Province to partner with beef sector to study growth and competition improvements

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Alberta’s government is partnering with the beef sector to help maintain sustainable growth and to ensure it remains competitive.

The partnership is between the province, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Alberta Beef Producers and Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association, which will be completing a competitiveness study to provide insights into the industry.

The province stated in a release that Alberta is a key beef supplier to both local and international markets. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Devin Dreeshen said the collaboration is vital to growing and advancing the sector in Alberta.

“This partnership demonstrates our shared commitment to grow Alberta’s food and processing sector,” he said. “We know that agriculture will play a big part in Alberta’s economic recovery and growth.”

The study aims to gain insights into four topics – namely: promoting transparency in cattle and wholesale markets, supporting processor resiliency and plant reinvestment, expanding harvest capacity, and planning for surge capacity in case of supply chain stress.

“We are eager to see what insights this study provides. The prior Alberta beef industry study established that the industry is competitive and remains capable of maintaining competitiveness into the future,” explained Greg Schmidt, chair of the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association.

“There are, however, factors and trends that have the potential to decrease competitiveness. In order to grow our entire industry, our value chain has to be profitable and sustainable.”

According to the release, the study will help determine where additional investments could be made to find efficiencies and achieve higher processing levels. 

It may also observe other measures such as the possibility of legislating price reporting to facilitate more transparent price disclosure between producers.

Melanie Wowk, chair of Alberta Beef Producers, said for the more than 18,000 producers in Alberta, maintaining a competitive and sustainable edge is critical to keeping the industry on its feet.

This study supports our strategy to enhance the competitiveness of Alberta’s beef industry through research and innovation, strengthening the sustainability and competitiveness of the industry,” she said.

According to the release, the Canadian beef industry contributes $21.8 billion to GDP while supporting 348,000 full-time equivalent jobs. This, as well as generating approximately $18 billion in total economic activity.