WESTLOCK, Alta. – Alberta beef producers angry with the government’s livestock and meat strategy voted to ask for the resignation of the minister of agriculture.
Delegates at an ABP meeting in Mayerthorpe also voted recently to ask for the minister’s resignation.
“I think ABP in the past has had excellent rapport with the minister. I think we should lobby for the resignation of minister Groeneveld,” said Dale Greig of Barrhead.
More than 200 cattle producers packed the Westlock hall to express concerns over how the Alberta Livestock and Meat Strategy would affect their business, especially the mandatory age verification and traceability of livestock.
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“Who is the minister listening to, to come up with these plans? This is coming out of left field,” said Dale Klein of Fort Assiniboine.
It’s a question many on the Alberta Beef Producers board of directors are asking, said Kelly Olson, ABP finance chair.
“I think he’s listening to some special interest groups and he’s listening to the bureaucracy, but he’s not listening to producers,” Olson told the group.
In June, Groeneveld announced a $356 million strategy to strengthen the province’s livestock sector. The minister said the status quo wasn’t working and introduced a strategy to give livestock producers a boost.
Sheldon Wilcox, with Nilsson Brothers, said the company has seen no evidence that mandatory age verification will boost sales or make it easier to get into overseas markets.
“I don’t see the benefit of forcing the entire market to bear the cost of a niche marketing opportunity. There’s not a lot of huge benefits to be gained,” said Wilcox.
“Knowing where every animal is at all times will come at a much larger cost,” said Wilcox, the former manager of Nilsson’s Clyde auction.
For the past seven years the task of ensuring all cattle sold at the auction have ear tags has created headaches for the auction. The thought of having to keep track of all the animals coming and going from auction markets to farms to feedlots would be almost impossible, he said.
ABP director Harvey Hagman said while the group agrees with parts of the strategy, the list of concerns is longer.
“I don’t see how regulating an industry more and more will improve our bottom line. It’s our position we have to accept added costs, but we have to be competitive.”
Olson said ABP has asked the minister for a cost of the strategy and its potential benefits, but has had no response.
Dennis Rybicki of Grasslands, Alta., said the minister should listen to producers’ concerns about the program.
“Do we work for George Groeneveld or does he work for us? He should be finding an exit strategy,” said Rybicki.
