there is high risk

to public safety. MBP will continue to seek these

changes with the Manitoba government, noting

that producers in some other provinces already

have the right of informed access.

MBP raised several other matters with the

Agriculture Crown Lands Advisory Working Group

in 2015. Some related to concerns raised by

producers whose leased Crown land and associated

improvements have been impacted by flooding.

MBP asked that consideration be given to providing

producers who leased agricultural Crown land a

reduced lease rate on a temporary basis when the

land is compromised due to flooding or excess

moisture conditions, both during the disaster as

well as the associated recovery period.

The Working Group also discussed the 4800

animal unit month limit for eligibility for the

agricultural Crown land leasing program and

whether this limit should be increased to reflect the

larger size of modern livestock operations. Further

discussion around this is expected in 2016 taking

into consideration factors such as attracting new

entrants to the beef industry and allowing existing

operations to expand.

Other matters discussed at the Working Group

included: eligibility criteria for leasing agricultural

Crown lands in Manitoba; how to increase

productivity on leased lands; unit transfers and

family transfers; advertising of lands available for

lease; the ecological goods and services provided

by beef production on Crown lands; policies around

accessing agricultural Crown lands to remove

gravel; and, the Treaty Land Entitlement process,

among others.

MBP is also working with provincial agricultural

Crown lands staff to raise awareness of Crown lands

policies through venues such as articles in MBP’s

newspaper Cattle Country.

In 2015 MBP provided feedback to the provincial

government on the creation of an alvar Ecosystem

Protection Zone (EPZ) that would involve some

agricultural Crown lands being used by beef

producers in the Interlake. MBP sought confirmation

that agricultural Crown land lease holders will

be allowed to continue to use these lands for all

the activities outlined in their leases and permits

once the EPZ is created and that no leases will

be cancelled. Further, if leases are surrendered by

existing producers in the EPZ, MBP requested that

they remain available to beef producers for future

leasing and permitting purposes.

It is MBP’s position that the ability to use Crown

lands is essential to future growth in Manitoba’s

cattle industry. Thank you to the Committee

members for their work on the aforementioned

issues in 2015. Respectfully submitted,

BILL MURRAY

Crown Lands Committee Chair

Ben Fox, Vice-Chair

Theresa Zuk

Stan Foster



E N V I R O N M E N T C O M M I T T E E

W ater quantity and quality, recycling

and land use policies were just a

few of the topics examined by the

Environment Committee in 2015.

Although Manitoba’s beef

industry was not affected by a major flood event in

2015, MBP provided extensive feedback to provincial

and federal officials on water management policies and

strategies. This included providing a submission as part

of the second round of consultations on the Assiniboine

River and Lake Manitoba Basins Flood Mitigation Study.

MBP reiterated its position that there needs to be the swift

construction of a second channel to draw down Lake

Manitoba to reduce the threat of flooding of livestock

operations and the associated negative economic and

environmental effects. MBP also sought clarification as

to whether the benefit-cost analysis being undertaken

on various proposed flood protection works takes into

account the full economic losses incurred by Manitoba’s

agricultural commodities each time there is a disaster.

MBP stated that the long-term economic cost of the

contraction experienced in Manitoba’s beef industry

due to these types of repeated events over recent years

must be taken into consideration.

Additionally, MBP provided input to the Provincial

Flood Control Infrastructure Review of Operating

Guidelines which was examining the operation of the

Portage Diversion, Red River Floodway and Fairford

River Water Control Structure. MBP also noted the

importance of resolving outstanding concerns around

the operation of the Shellmouth Dam, as well as

compensation mechanisms with respect to artificial

flooding.

It is MBP’s hope that the creation of a more effective

water management plan throughout the Assiniboine

River and Lake Manitoba basins will help reduce the

likelihood of future flooding and the associated negative

effects. MBP strongly suggests that the net effect of the

proposed flood mitigation and protection initiatives

should be to provide Lake Manitoba, Lake St. Martin and

the surrounding areas, as well as other hard hit regions

of Manitoba with better protection from future flood

events.

Working collaboratively on water management

issues is very important. MBP is actively involved with the

Assiniboine River Basin Initiative (ARBI). ARBI is working to

bring together an array of stakeholders from Manitoba,

Saskatchewan and North Dakota affected by how water

is managed in the Assiniboine, Qu’Appelle and Souris

river basins. It has also provided input into the proposed

Aquanty HydroGeoSphere modelling project for the

Assiniboine River Basin and its three major sub-basins.

In 2015 MBP continued to be represented on both the

Lake Manitoba Flood Rehabilitation Committee and the

Southwest Flood Strategy Committee.

Drought also poses a threat to the beef industry.

MBP provided feedback to the provincial government

as it works to create a drought management strategy.

MBP supports the principle there should be a formal,

clear, science-based process for the declaration of and

response to droughts. MBP said any drought strategy

should provide the framework for an integrated and

proactive approach to both drought management

and fostering adaptation and resilience. Collaborative

advanced planning between jurisdictions and an array

of stakeholders will be critical, as will cooperation during

such a disaster.

Looking at water quality issues is another area of

work for the Environment Committee. MBP participates

in the Lake Friendly Stewards Alliance, a provincial

initiative bringing together a wide range of stakeholders

committed to finding ways to reduce nutrient loading

and improve water quality across the Lake Winnipeg

Basin.

In late 2015 the Manitoba government introduced

Bill 5 – The Surface Water Management Act (Amendments

to Various Acts to Protect Lakes and Wetlands). Key

components include: strengthened protection of

wetlands (no net loss of wetland benefits); setting

nutrient targets to improve water quality, with

reporting requirements; and, streamlining drainage

licensing requirements with enhanced inspection and

enforcement efforts. MBP expects to provide feedback

on this legislation in 2016.

MBP is represented on the board of the Manitoba

Livestock Manure Management Initiative. Comprised of

representatives from government, industry, commodity

groups and academia it looks at matters related to the

sustainable management of manure.

The Manitoba government is creating an alvar

ecosystem protection zone (EPZ) that will entail some

agricultural Crown lands being used by beef producers

in the Interlake. MBP requested confirmation from the

government that agricultural Crown land lease holders

will be allowed to continue to use these lands for all the

activities outlined in their leases and permits once the

EPZ is created and that no leases will be cancelled. MBP

noted that Manitoba’s farmers and ranchers provide

valuable ecosystem services as they manage tens of

thousands of acres of working landscapes, including

both privately-owned and Crown lands.

MBP provided input as part of the environmental

assessment process for Manitoba Hydro’s proposed

transmission line in southeastern Manitoba -- the

Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project. Ensuring

biosecurity practices are followed on projects like these

is paramount. MBP reinforced that contractors and

permanent Manitoba Hydro staff must be well versed

in industry-specific biosecurity concerns and how

to minimize the threat of spreading animal diseases,

invasive species or weeds from one operation to

another. MBP has also had discussions with officials

from provincial departments whose staff interact with

producers on their operations about the importance of

biosecurity.

Feedback was provided to Manitoba Conservation

and Water Stewardship on its recycling and waste

reduction discussion paper which is examining

strategies to more effectively manage waste including

agricultural plastics (grain bags, bale wrap, twine and

netting) and veterinary products and sharps.

In late 2015 the Manitoba government unveiled

its Climate Change and Green Economy Action Plan and

pledged to cut greenhouse gases by one-third by

2030. The province wants to look at ways to continue

expanding markets and adopting sustainable farming

practices to reduce GHG emissions. It will introduce a

Climate Friendly Agricultural Practices Program. MBP is

awaiting full details and will provide feedback as the plan

is rolled out to ensure the important role beef producers

play in managing the environment is recognized.


their work on these varied issues.


CARON CLARKE

Environment Committee Chair

Heinz Reimer, Vice-Chair

Bill Murray

Larry Gerelus

Stan Foster



F E E D L O T C O M M I T T E E

Improved market access, the need to resolve

the dispute over United States mandatory

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), regula-

tory issues and labour challenges were just a

few of the issues on MBP’s Feedlot Commit-

tee agenda in 2015.

Manitoba’s feeder/feedlot sector is represented

locally by MBP and nationally through the National

Cattle Feeder Association (NCFA). MBP supports the

NCFA through an annual membership as well as

providing staff support through General Manager

Melinda German. The NCFA has adopted a three-

pronged strategy focused on research, growth and

sustainability for cattle feeding in Canada to im-

prove the competitiveness of the industry. Working

collaboratively the NCFA and member provincial

cattle associations try to effect change on issues

and policies affecting this important sector of the

cattle industry.

There was considerable activity on trade-related

files in 2015. Key among them is Canada agreeing

to participate in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the

world’s most comprehensive trade agreement. Un-

der the agreement Canadian beef producers will see

improved market access in Japan and other markets

in Asia, helping to ensure Canadian beef competes

on a level playing field in these key markets. This

will include over time a reduction in or elimination

of tariffs applied on Canadian fresh/chilled and fro-

zen beef, processed beef and other beef products

in countries like Japan, Vietnam and Malaysia. Some

estimate Canada could double or triple its annual

beef exports to Japan alone. Thanks go out to fed-

eral negotiators and elected officials who worked to

achieve this agreement and the opportunities that

should come with it for Canada’s beef industry. Rati-

fication of the TPP was still pending at year’s end.

Since 2008 United States COOL has proven to

be very detrimental to the Canadian beef industry.

In early December the World Trade Organization

(WTO) Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) arbitration

panel determined that Canadian livestock produc-

ers had suffered $1.055 billion Canadian in annual

damages and that Canada could pursue retaliatory

tariffs if the United States did not move to resolve

the issue. Days later the US repealed COOL on beef

and pork, finally putting an end to the dispute.

Thanks go out to the current and former federal

governments, provincial governments, the Cana-

dian Cattlemen’s Association, the Canadian Meat

Council, the Canadian Pork Council and other pro-

vincial cattle associations for their unified and de-

termined efforts on this key trade file.

Work continued in 2015 to ensure there is an

adequate supply of workers for farms, ranches and

packing plants. Some progress was made in 2014 in

having the livestock sector added to the agriculture

stream under the Temporary Foreign Workers Pro-

gram, making it eligible to secure workers through

this initiative. However, packing plants remain out-

side the program and need workers. Efforts contin-

ue with the federal government to rectify this. It is

essential that this important part of the value chain

has a stable workforce and can remain competitive.

Regulatory issues affecting the feeder/feedlot

sector are an ongoing area of concern. MBP provid-

ed input to the NCFA as it offered feedback as part

of the Canadian Grain Commission’s consultations

around the licensing of feed mills and the potential

impact on the feeding sector. MBP and the NCFA

also participated in CFIA consultations around po-

tential changes to livestock movement reporting.

Any such changes must be practical to implement

and not create undue costs to industry.

MBP gives feedback to the NCFA as it contin-

ues to meet with federal officials about potential

changes by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency

(CFIA) to animal transportation regulations. The

health and welfare of our livestock is our primary

concern. When making any changes, we are strong-

ly encouraging the government to make informed

decisions based on sound science and to consult

with industry about their potential impact before

implementing them.

MBP was pleased to participate in consultations

organized by the NCFA on the subject of competi-

tiveness and the feedlot sector. Participants were

asked to identify and prioritize regulations and/

or practices impeding the competitiveness of the

feedlot sector, and to provide feedback on the eco-

nomic impact of the regulatory requirements. Infor-

mation gleaned through this process will be used

by the NCFA in its talks with governments aimed at

easing regulatory burdens affecting the feedlot sec-

tor, thereby enhancing competitiveness. Concerns

raised in the consultations covered topics such as

traceability, transportation, export requirements, la-

bour shortages and, the need for harmonized poli-

cies around animal health products, among others.

Looking ahead, there is considerable optimism

in the Canadian beef industry, with opportunities

to access new markets and to send more cattle into

traditional markets like the United States now that

barriers such as COOL have been removed. It is im-

portant that we have a business and regulatory cli-

mate that allows our feeding sector to be competi-

tive and to grow and prosper in the future.

In February I was elected chair of the NCFA and

I would like to thank my fellow NCFA board mem-

bers and industry stakeholders for the support they

have shown me throughout what has been a very

interesting year for our sector. Thank you as well to

the members of MBP’s Feedlot Committee for your

ongoing insights and ideas.


LARRY SCHWEITZER

Feedlot Committee Chair

Ben Fox

Larry Gerelus

Harry Dalke

Claire Scott



P R O D U C T I O N M A N A G E M E N T C O M M I T T E E

In 2015 MBP combined its former Domestic Agri-

culture Programs Committee and its Production

Management Committee into a single Produc-

tion Management Committee due to significant

overlap in the issues and policies being exam-

ined. The thrust of the Committee’s work is on ensur-

ing there are effective programs and services to help

Manitoba’s cattle producers better manage risk and

that there is a business and regulatory climate that will

encourage growth in the beef industry.

The residual effects of the 2014 flooding and excess

moisture conditions continued to be felt in early 2015

as some producers faced feed challenges. Some, but

not all, were able to use the Canada-Manitoba Forage

Shortfall and Transportation Assistance Initiative under

AgriRecovery. MBP provided feedback to federal and

provincial officials about issues producers faced in try-

ing to access AgriRecovery programming, as well as

challenges related to forage insurance and other busi-

ness risk management (BRM) programs that have arisen

from repeated disasters like flooding. Work also contin-

ues to find ways to ensure BRM programs are respon-

sive to producers’ varied needs.

MBP also sought the use of the Livestock Tax Defer-

ral Provision to assist producers forced to downsize their

breeding herd due to feed concerns arising from the

2014 flood. In December 2014 the federal government

released a list of eligible municipalities. MBP continued

to hear from producers that the list was not extensive

enough and MBP sought an expansion to it. Several

more municipalities were added in May 2015. The Live-

stock Tax Deferral Provision was also made available in

2015 to producers in several Manitoba municipalities

affected by drought. MBP appreciates the federal gov-

ernment making this tool available.

The Production Management Committee worked

closely with MBP’s Environment Committee on a num-

ber of issues. For example, throughout 2015 MBP pro-

vided feedback to governments about the importance

of effective water management during both floods and

droughts. MBP continued to advocate for the swift con-

struction of a second outlet out of Lake Manitoba to

help draw down the lake and reduce the risk of future

flooding. MBP also believes it is important that cattle

producers receive fair compensation if their lands are

flooded to help protect other Manitobans. MBP regu-

larly raises concerns about water management issues

in other areas of the province including the Shoal Lakes,

Whitewater Lake and the Assiniboine Valley. It remains

involved with groups such as the Assiniboine River Ba-

sin Initiative.

In January 2015 the Manitoba government an-

nounced an Agriculture Risk Management Review

Task Force. It is studying whether the current suite of

BRM programs is effective in helping producers man-

age and recover from climate-related challenges. MBP

provided extensive feedback to the Task Force on the

BRM tools beef producers use, including both govern-

ment BRM programs and self-insurance activities. Infor-

mation gleaned from MBP’s member survey about the

types of risks producers face and the tools needed to

mitigate risk was particularly valuable to this process.

MBP has long sought bankable, predictable BRM pro-

grams as producers need tools that are responsive to

their unique needs. MBP also cited the importance of

all commodities having access to a level playing field in

terms of the types of BRM tools available to them. MBP’s

representatives on the Canadian Cattlemen’s Associa-

tion’s Domestic Agriculture Committee have also been

providing input on BRM programs to federal officials.

Livestock predation remains a major concern for

beef producers. MBP co-chairs the Livestock Preda-

tion Protection Working Group (LPPWG). It includes

representatives from Manitoba Conservation and Wa-

ter Stewardship, Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural

Development, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corpora-

tion, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, livestock com-

modity groups and the Manitoba Trappers Association.

The LPPWG’s purpose is to review existing predator

management initiatives and provide recommendations

to the Manitoba government around improved strate-

gies and tools to help deal with it. MBP is looking into

a potential pilot project around predation challenges

that would include components such as: on-farm miti-

gation strategies; financial assistance/compensation;

and, problem predator management strategies. Key

goals include reducing risk and ensuring producers are

fairly compensated for losses. MBP has also asked that

consideration be given to compensating producers for

labour costs associated with treating animals injured by

predators. MBP, through its involvement with the LP-

PWG, participated in four workshops around Manitoba

focused on reducing the risk of predation. They includ-

ed demonstrations of trapping techniques and advice

about how to reduce the risk of cattle and predators

coming into contact, such as the use of guardian dogs,

deterrents and proper deadstock management.

MBP provides feedback about beneficial manage-

ment practice offerings under Manitoba’s Growing

Forward 2 (GF2) Growing Assurance – Food Safety On-

Farm Program. Delivery of the Verified Beef Production

(VBP) Program by MBP is ongoing and there is strong

producer interest. Work continued nationally on the ex-

pansion of the VBP Program to include modules related

to animal care, the environment and biosecurity. This is

key to demonstrating to our customers and the public

the sustainability of the Canadian beef industry. MBP is

a member of the Canadian Roundtable on Sustainable

Beef.

Committee member Theresa Zuk is MBP’s represen-

tative to the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency. She

sits on committees that examine matters such as trace-

ability, premises identification, movement reporting,

tag retention challenges, tag sales and more.

Other issues examined by the Committee in 2015

included: the Western Livestock Price Insurance Pro-

gram; what Growing Forward 3 could entail; the ongo-

ing transition of the former federal community pastures

to management by the Association of Manitoba Com-

munity Pastures; workplace safety and health matters;

labour shortages; ensuring the Advance Payments Pro-

gram is readily accessible to beef producers; trade is-

sues; manure management and many more.


their work on such a broad range of topics.


TOM TEICHROEB

Production Management Committee Chair

Larry Gerelus, Vice-Chair

Ramona Blyth

Caron Clarke

Theresa Zuk

Gord Adams



R E S E A R C H C O M M I T T E E

It has been a very exciting year on the research

front with key investments in both foundational

and applied research aimed at building a stron-

ger Manitoba beef industry. Research is key to

the economic, environmental and social sus-

tainability of our industry.

Two MBP committees have been working on re-

search-related matters: the Research Committee and

the Beef-Forage Research Farm Committee. The latter

is comprised of chair Ramona Blyth, vice-chair Larry

Wegner and members Dave Koslowsky, Peter Penner

and Gord Adams.

At its fall 2014 district meetings MBP conducted a

short survey with producers asking them to identify

their research priorities. This information is being used

by MBP in research priority development and during

project planning. MBP has deemed its top three pri-

ority research areas to be economics and profitability,

nutrition and feed efficiency and, animal health and

welfare.

Examples of research projects in which MBP was

involved in 2015 include: the effect of transport con-

ditions on indicators of animal welfare for fat cattle

and market cows; the impact of cow-calf feeding and

vaccination strategies on carcass outcomes; building

long-term capacity for resilient cow-calf production

systems through the creation of a forage industry

chair at the University of Manitoba; and, initiatives re-

lated to bovine tuberculosis.

At MBP’s annual meeting in February 2015 provin-

cial Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minis-

ter Ron Kostyshyn announced $3.1 million dollars in

funding for the new Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives

Inc. (MBFI). This is being provided by the federal and

provincial governments through Growing Forward 2.

There are four core MBFI partners: MBP, Manitoba Ag-

riculture, Food and Rural Development, Manitoba For-

age and Grassland Association and Ducks Unlimited

Canada.

The purpose of MBFI is to provide a venue for eval-

uation of foundational and applied research in Mani-

toba. Knowledge transfer is a key component, both to

producers to help build industry capacity, as well as

to the general public, policy makers and the media.

The ultimate goal is to increase awareness of beef and

forage production and support the uptake of new, im-

proved or innovative ranch management strategies.

MBFI has three Brandon-area sites. The Brookdale

site will feature a learning centre and a cattle handling

facility with demonstration capabilities. Research

there will focus on high intensity grazing and focusing

on management practices to extend the grazing sea-

son using novel plant and forage varieties. The John-

son site is on the northeast side of Brandon and will

have a mobile research lab to support foundational

research projects. The First Street pasture is alongside

the Johnson site and is the site of a multi-faceted ro-

tational grazing project. Some MBFI research under-

taken in 2015 looked at energy dense annual forages;

how rotational grazing strategies affect forage health,

soil health and cattle production; and, pest manage-

ment strategies.

Future research will include forage evaluation work

and cow nutrition and needle-free vaccinations. Val-

ued research partnerships are being created with en-

tities such as the University of Manitoba, Alberta Beef

Producers, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the

Western Beef Development Centre, Brandon Univer-

sity, Assiniboine Community College, and the Univer-

sity of Winnipeg.

MBP also continues to enjoy a strong level of collab-

oration with the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC)

and is represented on that board by Caron Clarke. The

BCRC and provincial associations work closely togeth-

er to ensure maximum benefits are achieved from

producer investments in research.

The importance of investing a portion of Manitoba

producers’ check-off dollars into research at the local

and national levels cannot be understated. Research

provides tangible benefits to producers, delivering en-

hanced production and management practices. This

helps to improve the beef industry’s long-term viabil-

ity, profitability and competitiveness.

There are other benefits from research. Our cus-

tomers and the public sometimes have questions

about the beef industry’s social license, such as its

environmental benefits, its production and animal

care practices or about food safety. Researchers can

provide a wealth of useful information in these areas,

helping ensure public confidence. Further, it is essen-

tial regulations and policies affecting the beef industry

are science-based. Research findings are very impor-

tant when public policy is being developed in areas

such as transportation regulations, animal health sur-

veillance, water quality or nutrient management regu-

lations, animal welfare and more.

Thank you to my fellow Research Committee mem-

bers, and the members of the Beef-Forage Research

Farm Committee for the considerable work that has

been undertaken on industry-related research in 2015.

Thank you as well to the academic institutions, to

provincial and federal government staff and elected

officials and to non-government organizations for

your continued interest in and support for beef and

forage research in Manitoba. The industry’s success is

due in no small part to your ongoing dedication and

commitment.Respectfully submitted,

LARRY GERELUS

Research Committee Chair

Caron Clarke, Vice-Chair

Larry Wegner

Peter Penner


M E S S A G E F R O MCANADIAN CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATIONDave Solverson

PresidentCanadian Cattlemen’s Association

MBP members of CCA board:

Heinz Reimer Ramona Blyth

Tom Teichroeb

T his has been a remarkable year for

Canada’s beef industry. Many events

throughout 2015 have transformed the

industry but the most significant of these

occurred in December with the repeal

of U.S. Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for beef and

pork. The December 18 repeal marked the historic

and successful conclusion of a legal battle initiated

by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) more

than seven years ago. Then, on the last day of the year,

South Korea lifted the temporary restrictions it imposed

following the February 2015 case of bovine spongiform

encephalopathy (BSE). With the implementation of the

Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement in late 2014, the

CCA believes Canadian beef exports to Korea have the

potential to exceed $50 million per year.

The repeal of COOL for beef and pork, which officially

became law when U.S. President Barack Obama signed

the omnibus appropriations bill, is a huge achievement

and represents the culmination of years of hard work by

CCA executive vice president Dennis Laycraft and John

Masswohl and many other industry and government

allies along the way.

I’d like to personally thank Laycraft and Masswohl for

their leadership and guidance throughout my term as

President and also on behalf of the CCA presidents before

me, whose persistent advocacy work on the COOL file

contributed greatly to its successful conclusion. I’d also

like to recognize CCA Officers and Directors for making

themselves available, often at short-notice, to support

the advocacy effort.

Indeed the repeal of COOL is an accomplishment

driven by collaboration and persistence. I’d like to thank

all the producers who supported us with their check-off

dollars to make this historic event possible. Fighting COOL

has been a long and arduous battle, and a costly one

with legal fees nearing $4 million. However, that amount

– paid by beef producers through their provincial check-

off -- is eclipsed by the cost of COOL discrimination

inflicted on Canadian and Mexican producers. COOL

repeal is an excellent example of provincial check-off

dollars at work and I thank producers for directing their

dollars towards the file.

The CCA thanks Minister of International Trade Chrystia

Freeland and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food,

Lawrence MacAulay, for standing firm on retaliation

if COOL was not repealed. The omnibus bill repealing

COOL was passed into law on the same day that Canada

received authority from the World Trade Organization

(WTO) to impose retaliatory tariffs of more than $1 billion

on U.S. products if COOL was not repealed. We also thank

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for personally weighing

in on the issue with President Obama at just the right

time, as the effort clearly helped the CCA achieve its top

priority of resolving the WTO dispute with the U.S. over

COOL.

I’d also like to acknowledge former Agriculture

Minister Gerry Ritz and International Trade Minister Ed

Fast for their outstanding efforts on the COOL file over

the years. In particular I would like to acknowledge them

for supporting producers by taking the very serious step

of reporting the U.S. – Canada’s most important trading

partner -- to the WTO. At every step of the process, the

WTO repeatedly found that the U.S. was in breach of

its WTO obligations. The final ruling from the Appellate

Body of the WTO on May 18 confirming that U.S. COOL

discriminates against live imports of Canadian cattle and

hogs was another decisive victory.

The CCA initiated the fight in 2008 because the U.S.

failed to live up to its international trade obligations. In

the seven years since U.S. COOL has been in effect, the

cumulative losses for the Canadian beef and pork sectors

have been staggering.

Many people and organizations have been involved

in the effort to repeal COOL over the years. Close

collaboration with the CCA’s U.S. counterpart, the National

Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), and many state

cattle producer organizations ensured the implications

of COOL on the U.S. industry were well-understood by

beef producers. Strong alliances were forged with the

U.S. livestock industry through the ‘barnyard coalition’

and also the COOL Reform Coalition, which represents

a diverse group of associations and companies in the

U.S. food, agriculture and manufacturing industries. It

was a very unique trade dispute, as industry on both

sides of the border were in agreement and wanted

COOL for beef and pork repealed. I’d also like to thank

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts for his tireless efforts to repeal

COOL. Of course, much appreciation goes out to our

Mexican counterparts, the Confederación Nacional

de Organizaciones Ganaderas, and the Mexican

Government, who fought COOL alongside us.

The relationships CCA established and in many

cases strengthened throughout this process reflect the

integrated nature of the North American beef industry

and will serve the industry well going forward.

The resumption of access to South Korea is another

important development for Canada’s beef producers.

South Korea holds huge potential for beef and especially

cuts and offals that are underutilized here at home and is

a market that will pay more for those select items, helping

to increase the overall value of the animal for producers.

Exports to South Korea were 1 per cent of Canadian

beef exports in 2014 -- or 3,200 tonnes for $25.8 million,

making it the sixth largest export destination by volume.

With the implementation of the Canada-Korea Free Trade

Agreement in late 2014, the CCA believes Canadian beef

exports to Korea have the potential to exceed $50 million

per year.

The action taken by South Korea follows the recent

release of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

final report on the investigation into BSE case #19. Per

the protocol between Canada and South Korea reached

in 2012, in the event of confirmed BSE cases in Canada,

South Korea can temporarily suspend importation of

Canadian beef, pending provision of further information

on the case.

The CFIA final report on case #19 found that the most

likely cause was the presence of a very small level of

residual contaminated feed at the farm – a conclusion

consistent with investigations conducted by other

countries who have had BSE cases born after enhanced

feed bans were implemented.

It’s important to note that prices for all cattle types

remained very strong (and even strengthened) following

the temporary suspensions over case #19 which is a

good indication of a rational response from the market.

Indeed 2015 was another year of new highs for the

Canadian cattle market. In spite of a significant market

correction at the end of the fourth quarter, average cattle

prices in 2015 were at record highs.

The CCA will continue its work to address the

factors that may be preventing some producers from

expanding their herds to take advantage of current

market opportunities. Issues here include fully funding

programs that help producers manage risk, investing in

infrastructure, secure access to high value and growing

markets, policies that ensure the competitiveness

of Canadian producers, investment in research and

sustainable practices and access to sufficient labour.

Throughout the year I attended various government

and producer meetings. I’ve noticed there’s a general

approval of CCA policy and our interactions with

government and trading partners. There’s widespread

support for the National Beef Strategy and an

understanding that implementing the strategic plan

successfully will require more producer investment with

an increase in National Check-off.

Positioning Canadian beef as the best in the world

is part of the collaborative effort of the National Beef

Strategy. I’ve been using the Trans-Pacific Partnership

(TPP) negotiations to help demonstrate the power of

large-scale collaboration. The outcome of the TPP is

good for beef producing nations, including Canada,

precisely because each country at the TPP negotiating

table received a consistent message from the beef

industry, represented by the International Beef Alliance,

about what was required.

Once the TPP is enacted, Canada’s beef producers will

receive the same preferential access to Japan and other

key markets in Asia as its competitors. While the TPP will

level the playing field for Canadian producers, there

will be strong competition as beef supplying countries

become more commercially viable with lower tariffs.

As a result, maintaining and increasing Canada’s

market share in these key markets will require a major step

up in Canadian branding, marketing and differentiation

efforts in order to compete effectively with the U.S. and

Australia.

The National Beef Strategy intends to complement

existing work through achieving the industry goals

identified in the Strategic Plan, which are estimated to

require a projected National Check-off investment of

approximately $19 million, or around $2.50 per head (a

$1.50 increase from the current $1 national check-off).

Most provincial associations have endorsed the idea of a

$1.50 increase in support of these goals.

Significant progress was achieved this year on

the sustainability front. Both the CCA Environmental

Committee and the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable

Beef, which is staffed by the CCA, made great strides in

progressing this file, which seems to attract more and

more attention from consumers and media. It is crucial

that the beef industry is well represented in these areas

of interest as they continue to evolve.

Finally, I am confident that the industry is in fine shape

and that 2016 will be another year of achievement for

the CCA. My appreciation goes out to CCA staff for their

fine work in 2015.


Dave Solverson


M E S S A G E F R O MNATIONAL CATTLE FEEDERS’ ASSOCIATIONLarry Schweitzer

NCFA Chair and Director from the ManitobaCattle Feeders’ Association

T he National Cattle Feeders’ Association

(NCFA) was created in 2007 to represent

Canadian cattle feeders on national policy

and regulatory issues, and to collaborate

with other cattle organizations to

strengthen Canada’s beef industry. Through NCFA,

the country’s cattle feeders speak with one voice on

the opportunities and challenges facing the fed cattle

production chain.

NCFA membership is comprised of provincial

beef organizations from the major cattle feeding

regions of Canada, each of which contributes funding

based on provincial fed cattle populations. NCFA

membership includes the British Columbia Association

of Cattle Feeders, the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association,

Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, Manitoba Beef

Producers, and la Fédération des producteurs de bovins

du Québec.

I am pleased to report on a very active and exciting

year in 2015. During the recent federal election, NCFA

engaged candidates across Canada and all political

parties on our policy priorities. We also continued the

implementation of key parts of our new strategic plan.

A number of important developments also rolled across

the industry in 2015, including the successful conclusion

of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations

and the repeal of mandatory “country-of-origin”

labelling (COOL) legislation in the U.S. Through all of

these developments, NCFA was there playing an active

role—funding advocacy efforts, advising and informing

governments, supporting producers, and working with

industry stakeholders to effectively manage the issues

and capture benefits for our members.

NCFA’s ongoing suite of activities is guided by our

strategic plan, which is built upon three pillars—growth

and sustainability, competitiveness, and industry

leadership.

Report on Strategic Pillar #1:

Growth and Sustainability

Throughout 2015, NCFA partnered with key industry

stakeholders and advocated with government policy-

makers and regulators to create a business environment

more conducive to long-term growth of the cattle feeding

sector by expanding export opportunities through new

trade agreements and investing in important research

and development projects.

• Trans-Pacific Partnership: NCFA membership in

the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CFTA) and our

engagement with the Market Access Secretariat (MAS),

the Beef Cattle Trade Advisory Group (BCTAG), the Beef

Cattle Policy Advisory Committee (BCPAC), the Beef Value

Chain Roundtable (BVCRT) and officials at Agriculture

and Agri-Food Canada and International Trade proved

highly valuable in 2015 with the successful conclusion

of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Capturing 40% of the

global economy, the TPP will create the world’s largest

international free trade zone and provide market access

to some of the fastest growing economies. NCFA will

continue these partnerships and advocate vigorously

for final parliamentary approval of the TPP through

activities like the opinion editorial penned by NCFA trade

consultant John Weekes that appeared in the October 1,

2015 edition of the Globe and Mail.

• Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade

Agreement: Final implementation of the new CETA is still

pending as technical details continue to be worked out.

In 2015, NCFA urged federal policy makers to ensure that

the CETA’s system of important licenses does not impede

real access. We also encouraged the federal government

to be more aggressive in securing signed side letters

affirming EU approval of Canadian food safety practices

in our processing facilities.

• Country-of-Origin Labelling: In 2015, the World Trade

Organization (WTO) issued its fourth and final ruling on

mandatory COOL in the U.S., deciding once again in

favour of Canada. NCFA consistently urged the federal

government to remain firm on retaliation and to reject

any compromise—voluntary or otherwise—that would

require segregation of Canadian cattle in U.S. plants. This

strategy proved successful in December 2015 when the

U.S. issued a full repeal of all COOL provisions for beef and

pork.

• Research and Development Projects: Strategic

investments to improve the profitability, efficiency, and

sustainability of beef production are critical to long-

term growth of Canada’s beef industry. In 2015, NCFA

continued work on its Feedlot Animal Care Assessment

Tool (FLAT) by refining and then piloting the program

at feedlots in every province across Canada. The

program, funded by a $35,000 contribution from NCFA

that levered an additional $290,000 in government and

industry funding, has received PAACO certification and

will serve as a single animal care protocol for all Canadian

feedlots, beef processors, and retailers. In 2015, a new

Feedlot Emergency Preparedness Plan was also developed

for our sector in Alberta. NCFA hosted a webinar on the

plan and has offered it as a template for cattle feedlots in

other provinces. Other projects and initiatives supported

and funded by NCFA include a $20,000 contribution to

a regulatory modernization initiative at the Canadian

Beef Grading Agency and $7,000 contributed to the new

Barley Council of Canada.

Report on Strategic Pillar #2: Competitiveness

A key goal of NCFA is to enhance the competitiveness

of the cattle feeding sector by ensuring that federal

decision-makers and regulators understand the business

realities and key priorities of cattle feeders, and that

Canada’s policy and regulatory regime “works” for cattle

feeders.

• Regulatory Reform Initiative: In 2015, NCFA began

work on a new $120,000 project to identify the most

problematic regulations facing cattle feeders, measure

the costs to industry of those regulations, and build the

business case for reform. Focus groups were convened

in every province to prioritize the regulations needing

reform, and work continues on measuring the economic

impact. The project is expected to wrap up in 2016, and

with the costs in hand, NCFA will be well positioned to

make the case for change with federal regulators.

• NCFA Submissions: Throughout 2015, NCFA staff

and consultants made numerous submissions to federal

authorities and agencies on a wide range of regulatory

issues and concerns. Examples include submissions

on the new federal proposals for enhanced traceability,

CFIA’s feed regulatory modernization initiative and

proposals for alternative service delivery, and a proposal

by the Canadian Grain Commission requiring all feed

mills to be licensed and bonded. Given the recent rise

in cattle prices, NCFA also requested and secured an

increase in the CFIA’s compensation maximums for fed

cattle under federal regulation. NCFA also responded to

the 2015 report of the Auditor General on antimicrobial

resistance by highlighting our commitment to the

prudent use of antibiotics and our support for the CFIA’s

proposed framework for the use of antimicrobials in

agriculture.

Report on Strategic Pillar #3:

Industry Leadership

NCFA meets regularly with government officials

to build bridges, strengthen relationships, and build

champions for the cattle feeding sector. We also work

with other industry associations to develop strategies

to advance the industry such as the new National Beef

Strategy.

• Building Relationships: In 2015, NCFA continued

to build a positive working relationship with our most

important government regulators. NCFA board, staff,

and consultants held meetings in Ottawa with official at

the CFIA on issues of mutual interest, such as the recent

BSE case in Alberta and proposed changes in maximum

transportation times for cattle. NCFA also continues to

support the efforts of the Regulatory Cooperation Council

(RCC) to better align Canadian and U.S. regulations and

speed the pace of commerce.

• 2015 Federal Election: Duringvv the recent federal

election, NCFA developed a series of policy statements

on international trade, labour, regulation, and COOL

that were posted on our website and communicated

throughout the campaign. NCFA also wrote to the

leaders of each political party asking for their positions on

various issues, and advised the Minister and all Agriculture

Critics on our priority concerns in advance of the special

agricultural debate held in Ottawa during the election.

With a new government now in place, NCFA is focusing

on refreshing our government relations program and

working to cultivate new champions for our sector.

• Labour: A shortage of labour in Canada’s agriculture

and agri-food industries is a key policy priority of NCFA.

As such, we are working closely with the Canadian

Agricultural Human Resources Council (CAHRC) to secure

federal and provincial support for the recommendations

contained in the Agriculture and Agri-Food Workforce

Action Plan.

• National Beef Strategy: NCFA was actively involved

in the development of the new National Beef Strategy,

serving on both the National Beef Strategic Planning

Group (NBSOG) and the new Council of Beef Advisors

(CBA). NCFA is well positioned to take the lead on several

aspects of this plan, particularly those that align with our

won strategic priorities. Examples include regulatory

reform, effective outreach and communications, and

building inter-industry cooperation.

I am proud of the work that the NCFA Board and Staff

have accomplished in 2015 to deliver value and promote

the interests of our members. As the results show, NCFA

continues to serve as a strong voice at the national policy

table for cattle feeders and as a highly focused and

respected representative for our sector.


Larry Schweitzer

Chair, National Cattle Feeders’ Association



CANADA BEEF INC.

Jack Hextall

ChairMBP member of Canada Beef board:

Heinz Reimer

Canada Beef Inc. is an independent national organization representing the research, marketing and promotion of the Canadian cattle and beef industry worldwide. Its efforts to maximize demand for Canadian beef and optimize the value of Canadian beef products is funded by cattle producers through the National Beef Check-Off, which in turn makes it possible to access beef industry market development funds provided by the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta.

T he 2013/14 fiscal year was pivotal for

Canada Beef. This was the final year of

our first three-year strategic plan that

saw Canada Beef come together as a

global company complete with engaged

employees and an elevated focus on developing

business with consumers directly. Over the past three

years, we also made it a priority to only invest time

and money in projects that reflect a distinct return on

investment. We took initial steps to align our beef and

veal industry under a common national strategic vision.

We also reimagined our organization’s relationship

with the consumer to ultimately achieve brand loyalty,

rather than building on volume and value of beef

itself. We developed mind-share over market-share

and began building consumer relationships with

Canadian beef.

We have continued to rationalize our operations

through focusing on global markets and

selecting brand partnerships that align with our

Canadian values. We have managed to save over $3

million by finding efficiencies, which has translated

into an increased investment in programs and services. We

have challenged our staff and industry to think differently

– pushing the status quo, while still believing in the

power and excellence of our industry players. Uniting

the resources at our disposal is essential to progress; it

is something our industry has come to expect and our

public has come to demand. However, we still respect the

different teams and players in the Canadian beef league

and how each must work towards differentiation in

order to sustain their own priorities.

The National Check-Off continued to bring in much

needed funding for the research and marketing activities

of Canada Beef. Roughly $7.7 million was raised by the

Check-Off in 2014/15, $5.5 million of which was used

to support the promotion of Canada Beef at home and

abroad. Levies collected in the upcoming fiscal year will

be applied to Canada Beef’s new three-year strategic

plan, which kicked off April 1, 2015.

The National Beef Strategy partners, consisting of

the Beef Cattle Research Council, Canadian Cattlemen’s

Association, Canadian Beef Breeds Council, National

Cattle Feeder’s Association and Canada Beef, are in

ongoing discussions about the Check-Off and Import

Levy. Canada Beef and our strategy partners will

continue engaging with provincial producers about

future levy rates to ensure the National Check-Off and

Import Levy remain beneficial for all involved.

Last year, the collection rate of the Import Levy was

over 90 per cent, and most beef importers are now

paying the levy.

Since the Import Levy was introduced in 2013, it

has raised $1.1 million with roughly $900,000 received

during the 2014/15 fiscal year. Although these funds

cannot be used for the promotion of Canada Beef, they

are directed to researching and marketing the nutritional

aspects of beef, which are beneficial for all producers.

Communicating the Canada Beef brand story is

one of our most important responsibilities. Our brand

story is the cornerstone on which brand awareness,

brand loyalty and buying decisions are built. Our

global marketing efforts continue to adapt to the

evolving demands for protein around the world. We

are committed to further solidifying our positive brand

opinion here at home while growing foreign markets

and emerging geographies.

North America is not only our largest and most

important market – it is home. Canada and the United

States form the foundation for the Canada Beef brand to

reach further corners of the globe. We continue to invest

domestically to ensure Canadian beef remains a staple

of Canadian diets and we are adapting to evolve with

the ever-changing needs of the United States market.

Our alignment with the CFL is the ideal platform

to highlight Canadian beef as the optimum source of

protein for professional athletes and athletic Canadians.

This message has been effective enough to be

recognized by both the trade and wellness communities.

We extended the power of beef as a protein message

to consumers by partnering with Loblaw’s Health

and Wellness Division to provide in-store consumer

engagement programs across Canada.

Our initiatives to target emerging demographics

have focused on the Hispanic market in the United

States. Through market development programs to

increase sales volumes through major distributors to the

U.S. Hispanic demographic, we are able to strategically

create brand presence with key clients.

Traditional marketing initiatives are proving to

be effective in establishing the Canada Beef brand

throughout Latin America. Through trade events,

inbound trade missions, the distribution of technical

and promotional materials to targeted recipients and

markets, and even partnering with celebrity chefs, we

have created a boom in the demand for Canadian beef.

Our ongoing partnership with Air Canada Vacations

and Karisma Resorts continue to drive value and raise

the status of Canadian beef through the five-star resort

segment in the Mayan Riviera. Through this partnership,

we engaged influential food personalities as brand

ambassadors to raise public brand awareness, including

high-profile chefs. At Karisma’s Canadian Beef Culinary

Series, 12 of Canada’s best chefs educated consumers

about the quality of Canadian Beef. The Series was then

leveraged through our partners’ social media platforms

to engage with consumers in Mexico, North America

and even Europe.

No market holds greater potential for growth

than Asia, and Canada Beef continues to build on the

momentum we have earned there in previous years.

Our consumer-facing marketing efforts have been

expanded and we have developed a new, innovative

market outreach approach to relay our brand message

to key influencers and officials. While our focus has

been on the major markets of Japan, China, Korea,

Hong Kong and Macau, we are expanding efforts to

capture consumer attention in the emerging markets of

Southeast Asia.

The Asian Hub pioneered the Canadian Beef

Branding Series, an important initiative that is

expandable and scalable to other global markets. The

Series brought together key trade contacts, media,

government and food enthusiasts alike to learn about

the Canadian beef industry, our brand and the Canadian

Beef Advantage on both emotional and technical levels.

The Series featured several events throughout Asia with

regular participation from Agriculture Minister Gerry

Ritz. The participation of key government officials such

as Agriculture Minister Ritz, Canadian cattle producer

representatives and celebrity chefs helped to create

an atmosphere a level above a standard trade event.

Proving effective in communicating the Canadian beef

story that connects every link in the value chain, the

Series has been a catalyst for brand awareness, media

coverage and brand loyalty in the Asian market.

While the Canada Beef brand is well-known in many

corners of the globe, we continue to develop new

markets with substantial room for growth. In the past

year, we have participated in selected international

trade events in the Middle East and Europe: Gulfood,

the world’s biggest food and hospitality trade show, and

SIAL, the world’s largest food innovation observatory.

A central business objective, or brand action

plan, of the past fiscal year is the opening of the

Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence (CBCE). It is the

jewel of the Canada Beef brand and one of our richest

resources. Through the lens of “Connect, Innovate and

Inspire,” the CBCE is poised to bring our brand and our

story to life for industry partners, influencers, media and

consumer audiences. With multi-media presentation and

broadcasting capabilities, and a skilled staff of teaching

and cooking professionals, the CBCE is a knowledge hub

for our brand and embodies our upcoming three year

brand building strategy.

Engagement is more than simply broadcasting our

message; we must create conversation points and spur

creative thought, and we must do this with an

international audience. Our loyal brand advocates

want two-way, reciprocal communication, so we will

find ways to engage consumers through building

communities that bring our brand to life.

We look at our producer families and beef

industry as investors. Rather than simply reporting

what we have done, we are making it a priority

to inform our investors on what is about to happen.

This allows them to see and feel what success looks

like and encourages them to actively participate. This

is our Canada Beef brand and it is one that we all have

a stake in.

We look forward to having everyone join us

on our journey.

Jack Hextall

Chairman, Canada Beef



CANADIAN CATTLE IDENTIFICATION AGENCY

Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) is a not-for-profit, industry-initiated and led organization incorporated to establish a national cattle identification program to support efficient trace back and containment of serious animal health and food safety concerns in the Canadian cattle herd. The agency manages the Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) database – a trace back system that maintains radio frequency identification (RFID) tag information, and is led by a board of directors made up of representatives from all sectors of the livestock industry.

Dr. Pat Burrage

ChairMBP member of CCIA board:

Theresa Zuk

NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA)

announced its board of directors and executive

committee for 2015/2016 elected at CCIA’s Annual

General Meeting and board meeting March 26-27, 2015

in Calgary.

In 2015, Canadian Veterinary Medical Association

representative Dr. Pat Burrage was elected to continue

as Board Chair. Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association

representative Mark Elford was re-elected as Vice Chair.

Maritime Beef Council representative John Tilley was re-

elected as Finance and Audit Committee Chair. Canadian

Cattlemen’s Association representative Pat Hayes was

re-elected as Director at Large; and Livestock Markets

Association of Canada representative Rick Wright was

re-elected in the second role of Director at Large.

NEW GENERAL MANAGER

In June 2015, CCIA announced Anne Brunet-

Burgess as the new general manager. Drawing on

more than six years as general manager for a Canadian

beef breed association and a decade of experience

in livestock operations as a cattle owner, Anne will

provide leadership to CCIA’s team and reinforce the

strong relationships with key stakeholders to support

the next steps in developing a fully-functional livestock

traceability system in Canada.

NEW HEAD OFFICE LOCATION

The building in which CCIA’s former head office was

located was sold in November 2014. After investigating a

variety of options to relocate, CCIA selected a new head

office site that rationalizes the square footage needs of

the organization while reducing the overall office space

cost per year. The new office meets CCIA’s team needs in

an easy-to-access, meeting-friendly location with ample,

free parking at 7646 – 8 Street N.E., Calgary, Alberta.

CANADIAN FOOD INSPECTION AGENCY

CONSULTATION PROCESS on

the DRAFT COMPLIANCE, CONTROL AND

ENFORCEMENT FRAMEWORK

With the intent of working together to ensure industry

practices are in alignment with new regulations, after

participating in Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s

(CFIA) second phase of regulatory amendment

consultations across Canada, CCIA compiled a list of

industry’s critical issues, comments and questions for

CFIA to address prior to the regulations coming into

force in late 2016. CCIA converted this list into a letter

endorsed by industry. CCIA submitted this joint letter to

CFIA in response to the second phase of consultations

regarding the proposed regulations, which are expected

to come into force in late 2016.

Industry’s response gathered and submitted the

following needs to CFIA for consideration:

Nation-wide premises identification registry and

support;

Elimination/repeal of official tagging site status;

Development and access to affordable, effective

technology that facilitates tag activation, animal

identification, premises identification and animal

movement reporting;

Funding support/cost-share for research

and development of technology that enables

tag activation, animal identification and movement

reporting as well as the ongoing maintenance of such

technology/equipment/software;

Administrative and communications/educational

support;

Clarity around which party is responsible for untagged

animals; which party should be responsible for reporting

which segment of the movement data; tag activation;

animal export timelines; as well as the tag testing

framework, testing and review process.

TAG DISTRIBUTION

In February 2015, CCIA celebrated the successful

completion of its first year as the sole distributor

and logistics provider for approved CCIA RFID

non-breed specific beef and Limousin breed tags.

In February 2014, CCIA streamlined tag data and tag

distribution processes for the approved tag dealer

network as well as non-breed specific beef producers

by means of a quick and easy-to-use, direct-to-buyer tag

web store at tags.canadaid.ca and toll-free order desk

services at 1-877-909-2333 and [email protected]

available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

MST.

QUICK FACTS:

Every livestock operator that purchases approved

CCIA RFID beef tags also has a web store account that

can be activated in minutes.

In addition to the convenience of 24-hour online

tag ordering, three-to-five day delivery to an address of

choice and a starting price under $3 per tag, this change

in tag distribution is improving data integrity within the

Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) database

through immediate issuance of tag inventories to tag

buyers’ CLTS database accounts, which eliminates third-

party data handling and tag event sequencing errors in

the CLTS database.

Industry’s support of the tag web store is directly

reinvested into Canada’s livestock traceability program.

The tag web store offers all six approved CCIA RFID

tags as well as tissue sampling tags to all approved tag

dealers for the same costs, which may result in lower tag

prices for livestock operators when purchasing tags in

the private sector.

STRATEGIC PLAN

CCIA’s Board of Directors reviewed and accepted a

new strategic plan, which was developed in several

sessions over the course of ten months by CCIA’s Board

of Directors, management and a strategic planning

facilitator. CCIA will use this plan as a guiding document

and incorporate it into the agency’s business plan

with budgets, targets and deliverables, timelines and

labour resources. CCIA’s Board of Directors will review

this plan regularly and use it for ongoing performance

measurement.

CANADIAN AGRI-TRACEABILITY SERVICES

Final arrangements regarding the details for a

licensing agreement on the system’s source code were

underway throughout 2015. Since Canadian Agri-

Traceability Services (CATS) will be a database service

provider only, CCIA will remain the sole administrator

for beef, dairy, bison and sheep outside of Quebec

when CATS is fully-operational. NOTE: Canadian Sheep

Federation is planning to self-administer the animal

identification program for sheep in Canada as soon as

CATS is fully-operational.

CCIA TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

In 2015, CCIA’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

created and now leads a Research and Development

(R&D) Cluster to develop practical solutions to

challenges facing industry and governments with

the implementation of a fully-functional livestock

traceability system in Canada.

CANADIAN LIVESTOCK TRACKING SYSTEM

DATABASE PROCESS ENHANCEMENTS

In November 2015, CCIA released four key process

enhancements for event reporting within the Canadian

Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) database. The first

process update enabled the database to support

840-series USDA tag identification (ID) numbers.

The second update facilitates industry compliance

with proposed animal movement reporting regulations

by means of a new data field for industry to record

the transport vehicle’s licence plate number, which

supports Import, Export, Temporary Export, Move In and

Move Out reporting within the CLTS database. A Source

Location field for Imported events and a Destination

Location field for Exported events have also been

created to capture the foreign location at a sub-national

level to which an animal has been imported/exported.

Since the details of the proposed regulations have

yet to be finalized, CCIA’s Information Technology (IT)

team has created this new field to be optional only at

this time.

The third and fourth enhancements were designed

to optimize data integrity. To promote accuracy during

age verification data entry, CCIA’s IT group created

a new warning message display and date selection

feature for the birth date reporting process. To help tag

dealers verify CLTS accounts at the time of tag sale and

issuance, CCIA’s IT group added an optional field for

contact name.

NATIONAL TAG RETENTION PROJECT

By the end of 2015, the Tag Retention Project

Manager will have completed the mature cow scans.

Within the early months of 2016, the Tag Retention

Project Manager will summarize and analyze the mature

cow data for tag retention across all herds, tag loss by

herd and tag brand as well as tag readability.

In early 2016, CCIA’s Tag Retention Project Committee

will prepare and submit a funding application requesting

federal government support to refocus the project to

extend beyond March 2016. In late spring 2016, CCIA

will share the preliminary results for the mature cow

update by media release and joint communications

with industry and governments. CCIA anticipates the

final analysis and project report to be completed in

late spring 2016, with a nation-wide communication

outreach to follow.



THE BEEF CATTLERESEARCH COUNCIL

T he Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC)

is Canada’s industry-led funding agency

for beef, cattle and forage research. Its

mandate is to determine research and

development priorities for the Canadian

beef cattle industry and to administer National Check-

off funds allocated to research. The BCRC is led by a

committee of beef producers who proportionally

represent each province’s research allocation of the

National Check-off.

On average nationally, the BCRC receives

approximately 18% of the National Check-off, and plays

a key role in leveraging additional funding for beef

cattle research. Recognizing this, the Council works to

ensure the highest return on investment possible for

industry contributions to research through ongoing

consultation with other provincial and national funding

organizations.

Investments in beef research have several benefits,

including an improved ability to meet increasing global

food demand and supporting responsible production,

increased productivity and profitability of Canadian

beef cattle producers. Advancements in the industry

also positively impact the nation’s economy.

Canada’s Beef Cattle Industry Science Clusters

The first Beef Cattle Industry Science Cluster

directed $10.5 million to 32 research projects between

April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2013. It proved to be a

very successful step towards improving coordination

of beef research funding in Canada while generating

meaningful, applicable results.

Joint industry and government commitments to

the second Cluster (2013 – March 31, 2018) total $20

million, including $14 million in funding from AAFC,

$1 million in provincial government investments, and

$5 million in funding from the research allocation of

the National Check-off and provincial beef industry

groups. Funding was directed to 26 research projects.

A summary of each project can be found by navigating

under the Research tab on BeefResearch.ca.

Addressing Critical Capacity Needs

As highlighted in the 2012 National Beef Research

Strategy developed by the BCRC and the national

Beef Value Chain Roundtable, Canadian beef industry

stakeholders strongly identify the need for continued

and reinvigorated forage and grassland productivity

capacity and research.

Having recognized ongoing cuts by government

and other organizations to investments in research

related to forage and grassland production, and

disappointing impacts including declining tame hay

yields, the BCRC substantially increased its proportion

of funding to this area.

However, ongoing cuts to necessary expertise and

infrastructure continue to erode research programs.

The BCRC is working with AAFC and universities to

maintain and increase capacity, and encourage the

transition of new replacement scientists prior to retiring

scientist’s departure to ensure research momentum is

not lost.

Researcher Mentorship

Launched in 2014, the Beef Researcher Mentorship

program provides practical learning and networking

opportunities to applied researchers with little or

no background in Canadian cattle, forage or beef

production. Participants are paired with producers

and other industry experts who are valuable resources

of information about day-to-day cattle and forage

production, industry structure and influences, and

perspectives on industry challenges and opportunities

at regional and national levels.

Four researchers were selected for the 2015-16

term and include university and AAFC employees with

specialities in genomics, food safety or animal disease

vectors. The knowledge, connections and experiences

gained through the program better enable these

scientists to develop effective, industry-focused

research and extension programs.

The Canadian Beef Industry Award for

Outstanding Research and Innovation

The Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding

Research and Innovation was established by the

BCRC in 2015. It will be presented annually to

recognize a researcher or scientist whose work has

contributed to advancements in the competitiveness

and sustainability of the Canadian beef industry.

The inaugural award will be presented in early 2016,

following an industry nomination and committee

selection process.

Enhanced Collaboration to Maximize

Research Investments

The BCRC continues to place significant focus on

enhancing collaboration between itself, provincial

check-off groups, and other funders (AAFC, ALMA,

SADF, OMAFRA, and others) to ensure critical research

priorities are addressed, reduce duplication, and

reduce administrative burden for researchers and

funding agencies.

As a tool to better enable collaboration and efficient

use of research funds, the BCRC has taken the lead in

developing a database containing research proposals

that various funders are considering, as well as projects

that have been funded. This allows all funders to

determine whether all priority research areas are being

addressed, while avoiding over-funding of particular

research topics and improving coordination between

funders. It also allows the BCRC to measure funder buy-

in to the priority research outcomes identified in our

2012 National Beef Research Strategy.

The National Beef Strategy

With a growing global appetite for beef, consumers

with questions and concerns about beef production,

and a small Canadian beef herd, among other factors,

the BCRC joined forces with the Canadian Cattlemen’s

Association, National Cattle Feeders’ Association,

Canadian Beef Breeds Council and Canada Beef to

develop a National Beef Strategy.

The BCRC will play an integral role in achieving

several of the industry goals established through

strategic investments in research and extension.

Consequently, the BCRC has developed a long-

term funding plan to identify the necessary funding

requirements to achieve these goals.

Technology Transfer & Knowledge

Dissemination

The BCRC continues to advance the implementation

of its Knowledge Dissemination and Technology

Transfer Strategy, which is focused on converting

applied research into effective tools that drive industry

competitiveness.

The website, www.beefresearch.ca, provides access

to general information on research topics, summaries

of in-progress and completed projects, and information

that helps producers make informed decisions on

implementing innovation into their production

practices. The website delivers various BCRC-produced

and other valuable extension resources including

articles, videos, webinars, and calculators.

Communications from the BCRC can also be

found through the CCA’s Action News, provincial

cattle organizations’ newsletters, email updates and

magazines, and through a regular research column

that appears in Canadian Cattlemen magazine.

Verified Beef ProductionTM program

In addition to sponsoring research and technology

development, the BCRC oversees and supports the

beef industry’s on-farm food safety program, Verified

Beef ProductionTM (VBP).

The VBP program is now working with industry

stakeholders to develop additional modules for animal

care, biosecurity and environmental stewardship.

Pilot projects will be completed to help make each

module auditable in 2015-16. The additional modules

will be an opportunity for producers to secure further

recognition for credible production practices. The

resulting program will dovetail in with the work of

Canada’s Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) and

the Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS).

It is recognized that VBP must prepare for a reduced

federal/provincial funding structure once modules are

fully developed in the years to come. Consequently,

moving forward with the development of a strategic

plan and business plan that sets out a long-term

sustainable funding and delivery model for VBP has

been a key priority in 2015.

For More Information

To learn more about BCRC initiatives and take

advantage of our extension resources, visit our website

at www.beefresearch.ca and join our email list at www.

beefresearch.ca/blog/subscribe

MBP member of BCRC board:

Caron Clarke

2015 report to members - mbbeef.ca€¦ · 2015 annual report cover photo credit: jeannette greaves...

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