Government Relations and Policy Update

As we head into 2026, trade is front and centre for ABP, and for good reason. More than half of the beef produced in Canada is exported, and Alberta alone represents nearly half of the national cattle herd.

For decades, trade between Canada and the United States has been more than just selling beef across a border. It is a deeply integrated supply chain, with cattle, feed, and beef moving back and forth every day.

When that system works, cattle move, packing plants run efficiently, and costs stay manageable. When it doesn’t, producers feel it first and feel it hardest.

With CUSMA/USMCA coming up for renewal, there is increasing pressure to reopen or “improve” an agreement that has allowed the North American cattle and beef industry to function and grow. ABP is very clear on this point: disrupting an integrated system would create serious short- and long-term harm for producers on both sides of the border.

Trade is usually handled at the national level, but Alberta’s share of the cattle herd and its role in exports mean we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. Our focus has been on protecting the conditions that allow this industry to function and ensuring that decisions about market access are grounded in how the cattle business actually works, not theory, and guided by producers who live with the outcomes.

Recent events in the USA have shown just how sensitive this system is to disruption. The closure of a Nebraska packing plant has forced local producers to ship cattle much farther, adding real cost and cutting directly into margins. Loss of processing capacity doesn’t just show up on paper, it shows up in producer cheques.

Canadian cattle play a key role in keeping many American packing plants operating efficiently, particularly in northern states. That availability helps lower per-head costs and maintain throughput. At the same time, Canadian feedlots rely on American calves, adding value to cattle from northern states. This two-way flow works because it benefits producers on both sides of the border.

What we are hearing is that the current American administration has limited appetite to engage directly with other countries. Knowing that, ABP is not relying solely on federal-to-federal conversations. Instead, we are working directly with cattle-producing states and their cattle commissions.

These are producer-led organizations that understand integrated trade for what it really is: feed being sourced, cattle being bought and sold, packing plants running, and markets staying open.

The message from these groups has been consistent: Canada and the USA rely on each other and disrupting that relationship hurts producers first.

This relationship-building matters. When trade discussions inevitably become political, having aligned producer voices already at the table is far more effective than reacting after decisions are made.

In January, ABP attended the State Agricultural and Rural Leaders (SARL) Summit. This conference is made up of senior agricultural legislators, including Ministers of Agriculture and leading members of American congressional and senate agriculture committees. One of the clearest takeaways was how many of the challenges facing ranchers are shared across both countries, and in some cases, how those pressures are even more severe south of the border.

There was broad recognition of the strain created by overregulation, competing land-use pressures, and decisions made far removed from day-to-day farm and ranch realities. These are familiar issues for Alberta producers. There was also shared concern about what happens when policy is disconnected from what actually works on the land.

The value of attending SARL was not about forcing agreement where it doesn’t exist. It was about understanding where interests overlap, where they don’t, and making sure ranchers are not spoken for without being part of the discussion.

ABP’s Board of Directors has finalized its provincial budget priorities. These include defending CUSMA/USMCA renewal, pushing for meaningful improvements to AgriStability, addressing drought response and long-term water infrastructure, continued support for the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and improving wildlife compensation.

Each of these issues ties directly back to producers’ ability to manage risk, whether that risk comes from markets, weather, wildlife, or policy decisions. Programs and policies only matter if they work when producers actually need them. These priorities will continue to guide ABP’s government relations and policy work going forward.

ABP is not relying solely on federal-to-federal conversations. Instead, we are working directly with cattle-producing states and their cattle commissions.

This was first published in Volume 6 Issue 1 of ABP Magazine (February 2026). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily.