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CCA adopts strategy for dealing with BSE crisis

Cindy McCreath,
CCA Communications Manager

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) Board of Directors unanimously agreed to a strategic plan for the Canadian beef cattle industry at its Semi-Annual Meeting held August 20 in Calgary. The plan will assist the Canadian beef cattle industry to recover from the current BSE crisis and be better able to withstand trade disruptions in the future. The strategic plan is available on the CCA website www.cattle.ca.
Key features of the plan include increasing slaughter in Canada and delaying cattle marketings to better manage marketings to capacity until additional capacity is available. Other aspects include a marketing plan for additional beef produced in Canada, targeted testing of older animals in support of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s surveillance program, and alternative tax strategies and cash advances/loan guarantees/debt restructuring to assist producers with current equity issues. Elements of the plan are interrelated and must be considered together.
While final details remain to be worked out, the delayed marketing program that CCA is pursuing includes a voluntary fed cattle delayed marketing program and 2004 calf crop delayed marketing program. Feed cattle enrolled in the program would be held back from market for up to 90 days and would qualify for compensation for feed costs during that time, with additional cattle set aside as required over the minimum 24 month period the program would be in operation. Cattle enrolled in the voluntary 2004 calf crop delayed marketing program could not be sold as finished cattle for 12 months and would qualify for compensation for feed costs and would be eligible for a cash advance to assist with cash flow. Desired outcomes are to stabilize or increase cattle prices, and matching marketing of the 2004 calf crop to increased capacity, allowing for slaughter of the 2003 calf crop. CCA is meeting with government to attain support for the strategy. Further announcements are pending.
U.S. Allies
The Alaska Farm Bureau recently invited representation from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) to discuss mutual concerns during meetings in Anchorage. Alaska usually imports breeding stock from Canada and/or the United States, but basically from Canada. This especially relates to dairy cattle. They’re desperate for breeding stock. They are concerned they’re going to run out of milk if they can’t bring in milk cows and bulls soon.
Jahnke. He says both industry and government in Alaska agree it is imperative that the border opens soon. “We’re hoping that somehow we can help them and they can help us. We’ve got one more ally that we know about. Alaska is not a large market but if we can get live cattle moving in any direction, we’ll all be winners.”

Environmental Stewardship
It’s a known fact that the winner of the national Environmental Stewardship Award is passionate about the native grass on his ranch. It’s that care and attention that earned Ted and Olive Perrin, their daughter Pam and her husband Neil Danroth the ninth annual award presented August 19 at the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) Semi-Annual Meeting and Convention in Calgary, Alberta. Generously supported by Merial Canada (Ivomec), the Environmental Stewardship Award is presented each year to a Canadian cattle producer doing a particularly outstanding job of caring for the environment.
The ranch supports herds of ungulates and occasionally Ring-neck Pheasants. Various species of grassland songbirds, such as the Baird’s Sparrow, migrate to the area to nest in the native grasslands and coulees. Golden Eagles and Prairie Falcons are year-round residents nesting in the badland landscape along Lake Diefenbaker. Huge flocks of waterfowl and shorebirds provide spectacular viewing as they stage on Lake Diefenbaker during their spring and autumn migrations.
Drought is a fact of life in the management of Castleland Ranch. Developing reliable sources of water and leaving substantial amounts of carry over of forage resource from year to year is essential for buffering the negative consequences of dry years. The national Environmental Stewardship Award winner is selected from the winners of stewardship awards presented by provincial cattle associations. Other nominees this year were; Ray and Mae Van Steinburg of Cranbrook, British Columbia, Edith Wearmouth, Cochrane, Alberta and Mark and Carol Wilson of New Liskeard, Ontario.