An update from Manitoba Beef Producers

April 13, 2017 mbbeef.ca

E-Newsletter

Find Us Online@ManitobaBeef Facebook.com

mbbeef.ca

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Manitoba Beef Pro-ducers (MBP) is pleased to see the provincial govern-ment’s commitment to a Livestock Growth Strategy and to invest-ments in water-relat-ed infrastructure in the 2017-18 budget. Although details on the Livestock Growth Strategy are still forthcoming, the an-nouncement follows Agriculture Minis-ter Ralph Eichler’s comments in 2016 that the government

would like to see the provincial beef herd restored to pre-BSE numbers. “It’s encouraging to see the government is committed to growth in the province’s livestock sector,” said MBP President Ben Fox. “Since Minister Eichler’s comments about growing the provincial beef herd, MBP has been hard at work gathering the thoughts of our mem-bers on how best to achieve that goal. We

recently sent a letter to the minister that outlined the steps our members feel are needed to grow the industry. We now look forward to working with the government as part of this new strategy.” Fox noted that among the highlights in the letter to Minister Eichler were: the importance of strong business risk manage-ment tools; a regula-tory environment that encourages growth;

the needs for sound Crown land policies; opportunities to restore acres to cat-tle production and to provide it at econom-ically feasible prices; the need for improved wildlife management; and, the need for robust water man-agement strategies to help reduce risk. The renewed commitment to completing the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin outlets project is welcomed

MBP pleased with provincial government’s announcement of Livestock Growth Strategy

Manitoba Beef Producers E-Newsletter

• Grass is a crop too

• Beef Market Update: When you're current you have bargaining power

• Cattle show clinic reveals the tricks of the trade

• Culling should be a careful consideration of costs

In the NewsA look at the news

and articles of interest to Manitoba’s Beef

industry

Continued from Page 2

and MBP encourages the province to speak with producers who could be affected by the route selection to ensure impacts are mitigated.“We fully recognize that growing the herds in Manitoba’s live-stock sectors will be challenging,” said Fox. “Having the support of the provincial government will go a long way in helping us achieve long-term sustainability and profitability in the provin-cial cattle industry.”MBP notes the province did elect to eliminate three tax credits used by the agriculture sector - the Riparian Tax Credit, Nu-trient Management Tax Credit and Odour Control Tax Credit. However the news that there are no new taxes or tax increases in the budget is welcomed by our membership. As well, the borrowing limits for individuals and associations through the Livestock Associations Loan Guarantee program have been maintained.

MBP pleased ...

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Job Opening - MBP Office AssistantManitoba Beef Producers (MBP) has an exciting opportunity available for someone interested in working as part of a small team committed to advancing Manitoba’s beef industry. MBP is the exclusive voice of the beef industry in Manitoba. It represents roughly 7,000 beef producers across the province. MBP is a non-profit orga-nization with a elected board consisting of 14 producer-directors, each representing cattle producers in specific regions or districts of the Manitoba, along with four staff.MBP is seeking a full-time Office Assistant to work as part of the team. Under the direction of the General Manager, the Office Assistant performs reception and general administrative functions, provides functional support to other members of the MBP staff as well as to MBP Directors, leads planning, coordination and pro-motion of the Annual General Meeting, solicits advertisers for MBP’s industry newspaper, and oversees office informatics needs. Specifically, the Office Assistant:• provides first point of contact (includes receptionist duties) for producers, government officials and the gen-eral public;• provides administrative support to the General Manager and the Board of Directors;• provides assistance and services to producers including the Age Verification Program of the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency;• works in support of the MBP Communication Coordinator, assisting with the solicitation of advertisements and proofing of content;• organizes, files, and retrieves documents and information, and maintain proper office filing systems and in-ventory lists, including office supplies and promotional/resource documents inventory;• records meeting minutes when required;• leads the planning of the Annual General Meeting (AGM), annual district meetings and numerous trade-shows;• provides general office administrative support, including taking the lead in the maintenance of informatics systems and related equipment;• provides support and carry out other duties as assigned.The ideal candidate must have:• Good organizational skills and detail focused• A commitment to client service • Computer software skills (Excel/PowerPoint/Word)• The ability to meet and enforce deadlines• The ability to multi-task and be adaptable to changing priorities• A solid team focus• A valid driver’s licenseWhile not necessarily required, it would be beneficial if the candidate had:• Knowledge and competencies related to office network maintenance and informatics• Experience working as an assistant in an office environment• Specific agriculture experience working with the beef sectorThe Office Assistant for the Manitoba Beef Producers must be friendly, well organized and have the ability to communicate effectively in written, oral and e-mail form. The Office Assistant is required to show discretion and tact, and to work well as part of a team. The position reports directly to the General Manager.This position is located at MBP’s office in Winnipeg. Normal working hours are 8:30-4:30, Monday through Friday, but the candidate will be asked to periodically travel within the province and work irregular hours. MBP offers competitive compensation commensurate with the skills and experience of the successful candidate. Click here for a full job description. Please submit your resumé and cover letter by April 24, 2017 to Brian Lem-on, MBP General Manager at blemon@mbbeef.ca.Thank you to all interested applicants, however only those under consideration will be contacted.

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The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) welcomes today's announcement that Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments have concluded negotiations on a new Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) aimed at supporting Canadian business-es in reaching new customers across the country. While changes under the CFTA may take time to implement, the agreement's conclusion represents a commitment to reducing barriers to interpro-vincial trade. CFA has advocat-ed on the need to modernize internal trade systems, and

included this point as a key recommendation in last year's pre-budget consultations. "There's clear a commitment shown in the CFTA to harmo-nize regulations and standards wherever possible, and to take a transparent approach in im-plementing changes" said Ron Bonnett, CFA President. "CFA is pleased that the agreement is structured to facilitate the flow of goods using an over-arching non-discrimination principle. This will ensure that technical aspects don't create unneces-sary barriers to trade within our own borders."In particular, CFA looks forward

getting more details about the newly announced Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table, a body that will be estab-lished to coordinate processes for resolving trade barriers when they are identified by provinces and territories, with input from stakeholders.In its advocacy work over the last year, CFA noted several ar-eas in which farmers face diffi-culties in interprovincial trade. Some examples include trucking transportation regulations and differing requirements between federally- and provincially-regu-lated meat processing plants.

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Help shape the Next Policy Framework

Growing Forward 2 expires on March 31, 2018 and it will be succeeded by the Next Policy Framework (NPF). Manitoba Agriculture is in the process of developing programs, activities and services that support sustainable growth, resiliency and competitiveness of Manitoba’s agri-cultural sector. Public input and suggestions into programs and services are key components in the development process. Manitoba Agriculture wants to ensure the NPF is developed through engagement with all industry stakeholders including farmers, processors and agribusiness to support sector growth. This online survey will provide an opportunity to voice your thoughts on program priorities. The survey is open until May 15, 2017.

AgriStability and AgriInvest Industry Advisory The following information applies to individual producers in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Yukon

New for 2016 AgriStability and AgriInvestPIN Required to File Forms Electronically to CRA

Starting with the 2016 program year, producers must provide their Participant Identification Number (PIN) to electronically file their AgriStability and AgriInvest forms to the Canadian Revenue Agency. The PIN is a participant's unique identifier for the programs. It allows to automatically match a partici-pant's 2016 information to their prior year records and prevents processing delays. Existing participants can find the PIN on the following statements: • AgriStability Enrolment Notice• AgriStability Calculation of Program Benefits Notice• AgriInvest Annual Statement of Account• AgriInvest Deposit Notice AgriStability participants whose first year of participation is 2016 will have already received a PIN when they enrolled in the program. Their PIN is shown on their Enrolment Notice. Only producers who are participating in AgriInvest for the first time in 2016 will have to request a PIN before they can electronically file a form. To request a PIN, new AgriInvest participants must complete a PIN Request Form which is available by: • downloading one from the AgriInvest website here, or• calling us toll-free at 1-866-367-8506 to request one. Once we receive a completed and signed form from a new AgriInvest participant, a PIN will be sent directly to the participant by mail. For privacy reasons, we will not send the PIN to the participants contact person, including form preparers.

Contract opportunity with Manitoba Beef Producers

On-Farm Assessor for the project “Innovation in disease management, disease control and wildlife/livestock interaction in the Riding Mountain Eradication Area for Manitoba.”Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) is looking for a highly motivated individual to work on a contract basis to conduct voluntary On-Farm Risk Assessments (OFRAs) with livestock producers in the Riding Mountain Eradication Area (RMEA). These assessments support ongoing collaborative efforts towards the eradication of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Manitoba.Responsibilities include: a) Contacting producers within the RMEA and conducting individual On-Farm Risk Assessments using an evaluation form; b) Distributing information materials such as brochures and reports; andc) Supporting bTB eradication activities by attending forums such as producer meetings or bTB Task Force meetings, if requested by the MBP General Man-ager.

Qualifications: • A good understanding of livestock production.• Strong communications and data management skills. • Highly-motivated self-starter who is able to work independently.• Access to a personal vehicle for travel to on-site farm assessments.• Experience in conducting assessments or surveys an asset.

Please send a cover letter and resumé to the attention of MBP General Man-ager Brian Lemon via info@mbbeef.ca by April 14th 2017.

MBP recognizes the ongoing efforts by Manitoba’s livestock producers toward achieving the goal of eradicating bovine tuberculosis.

What is VBP Plus (VBP+)?Beef producers like yourself care greatly about your animals, the product you produce and the environment in which you farm. It’s just common sense.

In today’s world the majority of people consuming your product are far removed from the farm, and often don’t understand what it is you do. Combine that with negative stories, misplaced myths and uncertainty about what to buy, only increases the need to trust. This is true of all commodities: from vegetables and fish production to raising beef.

To bring transparency and reassurance back to their buying choices, the industry and marketplace has increasingly adopted verification programs to reassure all levels of buyers that what we say we do – we are doing!

Buyers concerns cover a wide range of topics from food safety, animal health and welfare, the environment and even your well-being and survivability. Being “sustainable” is a popular term in the marketplace to describe all this with consumers wanting to make sustainable choices when purchasing goods and services.

Why VBP Plus (VBP+)?The Verified Beef Production (VBP) program, known in Canada for on-farm food safety, has been helping producers meet industry standards for food safety for over a decade. VBP coordinators and auditors are available to help you meet those standards in every province and are field proven, and trusted suppliers of information and audit services.

It makes sense to add animal care, biosecurity and environmental stewardship components to enhance the program a n d provide the entire sustainability package. The resulting program is cost effective and utilizes existing tools and programs wherever possible (e.g. programs such as animal care codes and environmental farm plans). This successful formula is aligned with other industry efforts, such as

the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.

Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) is building on the strong base of VBP by making it into a valuable program that will be a global leader in providing education and verification of ALL the good things you do.

How do I become VBP+ registered?

New producers to VBP+For those not registered in the VBP program now it’s still an easy entry process:

1. Learn about the program – through various educational media (e.g. self-assessment tool, online materials, webinars, teleconferences or by attending a regional workshop where offered).

2. Implement the program – review your practices, update your records where necessary and complete the self-assessment checklists making changes where and if necessary.

3. Complete the voluntary verification audit – this takesapproximately 3.5 hours, and involves a trained auditor who is knowledgeable in the beef industry. To be ready for the audit, a cow/calf producer must have the applicable records for at least 6 months, while a feedlot operator needs 3 months. The program is easily adaptable to any size of cow-calf or feedlot operation.

VBP Registered ProducersFor those producers registered in the VBP program now, they can transition into VBP+ on their next renewal

1. Continue to maintain the food safety records and practices as before.

2. Complete the VBP+ Supplemental Self-Assessment for the new components (biosecurity, animal care and environment),review your practices, update your records making changes where and if necessary.

3. The VBP+ program will be seamlessly integrated into your current audit cycle. Depending upon where you are at in your audit cycle, you will be required to submit:

a. a VBP+ self declaration or records assessment and,

b. averificationintervieworVBP+on-farmaudit.

4. Feedlots will be required to complete a feedlot cattle chute side handling and pen condition assessment.

Producers who successfully complete the above steps will receive a VBP+ certificate, and can market themselves as VBP+ registered. In some provinces VBP+ farm gate signs are also provided.

For more information on VBP+ To learn more about VBP+ workshop schedules, module information, self-assessment checklists and program costs please contact your provincial coordinator or visit our websites:

VBP Transitions to VBP Plus

Funds to build VBP+ come from Agriculture and Agri-

Food Canada’s AgriMarketing Program - Assurance Systems Stream of Growing Forward 2

Verified Beef Production Plus is an initiative of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the Beef

Cattle Research Council