MCPA Applauds Creation of Trade Secretariat

by Matthew Wright

The Manitoba Cattle Producers Association is extremely pleased that the federal government has taken concrete steps to improve foreign market access for Canadian cattle producers.

For years the cattle industry has pressured officials at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Members of Parliament about the importance of creating a separate entity­—with the appropriate credentials—to expand foreign markets. The MCPA is looking forward to working with the newly appointed Secretariat in order to improve Canadian producers competitiveness in the global market. The potential return on this investment by the Canadian Government is enormous.

“This is a significant step forward that the MCPA has been pushing for quite some time,” said MCPA President Joe Bouchard. “We are extremely pleased to see that the government recognizes the importance of the livestock industry to this country. We need the Secretariat to get down to business right away to increase opportunities to market our high quality product worldwide.”

Experts are predicting an increase in demand for high quality protein, including beef, around the world especially in the quickly developing markets of India and China. With improved market access there are significant opportunities to enhance Canadian cut-out values. It is estimated that increased market access for Canadian producers would result in an extra $90 per head of cattle.

In recognition of the importance of market access, Canada’s agricultural sectors continue to enhance our animal health and food safety systems. In the beef and cattle sector, the development of a global branding strategy based on the Canadian Beef Advantage (CBA) illustrates this commitment. This program serves to communicate related achievements including Canada’s leadership in establishing the first mandatory national cattle identification system in North America. In the future, enhancements to traceability capabilities and expansion of on-farm food safety initiatives such as the Verified Beef Production (VBP) program will be central to maintaining and expanding market access.

“Fresh, innovative strategies such as this are exactly what we need to enhance our industry,” said Bouchard. “Access to a variety of markets around the world is critical to moving all cuts of our animals and is the only means of maximizing the total value for the industry.”