As Saskatchewan prepared to announce how the BSE calf set aside would work in that province, negotiations continued around the dates the program would use.
“Alberta is certainly committed to an Oct. 1 date,” said Saskatchewan agriculture minister Mark Wartman. “That puts pressure on everybody else.”
Under Alberta’s program rules, set-aside animals can’t be slaughtered until Oct. 1, 2005, while the federal government suggested animals be held until Jan. 1, 2006.
Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association president Brian Ross said he favoured using both dates.
“Personally I have reservations about nailing it down to one date,” he said. “We don’t want to be dumping all the fat cattle at one time.”
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Ross said producers who want to slaughter some cattle earlier should pay a penalty for that privilege.
Under the program, producers would be eligible to receive $200 per head to help cover feed costs for set-aside animals.
“Instead of $200 until Jan. 1, maybe they should get $160 if they want to market them Oct. 1.”
Ross said that does soften the original purpose of the set aside – to manage the supply of animals going to slaughter – but if as much slaughter capacity comes on stream as people say, that should help.
“The feedback from feedlot guys that I’ve got is it’s well worth $40 to be able to market Oct. 1,” he said.
Saskatchewan producers will have to register 30 percent of their herds in the program.
Wartman said that would help control supply if just one date is used. Producers could enrol their smallest animals in the program.
He said discussions were still ongoing and he hoped to announce further program details Oct. 20, after Western Producer deadlines.
