A new national beef industry development fund has committed $10 million
to improving the Canadian cattle industry.
The program replaces the $26 million beef industry development fund,
which directed money from industry safety net programs to pay for
research, product development and market enhancement strategies.
The federal government agreed to renew the program if two provinces
with 50 percent of the national herd would agree to join.
Alberta contributed $4 million and British Columbia $1 million.
A 10-member board of four producers from Alberta and one from B.C.,
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along with provincial and federal representatives, will receive
research proposals and direct the money. Funds are available for
programs across the country.
A meeting to outline research priorities is scheduled for September.
Using the former funding program as a formula, the board will demand
clear reports on progress of funded projects.
“They want to make sure the funding is going to make a difference,”
said Gina Grosnik of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
Between 1995 and 2000, 45 research projects received money from the
fund.
It paid for market development projects, consumer information and
research, producer education and enhanced food safety research.
Projects included the new beef cuts labelling system, where each
package carries specific cooking instructions such as grilling or
marinating steak.
The fund also helped develop new consumer beef cuts, an improved
meat-cutting guide, 15 new beef products, a beef safety program called
quality starts here, and resource and record keeping materials that are
made available to producers for free.
