Canada’s beef producers outline election priorities

Calgary, AB – The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) today released its Federal Election Priorities document with information for all candidates running for Parliament in the upcoming 42nd General Election on October 19.

Generating $9.7 billion in farm cash receipts, the sale of cattle and calves was the largest single sector in Canadian agriculture in 2014. With 68,500 beef farms in the 2011 census, beef producers are both major drivers of the rural economy and can have a significant influence on the outcome on the election of Members to the 42nd Parliament.

“Cattle producers continue to receive excellent prices for their cattle due to a tight global beef supplies and open markets,” said CCA President Dave Solverson. “As much as producers would like to respond to this clear market signal and expand their herds and take advantage of these current market opportunities, other factors can negatively impact their ability to do so. This underscores the importance of a competitive industry supported by a science-based regulatory environment for Canada’s beef cattle sector.”

The election priorities document outlines a number of issues that can help create the operating environment for beef cattle herd expansion in Canada, such as fully funding programs that help producers manage risk and investing in infrastructure.

Once expansion takes place, secure access to high value and growing markets and policies that ensure the competitiveness of Canadian producers are the key to keeping the good times rolling. Investment in research and sustainable practices are major priorities for the Canadian beef sector.

Access to sufficient labour to work on farms and to process the meat is a critical issue that needs to be alleviated. With insufficient numbers of Canadians willing to take these jobs and insufficient access to immigration, increasing numbers of live cattle will leave for processing in the U.S. and Canada will need to import more food.

The CCA will be sending its election priorities to all the national parties along with a questionnaire seeking feedback on how they intend to address the various challenges for beef producers. As the responses are received, the CCA will post them, verbatim, on its website, www.cattle.ca, for cattle producers to assess for themselves.

Source: CCA