EDMONTON – Alberta’s new livestock strategy has raised the hackles of livestock organizations across the country, says an official with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
John Masswohl, director of government and international relations with the CCA, said livestock producers in the rest of the country feel betrayed that Alberta has struck out on its own to create strategies that keep out cattle from other provinces rather than working with them to develop a national beef policy.
“There’s a lot of anger out there,” he said during a break at the Alberta Beef Producers semi-annual meeting.
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“There’s a lot of people questioning if we have a national industry anymore.”
The Alberta Livestock and Meat Strategy introduced June 5 requires age and premises verification and establishes an agency to implement a new marketing strategy.
“It’s saying to heck with everybody else, we’re just going to do it here. It’s a problem,” said Masswohl, who spends much of his time promoting the Canadian livestock industry in the United States and trying to promote a unified livestock trade within North American.
“We already know we run into troubles when we have different rules in Canada than they have in the U.S.,” he said.
“We try to have a harmonized approach as much as possible in North America. Now in the last few months we’re starting to fraction up Canada.”
Masswohl said an international agriculture trade agency, similar to Alberta’s proposal, isn’t a new idea. The CCA has promoted for several years the need for industry and governments to work together to promote international trade, he added.
“There’s a lot of attitude in that document that I think is very troubling. It’s basically saying to industry maybe you’re trying to do some of these things, but we know best. We’re going to do this like it or leave it. It’s grabbing the industry by the scruff of the neck and saying you will do this, and I think that’s a real misstep.”
CCA vice-president Tony Saretzky said parts of Alberta’s new livestock strategy are similar to what his organization has been asking from the federal government.
“I think it’s going to be unfortunate if it only ends up being in Alberta,” he said.
“The rest of the country will be very angry with the Canadian cattlemen. They’ll be very angry with Albertans and they have every reason to be because what Alberta is getting is what the red meat industry needs.”
Saretzky said he holds out little hope changes implemented in Alberta will become national.
“The federal government has exhibited little or no appetite for supporting the red meat industry anymore. It has no opportunity to gain any legs.”
Cattle producer Kevin Boone told Alberta agriculture minister George Groeneveld he was concerned about how Alberta’s new program would affect a national beef industry.
“This is something that has to go on a national basis if it’s to be successful.”
Groeneveld said other provinces would join when it was appropriate for them.
“This should be a federal program, but how does Alberta force a federal program?”
