ALMAUPDATE
ALMA hits the
ground running
A focused team is assembling the priorities and processes to deliver on
the Alberta Livestock and Meat Strategy. Here’s a look ahead.
Since the launch of the Alberta Livestock and Meat Strategy in June 2008,
industry and government representatives have been hard at work on plans
to turn the strategy into action. According to Maureen Bolen, Manager of
Industry Engagement with the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA),
you can’t overstate the long-term importance of these crucial first steps.
“The strategy is about all players in the livestock and meat industry working
to ensure the quality and safety of our products,” says Bolen. “There are many
elements to the strategy, some of them quite complex, so getting everyone on
the same page now will make us more effective later.”
Six priorities for the next
six months
Bolen explains that in workshops, conferences and one-on-one
consultations, ALMA team members and livestock industry leaders are
addressing these six priorities.
Priority 1: Establish ALMA as an operating entity.
Priority 2: Execute a short-term communications and engagement strategy.
Priority 3: Enable the sharing of information and value creation along
the value chains through the Livestock Information System
of Alberta (LISA) (see story on Page 3).
Priority 4: Realign and enhance funding commitments to maximize
impact on market development.
Priority 5: Initiate and develop product and process verification and
certification systems.
Priority 6: Initiate development of a full supply chain approach and
funding program for the industry, strengthening relationships
among supply chain players.
For additional information on these priorities, please contact ALMA at
(780) 643-1840 or visit www.alma.alberta.ca.
VOL. 1 ISSUE 2
DEC. 2008
New members
join ALMA Board
The Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency
(ALMA) recently welcomed two new
members to its Board of Directors,
enhancing the Agency’s ability to help
reinvigorate the livestock and meat industry.
Cherie Copithorne-Barnes is a fourthgeneration rancher, currently living in
Jumping Pond, Alberta. CopithorneBarnes is the operations manager of
CL Ranches, which includes seedstock
and commercial cow/calf operations, a
backgrounding lot and custom farming.
Copithorne-Barnes also managed a large
beef production system in Uruguay.
John Weekes is a senior international
trade policy advisor at Sidley Austin
LLP, based in Geneva. He provides
strategic advice on international trade
and policy. Weekes has served the
World Trade Organization in many
capacities, including as Canada’s
ambassador, and also was Canada’s
Chief Negotiator for NAFTA.
Other ALMA board members are Joe
Makowecki, Ted Bilyea, Charlie Gracey,
Kee Jim, Harry Hayakawa, Jeff Kroll
and Kim McConnell.
The Alberta Livestock and
Meat Agency’s mission is to
act as a catalyst to achieve
an internationally respected,
competitive and profitable
livestock and meat industry.
W: www.alma.alberta.ca
E: [email protected]
P: 780-643-1840
F: 780-643-1771
Asia mission builds
relationships, creates
understanding
Two-week mission by Minister and ALMA leadership
finds trade partners enthusiastic about Alberta Livestock
and Meat Strategy.
Many key initiatives of the Alberta Livestock and Meat
Strategy are designed to assure and gain recognition from
our province’s trade partners that our meat and livestock
products are safe and of the highest quality. Judging by
recent face-to-face dialogue with officials in China, Japan
and Hong Kong, we’re on the right track.
Why make the trip? As ALMA Chairman Joe Makowecki
explains, the countries of Asia offer significant
opportunity for Canadian producers on many levels.
“The combined populations of China, Japan and Hong
Kong are about 1.5 billion people,” says Makowecki. “By
sheer demographics, these are markets we can’t afford to
ignore. They also have hundreds of millions of consumers
who can afford to pay a premium price for a quality meat
product, such as we produce in Alberta.”
As well as having large and increasingly affluent
populations, these three jurisdictions have significant foodproduction deficits. For this reason, they are anxious to
develop and maintain close relationships with countries
able to dependably supply top-quality food products and
stand behind them. Alberta, conversely, grows far more
livestock and produces far more meat than we can possibly
consume. Clearly, we need to export in order to grow.
The U.S. market has long been the key export destination
for Alberta livestock and meat products. The operational
burden placed by the new Mandatory Country-of-Origin
Labelling (MCOOL) requirements is serving to remind
Alberta that it’s important to diversify our markets to
reduce our dependence on the U.S.
Mission a follow-up to 2007
From October 17 to November 1, 2008, Alberta Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development George Groeneveld,
ALMA CEO Jeff Kucharski and Makowecki built
relationships and explored opportunities with government
and food import officials in these jurisdictions.
Over this two-week period, Team Alberta actively
participated in more than 30 meetings, roundtable
discussions and business receptions. As part of these
discussions, the Minister and Canadian Embassy officials
in these countries advocated for increased market access
for Alberta beef and pork. The importing nations expressed
interest in Alberta’s safe, high quality products and ways
that increased market access might move forward.
During the course of a trade mission conducted last year,
many Asian officials expressed to the Alberta delegation
a desire for our province to do a more comprehensive job
of traceability, particularly age verification and animal
movement. This time around, Team Alberta had the news
our Asian trading partners had been waiting to hear.
“We introduced the main elements of the Alberta Livestock
and Meat Strategy,” says Makowecki, “and outlined how
primary livestock producers, feedlots, markets and packers
are working more closely together than ever. We talked
about the infrastructure being developed for LISA and
other initiatives, and explained the role being played by the
new Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency.”
The Strategy received a very positive response from
our Asian trading partners, who were pleased their
needs as consumers were one of the driving forces
behind the establishment of traceability in Alberta.
Upon returning home, our Minister later met with his
federal counterpart, the Hon. Gerry Ritz, to review
key developments from the mission. The Minister also
pledged to work closely with Ottawa to address and
advance market access on behalf of Alberta’s beef and
pork producers.
Says Makowecki: “The trade mission to Asia sent a clear
and decisive message that we will do everything in our
power to earn their business and reward their trust in the
quality and safety of our livestock and meat products.”
ALMA UPDATE VOL 1 ISSUE 2 · DEC 2008 NEWS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE ALBERTA LIVESTOCK AND MEAT STRATEGY
LISA: When information is shared,
everybody benefits
ALMA’s CEO previews the province’s next-generation infrastructure for data-sharing along the value chain.
It happens every day in Alberta: a livestock producer
sells an animal along the supply chain – either to another
producer who’ll further finish the animal, or to a packer
who’ll process it.
Strategy will require that certain information, such
as premises identification and age verification, be
gathered and maintained to assure food safety and
consumer confidence.
As ALMA CEO Jeff Kucharski explains, even though
these are everyday transactions in Alberta, something
important is usually missing. While the parties are
exchanging the animal through a sale, they are not
usually exchanging information on how the animal
was fed or how it yielded or graded at the packing plant.
These two information needs are the powerful rationale
behind the Livestock Information System of Alberta,
or LISA for short. Once it’s set up, LISA will allow for
the easy and comprehensive exchange of information,
on paper or electronically, between different players in
the livestock supply chain. Some LISA elements, such
as animal tagging, are already in place. Others, such
as traceability initiatives, will arrive in 2009 or later.
A series of meetings now taking place is helping to lay
the groundwork for LISA by making sure all the right
players are participating.
“If the producer and the packer shared this
information, that would potentially be very valuable,”
says Kucharski. “The producer could use the
information to improve quality and reduce costs,
and, ultimately, give the packer better animals to work
with. The trouble is, while this information is available,
it typically is not shared.”
A distinct yet related need for information arises
from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Strategy. The
Says Kucharski: “The long-term success of LISA
depends on everyone agreeing to contribute information,
and everyone seeing a benefit as well. That’s where the
development process begins.”
ALMA UPDATE VOL 1 ISSUE 2 · DEC 2008 NEWS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE ALBERTA LIVESTOCK AND MEAT STRATEGY
Reminder for producers:
Alberta Farm Recovery
Plan (AFRP) II Instalment
Requirements
As part of the Alberta government’s plan to assist
the livestock industry, the second instalment to
eligible producers will be available in early 2009. This
program is being delivered by Agriculture Financial
Services Corporation (AFSC). To receive the second
instalment, all producers are expected to meet the
following new requirements:
Livestock producers – By December 31, 2008:
• You will need to update your current premises
identification information, or apply for a new premises
identification number if you don’t have one.
The basics of
traceability
Why traceability is a game-changer for Alberta’s
livestock and meat sector.
The Alberta Livestock and Meat Strategy is a
comprehensive blueprint to achieve an internationally
respected, competitive and profitable livestock and meat
industry for the province. A major part of the strategy
involves initiatives relating to traceability. The traceability
initiative is being delivered by Alberta Agriculture and
Rural Development (ARD).
Traceability is the ability to follow an animal, group of
animals, or animal products from one point in the supply
chain to another, either backwards or forwards. Why is
traceability so important?
• To maintain consumer confidence and public assurance.
Cow-calf producers – By December 31, 2008:
• Age verify your 2008 calf crop by entering birth dates
for all calves born in 2008 in the CCIA database.
Additional assistance is now available to help you enter
birth dates in the system.
• T
o respond to animal health and food safety
emergencies.
Feedlot operators – Starting January 1, 2009:
• Beginning January 1, 2009, all feedlots that feed
more than 5,000 animals annually will be required to
record animals as they arrive and report cattle move-in
information to the CCIA within seven days.
Effective traceability is based on three basic elements:
premises identification, animal/product identification,
and animal/product movement. For more details, please
visit Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s
website at www.agric.gov.ab.ca.
• T
o avoid or reduce the impact of disease incidents and
trade disruptions.
• To allow information to flow through the supply chain.
• T
he CCIA tag number for each animal arriving and
leaving the feedlot (not going to slaughter) must be
reported to the CCIA within seven days.
Please note that a statement of compliance, which
has been sent to all producers who received the first
instalment, is the final step to verify that you have met the
requirements. This statement must be completed in order
to be eligible to receive the next instalment.
Forms are also available at all AFSC and ARD offices
throughout Alberta. If you have questions or need
assistance, please contact the Ag Info Centre at
310-FARM or online at www.agric.gov.ab.ca.
For more information on ALMS (Alberta Livestock and Meat Strategy), AFRP II, traceability and age verification, please
call the Ag Info Centre at 310-FARM or visit Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development online at www.agric.gov.ab.ca