By Alice McFarlane

Ground beef labelling and beef processing top agenda item at stock growers meeting

Jun 10, 2022 | 1:03 PM

MELFORT, Sask. — Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) discussed the opportunities of growing the livestock processing sector at its annual meeting.

A report co-funded with Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture was released to the gathering.

SSGA general manager Chad MacPherson said while the research consultants were still working on the final report, they wanted to share the project’s finding to the membership and industry stakeholders.

“Saskatchewan is a vital beginning point of a competitive, well-established supply chain. We know Saskatchewan has the supply of cattle to meet the market needs of a new plant and look forward to sharing the details in the final report,” MacPherson said.

During the three-day event agenda, SSGA passed 18 resolutions. There were discussions on irrigation, canola meal supplementation, satellite-based forage insurance, cattle market updates both regional and global, virtual fencing research and public perception.

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Newly elected president Garner Deobald said there were four resolutions that will be a priority.

“Saskatchewan Value-Added Agriculture Incentive (SAVI) provides tax incentives for capital investment in new and expanded value-added agriculture facilities but has a $10-million capital investment minimum,” Deobald said. “To support the findings of our meat processing study and encourage additional meat processing operations, we have resolved to lobby the Government of Saskatchewan to lower the minimum investment.”

Deobald said the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP) provides financial assistance to producers in eligible areas that have experienced financial losses due to extreme weather events like the recent, record-breaking storms in Saskatchewan.

“Though PDAP is helping many producers at an already critical time, producers with more than $2 million in gross revenue are currently ineligible for assistance; so, we have resolved to lobby the provincial and federal governments to review this inequity,” he said.

The severe drought has impacted herd sizes and cash flow for many cattle operations. SSGA will talk to all levels of government to setup a program for long-term, low-interest loans to help livestock producers rebuild their breeding herds. The group will also work to make sure enhancements to the Farm and Ranch Water Infrastructure Program (FRWIP) are permanent and that funding applications are processed with greater efficiency.

Deobald said the group is concerned about proposed changes to ground beef labelling.

“Ground beef is a nutrient-dense protein that contributes zinc, iron and vitamin B12 and other essential nutrients that Canadian consumers need in their diets; so, we will be lobbying Health Canada to defeat their proposed labelling regulation that would require ground beef sold at retail to carry a high in saturated fat warning label,” Deobald said. “The potential trade implications that this labelling could initiate are dangerously incalculable.”

SSGA also presented Gerald and Patti Anhorn of Windy Ridge Ranch of Elrose the Environmental Stewardship Award.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW