Reaction Comes In to Proposed Ministers Meetings

Mar 22, 2021

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has said she will convene further Federal-Provincial-Territorial meetings, but before she does, she would like an indication from prairie provinces as to whether or not they will sign on to Ottawa’s AgriStability proposals.

In November, the federal government proposed changes to AgriStability that included eliminating the reference margin limit and boosting the compensation rate to 80 percent.

Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Minister, David Marit, has stated he last talked with Bibeau on January 29th, when he made the call for the meeting. He noted it is nice to see the federal minister is now willing to come back to the table with the provincial and territorial ministers to finish the discussions on AgriStability.

A number of national agricultural associations have thanked Bibeau, as well as federal Minister-at-Large Jim Carr, for the comments regarding the proposed changes.

The president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Bob Lowe, stated there is a need for tools to help better manage risks such as weather, trade and production, with the proposed enhancements doing that. He also expressed that the changes will better position the beef industry to contribute to the nation’s economic recovery.

Mary Robinson, Canadian Federation of Agriculture President, said there is no time to wait, with a need for clarity now. She pointed to the looming deadline for AgriStability and that farmers across the country are already looking at their risk management decisions for the year.

The Canadian Pork Council echoed some of the concerns voiced by the CCA about tools for mitigating economic risks. Chair Rick Bergmann also acknowledged the focus for governments right now is the COVID-190 vaccinations and the economic recovery. That said, he called for a consensus on AgriStability.

The Grain Growers of Canada President, Andre Harp, stated they are calling on all ministers to come together in support of the country’s farmers at a time when the sector is poised to be a key driver in Canada’s economic recovery.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.