Action NewsCanadian Cattlemen’s Association

• CCAensuresCETAnegotiatorsunderstandCanada’spositiononbeef

• TheFiveNationsBeefAllianceiscomingtoCanada

• CCAcongratulates2012TESArecipient

• TESAgetsanewlogo

• CCASemi-Annualauction,tourandtournamentasuccess

• Reducingweaningstressimprovesprofits

TheCanadianCattlemen’sAssociation(CCA)hasinvestedalotoftimeandeffortintonegotiationsforaCanada-EuropeanComprehensiveEconomicandTradeAgreement(CETA).Wewerepleasedwhen,earlierthismonth,GermanChancellorAngelaMerkelexpressedstrongpublicsupportforaCETAwhenshemetwithPrimeMinisterStephenHarperinOttawa.CETAispotentiallythemostimportantagreementforCanadianbeefproducerssincetheCanada-U.S.FreeTradeAgreement(FTA).CCAPresidentMartinUnrauandkeyassociationrepresentativesmetagainrecentlywiththeCanadiannegotiatorsofCETAtoensuretheyclearlyunderstoodCanada’spositiononbeef.

TheCCAisseekingtheeliminationofaprohibitivelyhighbeeftariffaswellasaddressingtechnicalissuesthatpreventCanadianbeeffromenteringthatverylucrativemarket.Weshouldknowthisfallifthatisachievableornot.

WithannualbeefconsumptionintheEUatapproximately8milliontonnes,achievingmeaningfulmarketaccesswillimprovetheCanadiancattleindustry’scompetitivenessforthelongterm.Thatbeingsaid,theCETAneedstoincludemajoraccessforCanadianbeefexportstoEuropeinordertobesupportedinCanada.Inadditiontothetariffaccess,thismeanstheremustalsobearecognitionthatanyprocessingfacilityapprovedunderCanada’sfederalinspectionsystemwouldbeeligibletoexporttotheEU.

CCA ensures CETA negotiators understand Canada’s position on beef

In This Issue...

Eachyear,theFiveNationsBeefAlliance(FNBA)hostsaweek-longinternationalconferencethatworkstoexceedglobalconsumers’expectationswithrespecttobeef,whileeliminatingnon-scientificandpoliticaltraderestrictions.Thisyear,itisCanada’sturntohosttheFNBAandtheCCAislookingforwardtotheopportunitytoshowcaseanimportantsegmentofCanada’sbeefandagriculturesectorstomembercountries.

The Five Nations Beef Alliance is coming to Canada

Volume 7 Issue 10 | August 27, 2012

Action NewsCanadian Cattlemen’s Association

Action NewsCanadian Cattlemen’s Association

CCAleadership,includingPresidentMartinUnrau,VicePresidentDaveSolversonandPastPresidentTravisToews,willbeamongthegroupof48seniorleadersfromthemembercountriestotakeinthetourofWesternCanadaandtheconferenceinBanff,Alberta.

YoungleadersfromtheFNBAmembercountrieswillalsobeapartofthetour.InCanada,theCattlemen’sYoungLeaders(CYL)programwillsendJakeMeyer(Alberta);SheldonKyle(Saskatchewan);andKimberlyMcCaw(Ontario).ThesedynamicCYLparticipantswillbenefitfromtheall-encompassingitineraryofthetourandtheconference.

TheFNBAiscomprisedofmembercountriesAustralia,Canada,Mexico,NewZealandandtheUnitedStates.EachcountrytakesaturnsinhostingtheannualFNBAthroughtheirrespectiveassociations,theCattleCouncilofAustralia,CCA,ConfederaciónNacionaldeOrganizacionesGanaderas,Beef+LambNewZealandandtheNationalCattlemen’sBeefAssociation.

FNBAmembercountriesaremutuallyalignedinincreasingmarketaccessforbeef,discussingtradepolicyandexaminingbeefsustainability.Theyalsolookatanimalhealthanddiseasetraceabilityandworkoncultivatingleadershipdevelopmentandgrowingthenumberofalliancemembers.

TheFNBAconferencetourwillbeginwithavisittoVancouver,B.C.,followedbyatourofselectranchesandfeedlotsoftheOkanaganValleybeforearrivinginBanfffortheconference.

Beefisofcourseonthemenualongtheway.TourparticipantswillgettosampleBillFreding’sbeeffollowingatourofhisfeedlotandwinery.DouglasLakeRanch,oneofthemosthistoricmust-seeranchesinCanada,isalsoontheagenda.TourparticipantswillreviewenvironmentalsustainabilityadvancementsattheGuichonfamilyranchinB.C.,apastrecipientoftheCCAEnvironmentalStewardshipAward.Plansalsoincludeavisittoacow-calfoperationaswellasstopstoshowcasethefruits,vegetables,wineries,forestry,fishandwildlife,andtourismsectorsofWesternCanada.

It’sanhonourfortheCCAtohosttheFNBAandwelookforwardtoanothergreatconferencewiththeFNBAmembers.

ChristophandErikaWederofSpiritViewRanchnearRycroft,Alberta,arethe2012recipientoftheCCA’sTheEnvironmentalStewardshipAward(TESA).TheWeders’conservationpracticesandinnovativeapproachtobusinesshaveenabledthemtosucceeddomesticallyandinternationally.

OurcongratulationsgoouttotheWedersandtoallofthe2012TESAnominees:RodandNonieHeskethofSilverHillsRanchinB.C.;brothersDaleandTerryAdamsonoftheDiamondJCattleCo.inSaskatchewan;JVRanch,adivisionofHyLifeLtd.,ofManitoba;andJimGinnoftheGinnFamilyFarminOntario.

CCA congratulates 2012 TESA recipient

Volume 7 Issue 10 | August 27, 2012

Action NewsCanadian Cattlemen’s Association

TheCCAbegantheEnvironmentalStewardshipAward(TESA)programin1996.ThisyeartheCanadiancattleindustry’snationalawardprogramforexemplaryenvironmentalstewardshiphasanewlogoandrevampedprogramthankstotheenhancedlevelofsponsorshipofMNPLLP.AproudsupporteroftheTESAprogramsince2009,MNPLLPthisyearbecameaPlatinumpartner.TheCCAisworkingtowardheighteningawarenessamongconsumersaboutthebeneficialrelationshipthatexistsbetweencattleproductionandtheenvironment

TESA gets a new logo

TheCCA2012Semi-AnnualMeetinghadapackedagendaandasalwaystherelatedsocialeventsenjoyedagreatturnout.TheCCAliveauction,aneventthatcappedofftheInternationalLivestockCongress2012,wasahugesuccess.TheCCAappreciatedtheeffortsofauctioneerBrentCarey,whoseworkensuredthatproceedsofmorethan$4,200willgototheCanadianandOntario4-HFoundation.

TheCCA,inpartnershipwiththeCanadianBeefBreedsCouncilandCanadaBeefInc.hostedthefirsteverCanadianCattleIndustryAAAGolfTournament.HeldattheHeatherGlengolfcourseinCalgary,thetournamentprovidedanopportunitytonetworkwithproducersandindustrystakeholders.Nearly60participantsenjoyedaperfectdayonthegreens,followedbyasteakdinnerandprizes.

TheCCAagriculturaltourvisitedtheCargillfacilityandWesternFeedlotsinHighRiver,followedbyatriptoVJVLivestockAuctioninStavelywhereparticipantsviewedademonstrationfromITSGlobaloftheirIntegratedTraceabilitySolutionstechnology.

AllinalltheCCA2012Semi-AnnualeventswereahugesuccessandtheCCAlooksforwardtotheeventplanningfor2013.

Themostcommonmethodofweaning,theabruptseparationofcalvesfromtheirdams,isarguablythemoststressfuleventinayoungcalf’slife.Becausestressdepressestheimmunesystem,freshlyweanedcalvesarethemostsusceptibletobovinerespiratorydisease(BRD)infections,http://www.beefresearch.ca/research-topic.cfm?topicId=38.Alternativemethods,likefencelineortwo-stageweaning,havebeenshowntoreducestressincalves,asindicatedbyreducedvocalizations,lesstimewalkingandmoretimeeating.Reducingstressduringweaningcanhaveseveraleconomicbenefits,includingimprovedanimalperformanceandfewertreatmentrequirements.Tolearnmoreaboutthemethodsandbenefitsofreducingweaningstress,visittheBCRCBloghttp://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/.

CCA Semi-Annual auction, tour and tournament a success

Reducing weaning stress improves profits

Volume 7 Issue 10 | August 27, 2012

Action NewsCanadian Cattlemen’s Association

CCA Action NewsStaff Contributors:JohnMasswohl,KarinSchmid,JillHarvieWritten, edited and compiled by:GinaTeelandMatthewFrench

Formoreinformation,contact:CCACommunicationsatfeedback@cattle.caorvisitourwebsiteatwww.cattle.ca

Head office:Ste.310,67158thStreetNE,Calgary,ABT2E7H7Phone:403.275.8558Fax:403.274.5686

Ottawa office:1207,350SparksStreet,Ottawa,ONK1R7S8Phone:613.233.9375Fax:613.233.2860

Volume 7 Issue 10 | August 27, 2012