Abattoirs, risk management and slow-moving vehicles top priorities for Beef Farmers of Ontario at last month’s annual meeting

GUELPH — Despite COVID-19 keeping everyone cooped up at home, the Beef Farmers of Ontario had a busy and productive annual general meeting online last month.

The beef farmers passed 16 resolutions forward, of 17 that were originally submitted. The only one that didn’t make it through would’ve created an elected youth position on the board of directors, with the aim of cultivating future BFO leaders. Last year, the BFO passed 20 resolutions.

While COVID-19 might have been expected to dominate the resolutions, given its very significant impact on the beef sector, it highlighted existing issues, rather than creating new ones. Many of the resolutions were unsurprising and dealt with issues the beef industry has been struggling with for years.

Those resolutions were:
● That BFO should ask Canadian Cattlemen’s Association to lobby the federal government for compensation on trucking costs for livestock farmers from the carbon tax.
● That BFO should lobby the province for more money in the Risk Management Programs.
● That BFO should continue to work the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association on Business Risk Management.
● That BFO should work with the dairy industry to reduce the number of cull cows entering the market from incentive days, and/or adjust how many go to market at one time.
● That BFO should investigate creating an incentive-based hay and pasture land protection program.
● That BFO should put together a framework for dealing with escaped livestock.
● That BFO should consider offering insurance for County and district organizations in case they get sued.
● That the BFO should investigate the feasibility of developing a National Agriculture Policy to deal with issues with interprovincial trade and reduce the strain on existing farm support programs.
● That BFO should work with/join OFA’s efforts to create a standard procedure for getting roadside Slow Moving Vehicle signage.
● That BFO should work with OFA and other organizations to ensure slow-moving vehicle signage is being used and enforced properly.
● That BFO should lobby the province and feds for better access to high-speed internet for beef farmers.
● That BFO should lobby for government-funded mobile abattoirs.
● That BFO should lobby the province for funding for small and start-up abattoirs.
● That the BFO should start using Canadian or Ontarian prices for boxed beef cutouts in its market updates.
● That BFO should work with Agricorp to update its corn-silage-to-dry-grain conversion formula.
● That BFO should lobby for large-scale funding for abattoirs of all sizes to increase processing capacity and re-open shuttered plants.