The Alberta government is partnering with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Alberta Beef Producers, and Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association to undertake a competitiveness study that will provide strategic insights and data for the beef cattle industry.
Announced July 14, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Devin Dreeshen says that collaborating with industry is vital to growing and advancing the agriculture sector in Alberta.
“This partnership demonstrates our shared commitment to grow Alberta’s food and processing sector. We know that agriculture will play a big part in Alberta’s economic recovery and growth,” says Dreeshen.
With government support, the study will help the beef industry identify challenges and opportunities in the supply chain, including:
- promoting transparency in cattle and wholesale beef markets;
- supporting processor resiliency and plant reinvestment strategies;
- expanding harvest capacity for small to medium-sized processors and identifying the supports required for growth; and,
- planning for surge capacity when events like the COVID-19 pandemic put stress on the food supply chain.
Greg Schmidt, chair of Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association, says they are eager to see what insights the study provides, as the prior beef industry study established that the industry is competitive and remains capable of maintaining that competitiveness into the future.
“There are, however, factors and trends that have the potential to decrease competitiveness. In order to grow our entire industry, our value chain has to be profitable and sustainable. In Alberta, value-added is a key component to our supply chain success so we look forward to how this study can shed some light on how to advance that segment,” Schmidt says.