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Beef producers vote to keep refundable check-off

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Albertaā€™s beef producers have voted by a narrow margin to keep the mandatory beef check-off refundable.

A plebiscite on the issue was held between Oct. 19 and Nov. 27. Preliminary results showed that 51.3 per cent of producers voted to keep the refundable check-off. Final results will be shared on Dec. 11, after a two-week period during which members can contest the results.

The check-off is a levy paid to the Alberta Beef Producers (ABP), which is used to fund industry research and marketing. The levy is mandatory, but producers may apply for a full reimbursement.

The Alberta Cattle Feedersā€™ Association (ACFA), and ABP were recommending a return to a non-refundable check-off to fund the New Era Beef Industry. Revenues from the non-refundable check-off would have been shared between ABP, ACFA and a new Alberta Beef Industry Development Fund (ABIDF), providing project funding for market development, research, education, consumer advocacy and industry collaboration.

Moving forward

Even though the plebiscite didnā€™t deliver the hoped-for result, it highlights the value of member-driven organizations that do not stand still.Ā The organizations will now focus on moving forward with securing funding for industry research and marketing projects. ACFA will continue with its efforts in lobbying, advocacy, policy development, industry development, and other activites. As individual organizations and as an industry, the goal is to persist in the pursuit of continuous improvement.

ā€œI want to thank everyone who took the time to engage in the discussion and to vote in the plebiscite,ā€ said Ryan Kasko, ACFA chair. ā€œACFA will continue to work in a collaborative fashion with ABP, drive operational efficiencies, and work diligently with partners to ensure the health of the industry.ā€Ā 

Albertaā€™s beef industry faces remarkable potential and ACFA will continue to take the lead and leverage opportunities for the benefit of its members, the cattle feeding sector, and the industry as a whole.

You can read more about how funds from a non-refundable check-off would have been used in ā€˜How funding for the new era beef industry will benefit all beef producersā€™.

Finances are among Cattle Feedersā€™ top issues

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Ryan Kasko, ACFAā€™s new board chair, talks in this blog about priority issues for the upcoming year.

Non-refundable checkoff

ACFA is working on a plan to collaborate with Alberta Beef Producers to build a new path forward that would include an Alberta Beef Industry Development Fund, Ryan said.

ā€œWe will be asking producers to vote in a plebiscite this fall to return to a non-refundable checkoff,ā€ he said. ā€œThe money generated will be used to finance marketing activities, research and other projects that will benefit the Alberta beef industry.ā€

Ryan said the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) used to provide $20 million for industry research and marketing initiatives. The funding has been eliminated, so it is hoped the checkoff proceeds will at least partly offset the lost funds. ā€œWeā€™re hoping to work with the government to show the value this investment is providing, and to hopefully get more government funding,ā€ he said.

Farm safety

The association is also heavily invested in making sure its members understand recent changes to the Alberta Labour Code. ā€œWeā€™re offering a feedlot safety program to ACFA voting members so that feedlots can get up to speed on farm safety, specifically in reference to those changes,ā€ Ryan said.

Trade

NAFTA is at the top of cattle feedersā€™ minds. ā€œAlthough weā€™re not directly involved in negotiations, we work alongside the National Cattle Feedersā€™ Association and the Canadian Cattlemenā€™s Association to support them in their efforts to make sure the beef industry remains part of NAFTA.ā€

Looking for a new CEO

Bryan Walton, ACFAā€™s president and CEO, will retire this fall, and a search for a replacement has started.

ā€œWe will be sad to see Bryan go,ā€ said Ryan. ā€œHeā€™ll be a hard person to replace. But at the same time, any change provides an opportunity for new ideas, and weā€™re looking forward to that process.ā€

You can learn more about Ryan and his work as a cattle feeder in an earlier Meet the team post.