mbbeef.ca
Oct. 28, 2016
E-Newsletter
An update from Manitoba Beef Producers
Beef Week
Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler
stopped by the MBP office Monday to sign
the proclamation to delcare Beef Week in
Manitoba. Joining him was MBP President
Heinz Reimer.
Find Us Online
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@ManitobaBeef
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hear from producers!
Canada Beef is looking for the stories and proof
points to back what we say about producers and
strengthen our sense of trust and relationship with
consumers. Help tell your story, how you are committed to do the best you can do to bring quality Canadian Beef to the consumers table. We invite you
to complete this 10-15 minute questionnaire that
will help Canada Beef tell your story. Begin Survey
Manitoba Beef Producers E-Newsletter
MBP
2016
A look at the
news and articles
district meetings
of interest
to Manitoba’s
Beef industry underway
In the News
• Helping consumers
make an informed
choice
• The revised Code of
Practice is a win for
everyone
• Manitoba Ag Ex caters
to next generation
• The latest Beef Market
Update from Anne
Wasko
Manitoba Beef Producers' 2016 district meetings are underway.
The first of 14 meetings took place Monday with the district 11 meeting
in Ashern. The district 9 and 4 meetings were also held this week.
“The district meetings provide an opportunity for you to interact with
your MBP District Director and senior MBP staff,” MBP President Heinz
Reimer said in an invation that was sent out to the association’s roughly
7,000 members.
Like in past years the district meetings include a review of MBP’s finances and updates on industry developments, trends, programs, regulatory
changes and more. Members will also have the opportunity to present
resolutions for debate at the annual general meeting.
“This year we also plan to have a discussion about the exciting comments made by Manitoba’s Agriculture Minister, Ralph Eichler about his
interest in seeing Manitoba’s beef cow herd grow to 750,000 over the
next decade,” Reimer said in the letter. “It is important to know what
type of policies and tools (members) see• as key to achieving this, be it
targeted business risk management programs, enhanced lending tools,
research into production efficiencies, a strong labour supply, sound
water management strategies, access to Crown lands and community
pastures or other needs. (Member) input on this subject would be very
valuable.”
Director elections are also taking place at meetings in odd-numbered
districts.
Planning for MBP’s 38th Annual General Meeting is also underway. The
theme for the upcoming AGM, which is scheduled for Feb 2-3 2017, is
Sharing Our Story, and will focus on topics such as making the connection between producers, customers and the general public.
“The AGM features topical breakout sessions, panel discussions, resolutions debate, industry updates, and is an opportunity to interact with
your fellow beef producers, other members of our production chain
and, government officials,” Reimer said.
To find further information on the AGM and register online, go to:
http://www.mbbeef.ca/annual-meeting/. More on speakers and the
AGM agenda will be included in upcoming issues of Cattle Country.
Manitoba Livestock Expo
The Manitoba Livestock Expo is underway in Brandon. The annual event
kicked off Wednesday at the Keystone Centre and will carry on until Saturday.
Manitoba Beef Producers is at the expo with a booth in the Westoba Centre.
Photos by Terra Begen.
Swath and bale grazing
strategies: Webinar Nov. 23
By the Beef Cattle Research Council and expertise to support advanceOn the fence about incorporatments in the Canadian beef indusing swath or bale grazing on your
try, and through the Knowledge
operation? Join us to learn more
Dissemination and Technology
about this practice and why it may
Transfer project funded by the Nabe a good option for you. Although tional Check-off and Canada’s Beef
advice will primarily be intended for Science Cluster.
producers in Eastern Canada, there Speakers
will be tips and tricks that Western
John Duynisveld, MSc – Research
Canadians can incorporate as well,
Biologist, Agriculture and Agrifollowed by an opportunity for
Food Canada
everyone to ask questions.
John Duynisveld has been a beef
When
researcher in AAFC Nappan for 17
Wednesday, November 23, at 8
years. On-going research includes
p.m.
the effect of forage species on beef
Interested but aren’t available that productivity, the effect of bio-active
evening?
forages on animal production, and
Register anyway! This webinar will
extending the grazing season. His
be recorded and posted online
family farm raises grass-fed beef,
at a later date. All registrants will
sheep, and pork, and free range
receive a link to the recording and
chickens and turkeys.
additional learning resources. By
Vern Baron, PhD – Research Sciattending the live event, you’ll have entist, Agriculture and Agri- Food
the opportunity to interact and ask Canada
questions too.
Vern Baron was raised on a farm
Watching on a tablet or mobile
in South-Western Manitoba. He
device?
completed a BSc in Plant Science
If you plan to join the webinar using at the University of Manitoba and
your tablet or mobile device, you
M.Sc. and Ph.D. at the University
will need to download the appropri- of Guelph in Crop Science on the
ate receiver. We recommend that
topics of high moisture corn preseryou join the webinar 15 minutes
vation and evaluation of short seaearly as you will be prompted to
son corn hybrids for forage. He has
download the receiver once you log worked as an Agricultural Represenin, which may take several mintative for Manitoba Agriculture and
utes to complete. To download the
has been at the Lacombe Research
receiver ahead of time, visit: http:// Centre with Agriculture and Agriwww.citrix.com/go/receiver.html
Food Canada since 1982.
Cost
Dr. Baron has been the Co-leader of
BCRC webinars are available and
the Western Forage Beef Group, is
free of charge thanks to guest
a Fellow of the Canadian Society of
speakers who volunteer their time
Agronomy, and has been a Division
chair of the Forages and Grasslands
section of the Crop Science Society
of America and Associate Editor for
Canadian Journal of Plant Science,
Agronomy Journal and currently
Crop Science.
Dr. Baron is a leader of research
projects in the areas of extending
the grazing season, environmental
impacts of beef production and
forage management on the environment, and the role of annual
forages including corn, barley and
triticale in beef systems in Western
Canada.
What is a webinar?
Webinars are just like attending a
workshop or conference, but from
the comfort of your own home
or office. We bring the presentation right to you. They’re easy to
join and participate in. A reliable,
high-speed internet connection is
required.
All you need to do is register beforehand, and about 5-10 minutes
before the webinar is scheduled to
begin, click the link you were provided when you registered. Then
turn up your computer speakers or
call the phone number provided.
That’s it! Sit back and enjoy. As a
participant, you can anonymously
answer polls and surveys, and will
have the opportunity to ask questions near the end of the webinar.
Don’t have high-speed internet? Consider calling a neighbor that
does and watch the webinar together, or call your regional ag
office to ask whether arranging a
group viewing is possible.
Nominations open for The
Environmental Stewardship
Award
Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) is accepting applications for The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA)
until December 1st. All supporting documentation (including 2 letters of reference, photos, etc.) needs to be to
provided to MBP by that time as well.
A winner will be announced at the MBP AGM in February.
The background information and TESA application is available online at the following websites. NOTE: Producers need to send their information directly to the MBP office, not to CCA.
http://www.cattle.ca/sustainability/the-environmental-stewardship-award/
http://www.cattle.ca/assets/TESA/tesa-application-v7.3.pdf
ELIGIBILITY
All beef cattle operations in Manitoba are eligible to apply. Producers can either be nominated by an individual
or organization or apply themselves. Both methods are equally encouraged.
Nominees and applicants compete for one of five provincial awards based on their province of residence.
Past nominees are encouraged to resubmit their application. Previous winners may not reapply.
INFORMATION THE CANDIDATES ARE REQUIRED TO SUPPLY
• Provide a description of your farm including the environment it operates in.
• What have you done/what are you doing to improve environmental management on your farm?
• What are your challenges and successes? Please include pictures and/or data which help show measurable results.
• What factors have enabled you to make management changes? (e.g. Working with conservation
organizations, programs such as the Environmental Farm Plan, funding support, education, etc.)
• What are your environmental goals for the future and how do you plan to carry them out?
Include two letters of reference that speak to your leadership in conservation.
Please limit applications to 10 pages (not including letters of reference and photos). Electronic applications are
preferred and a single, complete PDF document is requested. Submit applications to [email protected]
Industry promotes solutions-oriented
approach to climate change
From the CCA Action News
Earlier this month Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau announced that
Canada will set a minimum price for
carbon pollution of $10 per metric
tonne in 2018, rising by $10 each
year to $50 per tonne in 2022. The
proposed measure is intended to
assist Canada to meet its Paris Climate Agreement targets of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 17% below 2005 levels by
2020 and 30% below 2005 levels by
2030. The plan will be reviewed in
2022 to ensure it remains relevant
to meeting this target.
Many details of the tax are yet to be
developed however Canada’s beef
industry is well prepared to engage
in discussions. The National Beef
Sustainability Assessment, a recent
environmental, social and economic
assessment of the Canadian beef
industry completed by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef,
helps to build a comprehensive understanding of the beef industry’s
impact and contribution to rural
communities, the environment and
Canada’s economy.
Of notable interest to carbon
discussions include the Canadian
beef industry’s strong performance
regarding the GHG footprint of beef
production. Canadian beef has one
of the lowest GHG footprints per
unit of production in the world at
12.0 kg CO2 equivalent per kilogram of live weight, less than half
of the world average. Land used for
beef production currently stores
approximately 1.5 billion tonnes of
carbon and provides for the con-
servation of 44 million acres (Ma)
of pasture lands including 32 Ma of
native grasslands, an at-risk ecosystem with less than 18% remaining
in North America.
Bob Lowe, Chair of the Canadian
Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) Environment Committee, said farmers
and ranchers have long relied on
conservation and stewardship practices to ensure healthy pastures,
grasslands and ecosystems are
preserved for future generations.
What needs to be better understood is that these same practices
help mitigate the impact of climate
change, he said.
“Although the beef industry contributes to just 3.2% of Canada’s
total GHG footprint we want to
work together to find appropriate
solutions,” Lowe said. “This way we
ensure one well intended policy
doesn’t negatively impact another
environmental, social or economic
goal we are working towards.”
The economic portion of the sustainability assessment found that
over the last decade a cow-calf herd
of 200 head of cattle returned on
average $17,559 to the Canadian
beef producer. Many operations
have diversified their incomes,
including a high level of off-farm income. At the same time, the Canadian beef industry is an economic
engine contributing more than $41
billion to the Canadian economy
and generating 228,000 jobs.
Raising cattle is not a large margin
business, said CCA Executive Vice
President Dennis Laycraft. “We
have to remain competitive against
the global market if we want to
continue to contribute meaningfully to Canada’s economy and
conservation goals. That is why as
climate change discussions move
forward we will continue to participate and promote a solutions-oriented dialogue,” he said.
The CCA has developed recommendations to reduce the GHG
footprint of Canadian beef production in the document, Beef
Industry Strategies for Reducing
Greenhouse Gases and Building
the Green Economy. High level
recommendations further detailed
in the report include:
• Increasing productivity to reduce
the per kg GHG footprint of Canadian beef
• Enhancing producer resiliency to
the impacts of climate change
• Mitigating GHG emissions
• Supporting national and international climate change dialogue and
action
• Scientific measuring and monitoring
The CCA also views the Federal
Government’s focus on climate
change to be an opportunity to
introduce payment for ecological
services programs that could support further soil carbon sequestration or other initiatives that reduce
Canada’s GHG footprint.
For more detail regarding recommendations for GHG reductions
and facts regarding beef production and climate change, read the
CCA’s Beef Industry Strategies for
Reducing Greenhouse Gases and
Building the Green Economy and
the results of the National Beef
Sustainability Assessment.
Where the livestock industry CONNECTS...
Wednesday, December 14
Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Canada
More than 140 exhibits
MULTI-SPECIES LIVESTOCK SHOW featuring: hog, beef,
dairy, sheep, poultry, bison, goat...
The latest in livestock production techniques
NEW & EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES: expert presentations
for today’s producers
Canada’s
largest
Pork Quality
Competition...
...
s Cash Prize
mpion win
Grand Cha
...PLUS a trip for 2* to DES MOINES, Iowa
for the WORLD PORK EXPO 2017!
*(max $2500) See website for details.
free admission / free parking / door prizes
prairielivestockexpo.ca
Formerly HOG & POULTRY DAYS