Checking in with ABP

In early December, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) held an inaugural breakfast with key Parliamentarians who have been constant champions for agriculture. The breakfast gave CCA directors the opportunity to meet with a wide range of MPs, Senators and political staff and discuss the beef sectors’ main priorities heading into the 44thParliament. The breakfast was…

It all started with a COVID-19 outbreak in March on VRP Farms in Picture Butte, Alberta.  “It was an extremely trying time,” says Jolayne Farn, HR Manager of VRP. “Having 11 confirmed cases and 42 staff off work and quarantined showed us we never wanted to have to operate like that again. Even though we…

Are you prepared for a livestock-related emergency? How would you respond? The Animal Health Emergency Management Project (AHEM) is equipping the Canadian livestock industry with awareness, understanding, and resilience in emergency preparedness. One of the ways it’s doing that is by providing producer handbooks that outline important considerations and actions for emergency situations. In December…

Today, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) notified the World Organisation for Animal Health of a case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Canada’s beef industry takes BSE surveillance extremely seriously and although unfortunate, this discovery demonstrates the robust nature of the National BSE Surveillance Program we have in place. “The quick discovery of this…

This is part two of a three-part series. You can find part one in the September issue of ABP, and on ABP Daily.  With the drastic cuts made to the 2021 budget, Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) is no longer able to support external organizations at levels we have in the past. Funding to three organizations…

Canada’s beef industry has an impressive and unique story to tell for its leadership in sustainability. The recent United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS)  provided an excellent global platform to amplify the beef cattle sector’s positive contributions towards the environment and healthy, sustainable diets. The UNFSS was a historic event aimed at driving solutions-orientated discussions…

Editor’s Note: This article was written in October, and first published in the November 2021 edition of ABP Magazine. As we move into the fall, we begin to refocus on a pivotal time for producers and what is happening in the fields, the feed yards, the auction marts, and at the exhibitions. As events begin…

As I sit down to write this column and share current highlights with you as the Chair of ABP, it has me thinking a great deal about what Alberta beef producers need to know is happening within our organization. But perhaps what I feel is just as important, is the fact that we need to…

Connection plays an integral role in our industry, and here at ABP we are no different. This past year our focus has been on communication and connection. Connecting and communicating with producers for re-engagement with our organization. Connecting with industry organizations and communicating with government tirelessly, on the dire drought situation facing producers. The support…

While prices at grocery stores and restaurants are increasing due to inflation, those costs aren’t equating to dollars in the pockets of primary producers. This, combined with the global pandemic and extreme weather events of the past year continue to wreak havoc on the cost of production, and underscore the growing disparity along the supply…