#AllForTheBeef with Brad Dubeau

We’ve certainly had an active time as your beef cattle commission for the past few months.

The Alberta Beef Producers’ board decision to withdraw from the Canadian Cattle Association dominates the horizon currently. While you’ll find much more on the decision elsewhere in [ABP Magazine], I will say the key factors that led to this decision are not new to producers. Concerns about funding, representation, and governance have been surfacing, and raised with the CCA, for several years now, to no avail.

At our AGM in March, there was a special resolution from the central zone, asking the ABP to request proportional representation based on a funding percentage of CCA or withdraw ABP’s membership and support. That resolution was defeated during our AGM, as it was being debated just as tariffs were being announced. The delegate body appeared to feel the timing for such action just wasn’t right. Still, it reflected the sentiment among many producers.

Boards and organizations are continually evolving, and at ABP we’ve been working on improving governance, finance and communication. We asked for the same evolution in our national organization, but didn’t see a willingness to address those values, which ultimately led to the announcement. The board took deliberate steps to ensure due process, including incorporating strategic input from the entire delegate body into the board decision.

With more than nine months before the completion of the current agreement, there is still ample time for dialogue. We remain open to a constructive conversation with CCA, and remain hopeful that they are willing to engage.

As it was at the AGM, trade continues to be a dominant issue in the beef business. While there are many uncertainties yet in our trade relationship with the U.S., dialogue continues. In August I was honoured to attend an American Chamber of Commerce in Canada West roundtable at Miller Thomson LLP in Calgary, hosted with Alberta’s Senior Representative in Washington, DC, Nathan Cooper. We talked about Alberta’s vital economic partnership with the U.S., including the beef industry. As well, we were encouraged to see Canadian beef is officially back on Australian shelves for the first time since 2003. This long-awaited market reopening marks a significant milestone.

We were pleased to host another successful Stampede Summit. This year, we moved locations to the Sam Centre on the Stampede grounds, which was well received. The Summit was once again a powerful opportunity to engage and build relationships with decision-makers like Federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and Alberta’s Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, RJ Sigurdson, as well as industry leaders and U.S. cattle representatives from Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, California, and Texas. We were also delighted to interact with Stampede visitors through the Cattle Trail exhibit that week.

It was a relief to see rain fall in many parts of the province, to help with pasture growth, although it also made for some challenges putting up hay. However, there are some areas of the province still struggling with drought, both in the north and in parts of the south. There are even areas where moisture has come, but not enough to fill dugouts so water supplies are still a worry. For those affected, programs like Moisture Deficiency Insurance and Agri-Stability can help in times of drought or fire.

We strongly encourage beef producers to meet with their local AFSC offices to discuss how these programs can play a positive role in your operations.

Congratulations to Laura Laing and John Smith as our 2025 Environmental Stewardship Award (ESA) Winners. You’ll find more on their operation, Plateau Cattle Co., in [ABP Magazine] and online.

We are all encouraged by the cattle market prices continuing to look strong for this fall run, which is especially encouraging for cow-calf producers. But we also watch and share concerns with the feedlot and processing sectors about the ongoing downsizing of the cattle herd.

Remember, ABP staff and delegates are working on your behalf for the overall good of the beef industry. We value your feedback and input and look forward to connecting with you in January and February at Producer Meetings across the province.

This article was first published in Volume 5 Issue 3 of ABP Magazine (Fall 2025). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily.