October 2016 • Country Life in BC


9 Check-off fee increase will boost BC, nat’l beef programs by DAVID SCHMIDT


VERNON – An increase in the BC beef checkoff from $3 to $5 per head can go ahead after the BC Association of Cattle Feeders approved it at their annual meeting in Vernon, September 9.


The increase includes a 50¢ increase in the provincial checkoff (from $2 to $2.50) and a $1.50 increase in the national checkoff (from $1 to $2.50).


The others three members of the BC Cattle Industry Development Council (CIDC) – the BC Cattlemen’s


Association, BC Breeders and Feeders Association and BC Dairy Association – all previously approved the increase.


Since the BC Cattle Industry Development Fund matches the checkoff, the $5 levy will make $10 available for provincial and national beef promotion, marketing and research programs.


The national portion of the checkoff is mandatory but the provincial portion is


refundable. Despite that, less than 1% of sellers ask for a refund and CIDC chair Linda Allison, a Princeton rancher,


does not expect that to change with the levy increase. The CIDC must now send the provincial government a letter confirming approval of the new rate by all parties. This will allow government to change the legislation enabling the increase. Allison hopes that occurs before the end of the year so the new levy can be in place by next spring.


In addition to chairing CIDC, Allison has just been elected chair of Canada Beef and the Canadian Beef Cattle Research, Market Development and Promotion Agency. Although


New guide simplifies well licensing by DAVID SCHMIDT


VERNON – BC Cattlemen’s Association water sub- committee chair Linda Allison says she was “embarrassed” by the well-licensing seminar at this spring’s BCCA annual meeting. Intended to help ranchers with the licensing requirements of the new Water Stewardship Act, the seminar instead made the process appear even more difficult than it is.


Rather than stew about it, Allison, who has represented ranching interests during the development of the act for the past 10 years, did something about it. “I went home and went through the process of registering my own wells,” she says. Her experience led her to condense the 82-page help document provided at the seminar into a much more user-friendly eight-page guide titled Helpful Hints when apply for an existing groundwater (well) licence. “The guide goes through what you actually need and doesn’t include things you don’t need to do,” she told BC cattle feeders at their annual meeting in Vernon,


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Allison’s guide opens with a one and a half page listing of the documents and information a registrant will require, detailing where and how to obtain them.


Step-by-step instructions


It describes how to access the water licensing website, includes likely responses to many of the questions being asked and provides concise step-by-step instructions on how to provide requested information and use the available tools. At the conclusion of each step, Allison includes a reminder to “save your application.” Saving regularly can avoid a lot of potential frustration later, she points out. Regardless of when an existing well is registered, the government is charging for its water usage from March 16, 2016. Delaying registration is therefore not advisable as it will only result in a larger initial usage bill. Besides, the free well registration period will expire March 1, 2017. The guide is available through the BCCA office [www.cattlemen.bc.ca] or 1-877-888-2333. As well, the


BCCA will be holding workshops throughout the province this fall and winter to assist producers.


Although the government has finalized the licensing, rates and many other components of the new act, some issues remain. Of primary concern to the cattle sector are issues surrounding stock watering on private and public land.


“The Ministry of Environment is now developing an intentions paper and once it is released, we will have a comment period,” Allison said.


they continue to have the same 16 directors, the two organizations were split earlier this year.


“It used to all be under Canada Beef but that was not acceptable to Farm Products Council of Canada,” Allison explains.


Now the agency has its own general manager, Melinda German, and is responsible for ensuring use of the national checkoff funds complies with the federal acts and the direction of each province. “Melinda is now working to ensure service agreements are in place with each province,” Allison says.


That is key since each province specifies how much of their levy goes toward marketing and how much to research. BC has been allocating 90¢ to marketing and 10¢ to research but that could change with the higher levy.


“We will discuss the ratio at our fall CIDC meeting,” Allison says.


Promotion and marketing dollars are funneled into Canada Beef while research funds are distributed by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC).


Because all beef-producing provinces approved the $1 national levy, the agency could also apply it to imported beef, bringing an additional $1


million into the coffers. However, Ontario and Quebec have yet to approve the higher levy. Until they do, there will be no increase in the levy on imported product, even if BC and other provinces start paying the higher rate. Allison says the increased levy is necessary to implement the national beef strategy adopted in 2015. The strategy has four goals: • Connectivity – increase synergies within industry and make positive connections with consumers and government.


• Productivity – increase production efficiency by 15% by 2020.


• Competitiveness – reduce cost disadvantages by 7% by 2020.


• Beef demand – increase carcass cutout value by 15% by 2020.


By leveraging their funds, Canada Beef and the BCRC are able to get a $14 value out of each checkoff dollar. Allison says Canada Beef has developed a Canadian brand and is focused on promoting the brand both inside and outside Canada. “Food service, packers and retailers have really embraced the brand,” she says, adding restaurants like Tim Horton’s and McDonald’s are now also asking to use it. “We haven’t had that before.”


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