With the summer months upon us, some folks take holidays – we know that isn’t the case when you’re a beef producer. Making hay while the sun is shining is what we do and pray that the rain stays away when the fields are ready for baling.
CCA’s work on the hill has paid off over the past few months with the Government’s announcement of the Livestock Tax Deferral (LTD) Program’s increased buffer zones to accommodate more areas covered by the risk management tool. We have been advocating for changes to the LTD for years and given the recent and frequent drought years, CCA increased advocacy efforts to both Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Finance Canada to make these critical changes.
The federal government has taken a summer break from Ottawa but that doesn’t mean our efforts relax. We are still pushing for changes to the Income Tax Act to include all classes of cattle and to allow producers to self-elect when they need to use the LTD. We have also continued to consult financial advisors on the newly implemented capital gains tax on June 25. When we have more information on how these new rules may impact family farm transitions and sell offs, we will be providing that information to our producers.
We were also glad to see the Livestock Price Insurance (LPI) two-year Pilot officially launched in several Maritime provinces. The new program will permit producers from New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island – and soon Nova Scotia – the ability to purchase insurance on price protection for their beef cattle in the case of an unforeseen market disruption. CCA and the Canadian Cattle Youth Council have been advocating for this program for many years, following the implementation of LPI in western provinces. It’s a valuable tool for beef cattle producers to help navigate uncertainty and risks related to adverse weather events. It is also critical for those entering the sector or looking to expand their herds.
Moving cattle has been a hot topic as we have been assisting provincial producers to have their voices heard during the recent Cargill strike in Ontario. During those 41 days, producers in Ontario and Quebec had to look at alternate locations for processing, with the U.S. as an alternate. With the U.S. 100-day rule currently in place, this placed even more pressure when farmers have had to ship across border. We are thankful the strike is over but recognize that it underlined the importance of keeping our supply chain efficiently operational - and that we will do all we can to ensure that happens. Science and rules-based trade are more important now than ever.
Speaking of across the border, at the time of writing this article, the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has not been detected in beef or milk samples in Canada. We applaud our Canadian producers for their continued vigilance and for keeping biosecurity measures top of mind to ensure business continuity. The markets are there and demand for our quality Canadian beef continues to grow at home and abroad.
On the environmental front, we want to congratulate our latest provincial nominees for The Environmental Stewardship Awards (TESA). As we all know, beef cattle producers play a huge role in protecting and enhancing our environment. We commend you and all other nominees for the work and effort you put into continuously striving to improve your existing stewardship practices, setting our industry up for a sustainable future. The national winner will be announced on August 21 at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference (CBIC).
Protecting our herds, expanding our markets and improving your bottom line are our goals in all CCA activities. We are beef producers working for beef producers and are here to serve you.
Nathan Phinney
President, CCA
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