Another Busy Year Ahead of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association will continue their work on trade files in 2019.

Executive Vice President, Dennis Laycraft, says with a new congress in Washington, they still have to get the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) passed.

"It's going to have its bumps as we head through that period of time. There's some areas that we would've liked to have seen in that agreement, border re-inspection, there's a number of rules like that which we're going to try to pursue through the new provisions under regulatory cooperation."

Laycraft says the Association would also like to get more cattle eligible for export to the European and Chinese markets in 2019 and work closely with Canadian processors.

"The strategy there isn't about volume, it's about value," Laycraft says. "Where can we find the highest value for each of the cuts we produce?"

He says the Canadian Cattlemen's Association will be forging ahead in their sustainability journey.

"While we're one of the leaders in the world, there's still lots of work to do there. I believe our work with the Canadian Roundtable (for Sustainable Beef) and some of the programs that are underway there will see greater uptake in things like our Verified Beef Production."

Laycraft adds greater industry collaboration will be a key focus for the year ahead, so the beef industry can satisfy the changing demands around the world.