DAWSON CREEK, B.C. – British Columbia’s cattle industry has shifted
northward from the traditional ranches in the south to the Peace River,
says a study commissioned by the province’s cattle association.
The northeastern corner now has the province’s largest population of
cattle and is continuing to grow because of low land prices and overall
production costs.
In 1986, the Peace had 31,134 head of cattle, or about 15 percent of
the province’s herd. By 2001, the area had 61,087 head, almost 22
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percent of the province’s 280,000 head of cattle.
“With lower costs and fewer problems, the Peace is by far the most
attractive area of the province to be in commercial beef production,”
said Ken Long of Forest Policy Services in Prince George, who conducted
the study.
The study was commissioned by the British Columbia Cattlemen’s
Association, which was concerned that ranchers were leaving the beef
industry. Instead, the study found the industry had not declined but
grown.
The cow herd grew by 60,000 head between 1986 and 1996. During the same
period the number of farms and ranches grew in all regions of the
province.
Sixty-one percent of the growth, or 37,000 head, came in the northern
interior and the Peace River regions. The Peace alone accounted for
25,000 head or 42 percent of the increase.
“The majority of the growth in the industry took place in the northern
half of the province, especially the Peace region, which is now the
largest cattle producing region in the province,” said Long.
Ken Kennedy, a Dawson Creek cattle producer, said the growth in the
Peace River’s cattle herd isn’t the result of a migration of ranchers
but a growth in the established Peace River herds and a change to beef
ranches from traditional grain farms.
“We’re growing on our own,” said Kennedy, whose herd has increased to
400 cows from 250 cows in10 years.
In contrast, land in the Kootenays and Okanagan has priced commercial
beef producers out of the market, said Long. An increase in urban
population and the increased use of isolated crown ranges by the
general public has put pressures on beef producers.
Long said population is a major management issue for ranchers. Other
concerns that came up during the survey were government policies and
legislation. Producers worried about forest legislation, environmental
policy, crown land recreation and aboriginal land claims.
“One of the most significant factors is clearly the uncertainty around
the shape the settlements with aboriginals will take.”
He said that for a substantial number of ranchers, the loss of crown
range through land settlements would not only eliminate ranchers’
viability but also result in drastically lower land prices.
In contrast, producers in the Peace River area had few concerns.
“Prince George-Peace River is strikingly free of policy-related
concerns. The region also has the lowest departure rate, the highest
expansion rate and the highest use of private lands for grazing.”
Long said while government policies play a part in northern ranchers’
lives, they aren’t the key to success.
“Land prices and production costs are larger than the action of
government.”
Lower land prices give Peace River producers an advantage over other
areas, even though it produces less than the rich land in the south.
“While clearly all of the regions have an absolute production advantage
over the Peace, producing more forage per acre and having much longer
grazing seasons, the Peace has a comparative advantage over the rest of
the province because of lower land prices,” he said.
A land investment that sustains one cow in the South Okanagan-Kootenay
area would purchase 3.5 cows in the Peace region. A 200-head operation
in the south could be a 500-head operation in the Peace, with plenty of
money left over.
Ernie Nimitz, who moved from the United States to southern Alberta and
now lives outside Dawson Creek, said northern B.C. is a hidden jewel
for cattle producers.
“Here we have a lot of space and plenty of water. We have grass, hay
and pasture. Our land is very reasonable here,” he said. “We think
cattle will continue to come up here.”
