SASKATOON — Canadian beef producers could become the equivalent of the Japanese car manufacturer, leading the industry in quality, says the executive vice-president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
Dennis Laycraft said Canadians could become the industry standard for high-quality beef.
“We need to set an objective in the industry of setting Canada as the most consistently high-quality product, and Canada as the most reputable supplier of high-quality beef,” Laycraft told a group of producers during the University of Saskatchewan beef research field day.
Although Canadian beef producers are enjoying good prices, the cattle industry still operates on a cycle. The downside of that cycle of lower prices and fewer markets is still to come, said Laycraft.
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Canada can survive more difficult times if it can consistently offer a quality product. Even now 20 to 30 percent of beef graded is not meeting consumer preferences, he said.
New Canadian technology can help develop a consistent product. Research is not far from developing an automatic grading system. A fibre optic device developed at the University of Guelph can check tenderness of the carcass. Ultrasound research can measure leanness and marbling on a live animal. Other researchers can use a blood sample to tell if cattle have the gene associated with tender beef.
Once this technology is fully developed, it will be easier to convince producers that raising a consistent quality product is the way to survive the cycles in the industry, he said.
