With an 11 member board and a broad mandate, the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency has set up five programs to rebuild the industry.
Its official mandate from Alberta agriculture minister George Groeneveld is to provide direction and advice to revitalize the livestock industry through long-term competitiveness and sustainability. About $30 million has been earmarked for the 2009-10 fiscal year.
Darcy Fitzgerald, ALMA’s director of industry development, said applications were under review as of July 7 and the first of the new project approvals will be announced soon.
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Projects will be monitored to ensure work is done and benefits the livestock and meat industry.
“A lot of the funding is reliant on have you done the work and were you successful? You are going to have to produce invoices and we will have to see things working,” Fitzgerald said.
ALMA also wants to encourage funding groups to work together so applicants can pool money and start projects sooner.
The first project area is called the international market development program.
Rather than lobbying for market access, this program can prepare companies for a return to a market with more sophisticated products that satisfy international customers.
It has $6 million available to stimulate and expand export markets. Up to $1 million per project is available to support companies working in international markets to produce improved sales promotion packages, proper labelling, branded products and market intelligence.
The value-added market development program has $2 million available with more emphasis on developing the domestic market. More help will be set aside for livestock beyond beef and pork to develop new products and marketing schemes.
The research and development program has $12 million for livestock research initiatives. This replaces the work done by the livestock industry development fund and diversified livestock fund. Research money will be available for projects such as food safety, feed grains, production practices and genetic improvements.
The industry development program has $5 million to help the industry with education programs, feasibility studies, attracting researchers to Alberta and promoting value chains.
Another $5 million is offered through the on-farm technology adaptation program. This could include on-farm demonstration programs or helping a group improve its technology. An example might be providing traceability technology to track livestock from farm to the processor so everyone can share in the product information.
ALMA will also administer Alberta’s portion of the Legacy Fund, a program run through the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association’s beef and cattle market development council. The fund was established in 2005 with $50 million in federal money and $30 million from Alberta to spur industry diversification and market development.
ALMA board members include chair Joe Makowecki, Ted Bilyea, Charlie Gracey, Hisakazu Hayakawa, Kee Jim, Jeff Kroll, Kim McConnell, Cherie Copithorne-Barnes, John Weekes, Ron Jackson and Wayne McNight.
For more information, visit www.alma.alberta.ca.
