TORONTO — Beef farmers kept busy at the Beef Farmers of Ontario’s annual general meeting in February, debating and passing 20 resolutions.
Over the next 12 months, the BFO board will debate each of the resolutions and decide which ones the board will approve and act on.
The 20 resolutions follow:
- To support the increase to the national check-off from $1 per head marketed to $2.50 per head marketed for marketing, research and issues management, and that BFO take the required action necessary to implement as soon as possible.
- To lobby to make changes to the Ontario Beef Cattle Marketing Act that all animals entering an abattoir will trigger a check-off event.
- To encourage merchant chains to give the beef products a higher profile in the store.
- To promote a resurgence in local abattoirs.
- To adopt a position that traceability, including the flow of information such as carcass data, be fully implemented within five years or be abandoned.
- To lobby the provincial government to ensure all areas of the province have an available veterinarian and are sufficiently serviced.
- To lobby for the creation or reintroduction of the Livestock Medicines course to provide training/certification for farmers.
- To consider a review and investigation of the regulations surrounding determination of over thirty month (OTM) age cattle, and that there be enforcement of documented age verification over dentition.
- To work with CCA and CCIA to investigate the feasibility of using CCIA packer PINs for direct to packer sales on shipping manifests as an alternative to applying missing RFID tags to cattle.
- To lobby on behalf of beef producers to have the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program process be more transparent in how damage claims are dealt with and to provide timely payments when approved.
- To lobby the provincial government to enhance the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program and put incentives in place to remove nuisance wildlife.
- To continue to appeal to the Farm Products Marketing Commission that the licence fee collected on dairy bob calves is the property of BFO.
- To actively pursue options that would incentivize or, if necessary, mandate the flow of information (including, for example, price and carcass data) to all sectors in the supply chain.
- To act to provide producers with access to a comprehensive data capture and management system.
- To research and build the base of knowledge of agriculture’s effect on the environment in Ontario.
- To ban the use of hot iron branding in Ontario for all types of cattle.
- To work with the Ontario Feeder Finance Committee to continue lobbying the Minister of Agriculture and OMAFRA for positive changes to the Ontario Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program in a timely manner.
- To lobby for and coordinate funding, similar to the funding available to expand in northern Ontario, to allow all Ontario beef producers to be on a level playing field with access to similar funding for industry growth and expansion to promote sustainability.
- To work with municipalities to ensure that 911 signs can be installed at no cost if requested by property owners.
- Should BFO’s Board of Directors reduce eligible amounts or make changes that reduce eligible initiatives or expenses, that these reductions/changes be communicated to all counties in April of the year approved, but become effective in January of the following year.
