Manitoba Beef Producers 2015 in Review and a Look Ahead Highlights of Some Key Areas of Work for MBP
Managing Risk ‐‐ Water • Ensuring there are policies and tools to help producers manage risk, like challenges related to water, is a key part of MBP’s work. • In 2014 MBP worked to ensure flood ‐ affected producers had access to AgriRecovery programs, specifically forage shortfall and transportation assistance. • MBP also sought the enactment of the livestock tax deferral for producers forced to sell breeding herd. • This deferral is also available this year for producers in designated municipalities hit by drought.
Managing Risk ‐‐ Water Strategies • MBP seeks collaborative, long ‐ term strategies to help reduce the risks associated with too much or too little water. • Some areas of focus include: the Shoal lakes, Assiniboine River Valley, Lake Manitoba, and other areas with ongoing or emerging water issues. • MBP provides feedback on matters like: the Assiniboine River Basin Initiative, the Aquanty modeling project proposal, sustainable drainage policies, Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin outlet channels, Assiniboine River and Lake Manitoba Basins Flood Mitigation Study and more.
Managing Risk ‐‐ BRM Programs • MBP made a detailed submission to the province’s Agricultural Risk Management Review Task Force. • Areas of focus included: concerns around forage insurance, need for timely rollout of programs during disasters, livestock predation, producers’ desire for enhanced lending tools and training options, value of the VBP Program and more. • See your November edition of Cattle Country for more details about our submission.
Managing Risk – Herd Protection • MBP co ‐ chairs the Livestock Predation Protection Working Group (LPPWG). • It is reviewing existing predator management initiatives and providing recommendations to government around improved strategies and tools to deal with predation and reduce risks, e.g. predation management workshops, guardian animals, fencing, etc.
Managing Risk – Herd Protection • MBP is currently looking at a potential pilot project around predation challenges that would include components such as: on ‐ farm mitigation strategies; financial assistance/compensation; and problem predator management strategies. • Key goals include reducing risk and ensuring producers are fairly compensated for losses.
Animal Health – Vet Services • Manitoba announced a Rural Veterinary Task Force. • It is reviewing the current rural veterinary structure and people’s needs ‐‐ with an emphasis on animal health and welfare ‐ biosecurity, food safety on farms and how to maintain a stable vet infrastructure. • MBP has stressed the importance of having timely access to vet services, from an animal care and trade perspective and for being able to access some BMP programs under Growing Forward 2.
Animal Health – Code of Practice • Reminder : Elements of the Beef Code of Practice dealing with pain management (dehorning and castration) take effect in 2016. • If you need a Code, pick one up tonight. • Check out the GF2 BMP Catalogue. • MBP will be holding some workshops on the Code of Practice in the new year and we encourage you to attend.
Animal Health – Bovine TB • Progress is being made on the bovine TB issue. • The TB Coordinator’s position has been continued, and is very valuable to this process. • MBP is involved in three different initiatives aimed at ultimately eradicating the disease in Manitoba and bringing an end to ongoing surveillance of live cattle (with a focus instead on slaughter surveillance). • Funding has been secured from both the federal and provincial governments for these initiatives.
Bovine TB continued • Elements of the projects include: – on ‐ farm risk assessments in the Riding Mountain Eradication Area aimed at reducing the potential for wildlife ‐ livestock interactions – enhanced data collection to strengthen the linkage of farm data into traceability tools – creation of a scenario tree model that will also be used to assess risk MBP thanks producers for their ongoing efforts.
Animal Health ‐‐ Other • Bluetongue was found in a herd of beef cattle in Ontario in August. It poses no risk to human health or food safety. It is endemic in the US and Mexico so little trade impact is expected re: exports of live animals, semen and embryos to these two nations. • Producers are reminded to submit samples to the BSE Enhanced Surveillance Program. Producers receive up to $75 to offset disposal costs and vets up to $100 for veterinary services.
Crown Lands • MBP has met with the Minister of Agriculture and Crown lands staff to discuss matters like: – Securing informed access when people want to enter Crown land used by beef producers – Whether the 4800 AUM limit on Crown lands should be increased – Reduced lease rates for lands affected by flooding – Future increases to overall lease rates
Community Pastures Transition • The Association of Manitoba Community Pastures (AMCP) is a not for profit organization whose members are the patrons of the community pastures. • In 2015 the AMCP operated 10 pastures: Gardenton ‐ Pansy, Mulvihill, Sylvan ‐ Dale, Pasquia, Lenswood Birch River, Langford, Alonsa, Narcisse and McCreary. • Rates for 2016 will be: 70 cents/day per adult and $35 flat fee for calves. A deposit of $60/head is due March 31, 2016.
Community Pastures continued • In 2015 there were 10,788 beef cows, calves, heifers, steers and bulls on the pastures. • AMCP is examining which other pastures it will be managing in 2016, e.g. Bield, Ellice ‐ Archie, Wallace, Turtle Mountain, Woodlands, Dauphin ‐ Ethelbert, Libau, Spy ‐ Hill Ellice and Cote ‐ San Clara. • Applications for grazing space can be obtained by emailing amcp@pastures.ca or calling 204 ‐ 868 ‐ 0430.
Research • MBP strongly recognizes the value of research to our industry’s future success. Some recent areas of focus include: – Fetal Programming – Forage Variety Trials – Needle free injection systems – Bovine TB Visit the Beef Cattle Research Council website to learn more about coordinated research efforts in Canada: www.beefresearch.ca
MBP Member Needs Survey • MBP, with funding from GF2, hired a consultant to do a members need survey. • It has given us many useful insights into the risks and opportunities you face, and the kinds of tools you need to tackle both. • This is very helpful as we provide feedback about government programs and policies, e.g. BRM programs, lending policies, water management, labour issues, etc.
Beef Demonstration Farm • Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives Inc. is a collaborative research and demonstration farm based out of the Brandon area (Brookdale, Johnson and First Street sites). • Core partners: MBP, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association and Ducks Unlimited Canada. • The three main objectives involve: – Evaluation and verification of foundational research; – Knowledge transfer to producers to help build industry capacity; and – Knowledge transfer to the general public, policy makers and the media 17
FARM continued • It has been a busy few months developing the site infrastructure. Some research has begun re: – Energy dense annual forages – How rotational grazing strategies effect forage health, soil health and cattle production – Pest management strategies re: Richardson ground squirrels and pocket gophers • Future research will include forage evaluation work and cow nutrition and needle ‐ free vaccinations. Valued research partnerships are being created.
Trade Files – COOL • On May 18 the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO) issued a fourth and final ruling confirming that U.S. COOL discriminates against U.S. imports of Canadian cattle and hogs. Canada has sought authority from the WTO to • impose retaliatory tariffs in the amount C$3.1 billion per year of U.S. exports The US has disputed this figure and a WTO arbitration panel is examining this. The panel’s decision is expected later this fall, will be • final, and allow Canada to implement the tariffs.
Trade: Trans ‐ Pacific Partnership • The TPP agreement was reached Oct. 5. It is an agreement among 12 countries on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. • It ensures Canadian beef producers can gain improved access to Japan and other growing markets in Asia. Under the deal, Canada could double or triple its annual beef exports to Japan to nearly $300 million.
TPP continued • The TPP will gradually reduce a 38.5% tariff on Canadian beef in Japan down to 9% in 15 years, including an immediate cut to 27.5% on day one of the agreement coming into force. This will restore our competitive position with Australian beef. • The deal still needs to be ratified by participating governments.
Market Access Updates — CETA • Canada/EU Trade Deal (CETA) – Agreement in principle with the European Union was announced in 2013 – Once ratified and implemented, the CETA will provide new duty ‐ free access for 64,950 tonnes of Canadian beef worth nearly $600 million annually – Work continues in the EU and Canada to complete the official processes to action the deal
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