A new corporation has been formed to promote and sell Canadian beef at home and abroad.
Canada Beef Inc. is an amalgamation of the Canada Beef Export Federation, the Beef Information Centre and the national check-off agency.
President and chief executive officer is Robert Meijer, formerly of Cargill, and board chair is Brad Wildeman, a feedlot operator from Lanigan, Sask., and past-president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
Wildeman said government approval is required because Canada Beef will be handling provincial check-off money. The provinces collect a mandatory $1 per animal sold and submit it to the national body for marketing and research.
Read Also
Quebec pork company calls for transparency around gene-edited pigs
Quebec-based pork company duBreton is calling for transparency around meats from gene-edited pigs on concerns that a lack of mandatory labelling will confuse consumers, and dilute certification claims. The organic sector is also calling for labelling rules.
The Beef Cattle Research Council will still receive its allotment to fund programs, and the rest of the money, which was previously split between the former organizations, will be pooled to market beef more strategically.
“Its focus is going to be on marketing rather than policy. Market advocacy and policy development, we are going to leave that to the policy generating organizations like CCA and the National Cattle Feeders,” Wildeman said.
Canada Beef will focus entirely on selling beef where it can bring the greatest value to producers and processors.
“We have to prove we can do this successfully,” he said.
Most staff members with the former organizations were offered jobs, and work is underway to put offices together so all can work together in Calgary. A smaller office will be opened in Mississauga.
Members of the first board of directors selected during a meeting in Calgary July 26 -27 are Dane Guignion of the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association, Brian Read of XL Meats, Scott Ellerton of Sysco Canada Inc., Mike Kennedy of Cargill Foods and Chuck MacLean of Alberta Beef Producers.
Four vice-presidents will be responsible for finances, communication, international marketing and North American sales.
A strategic planning session will be held later this summer to outline goals of the new corporation and secure long-term funding to run programs such as corporate partnerships to promote beef.
An annual forum will be held to review progress and elect board members.
