#AllForTheBeef with Brad Dubeau

It was wonderful to see moisture replenished this year. Although some areas were still short, at least more affordable and ample options for feed supplies were available. 2024 brought some of the strongest prices ever recorded on all classes of cattle. This good news, however, is tempered by a similar rise in costs, and despite the market bloom, margins remain tight. I am cautiously optimistic these good prices will set the stage for a measured rebuild of herd numbers down the road.

For Alberta Beef Producers, 2024 was a successful year with our Stampede Summit, government relations and our efforts to promote the beef business. ABP has continued to be front and centre in advocating on behalf of producers.

We’ve worked hard to increase communications and visibility. A highlight was the production of our TV commercials, which focus on beef sustainability and nutrition. These ads aired during the Calgary Stampede broadcasts on Sportsnet, reaching audiences far beyond our borders with important messages about Alberta beef.

ABP Chair Brodie Haugan’s time in leadership is also coming to a close, as he winds up a decade serving as an ABP delegate and a second term as chair of our board. He has done an amazing job. Brodie’s priorities of elevating transparency around communications and bringing more beef voices to the table on key issues have made a lasting impact.

Looking ahead to 2025, one of the first activities for ABP will be our Producer Meetings. Held across the province, these meetings and your input are critical for our organization. The input gathered through resolutions helps us set direction, ensuring we address issues that are important to you. I encourage you to attend a meeting in your area and sign up at your earliest opportunity. A nominal $10 fee will be charged for supper at these meetings, and by signing up, you will help us define attendance, allowing us to be as efficient as possible. Watch for further details on the specific dates and locations of the producer meetings on ABP Daily, on air with Cattle Country radio, on posters at your local auction mart, and – post permitting – in a flyer that will be arriving in your mailbox.

We are excited to hold our AGM in conjunction with the Alberta Beef Industry Conference (ABIC) events this year in Calgary. There will be plenty for producers to take in at the ABIC event. We are also making the annual meeting available online again through DLMS so that producers can watch and listen to the proceedings. Last year, we had 600 unique views online. It would be great to see that grow.

Hopefully, you have signed up for the ABP Monthly Minute. It’s an important tool for updating you on the many issues we are active on. Your email address is required to receive it. Now is a good time to ensure your contact information with ABP is current and includes
all active partners in your outfit.

In 2025, we will continue working with the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) and Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association (ACFA) on the Foot and Mouth Disease file. It remains a significant potential threat to the cattle industry, and having a response plan in place is as important as building a vaccine bank. Our staff is committed to developing a plan in conjunction with other agencies involved in the process

Research remains an ongoing priority, and our Living Labs initiative helps drive progress on Best Management Practices. We look forward to seeing what comes from the five-year commitment. We are also engaged with our own research projects and with the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) to develop tools that can make a practical, positive impact on beef operations in Alberta and across Canada. Research is definitely a long-range investment,
but it remains a vital priority.

Marketing also remains a priority, from TV ads and digital technology to this magazine. Whether navigating recreation access, issues on private and public lands or building consumer awareness of how producers manage grassland landscapes, it’s of the utmost importance to have a respected voice on the issues that impact you.

Improving Agri-Stability is another long-term project we continue to pursue in an effort to make the program more reactive in times of need. We also strive to see the program more reactive in times of need. We also strive to see the program reflect the increased livestock values and higher production costs for the cow-calf and feedlot sectors. We have witnessed progress in government agencies’ openness to ideas and collaboration on these adjustments.

These are complex programs, and there is a need to make sure they are fiscally responsible and responsive, which takes time. The same holds true for wildlife compensation issues, which are growing in volume, especially as more producers implement various winter grazing methods.

I want to remind producers that funding opportunities remain available for certain management improvements through the VBP Plus program, with more information on the website. I encourage all producers to take advantage of this program.

Perhaps 2025 will be the year you step forward to become an ABP delegate and become part of the work underway to build a strong, productive cattle industry. I encourage you to consider doing so. It’s worth the effort.

On behalf of our team at ABP, I would like to take this opportunity to extend our appreciation to Lindsay Roberts. Lindsay fulfilled the role of Marketing and Communications Manager at ABP for the past four years. During this time, she embraced the newly created ABP magazine, developing it into the leading-edge publication that it is today. She also had a vision for a revived ABP marketing campaign, bringing the brand back to the forefront. It was a pleasure to work with Lindsay, and we wish her continued success in her new communications role and career in the crop production sector. I also want to extend my gratitude to Brodie, the Executive team and our board and delegates for their support, as well as big kudos to the ABP staff for their continued hard work and for going above and beyond in 2024.

May 2025 shine bright on our beef industry!

This article was first published in Volume 4 Issue 4 of ABP Magazine (December 2024). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily.