Faced with declining checkoff dollars to fund them, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association is looking to merge two of its marketing arms, according to Thursday’s Manitoba Co-operator.
The roles of the Canadian Beef Export Federation (CBEF) and the Beef Information Centre (BIC) are currently under review with an eye on cutting costs, according to former CCA head Brad Wildeman, now co-chair of the Canada Beef Working Group charged with overseeing the process.
“We want to make sure that we’re making the most efficient use of those dollars and there’s expertise in both of those organizations that likely could be shared,” Wildeman told Co-operator reporter Daniel Winters on the sidelines of the CCA’s recent semi-annual meeting in Calgary.
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The future of the two organizations, with about 50 staff, will be reviewed by the 10-member Canada Beef Working Group, Winters wrote.
“We know that checkoff money is going to go down because cow numbers are down,” Wildeman told Winters. The decline in herd numbers that began in 2005 has continued up to the present, and represents a general industry trend.
Also, as of April 1, the Alberta government made the $1-per-head national checkoff payment refundable to producers in the province that produces 65 per cent of the country’s beef.
In face of that reality, the need for a “more dynamic” and “unified” marketing vision is needed in order to convince government and the industry to continue to support such efforts.
“We don’t care where the beef tongues are being sold, as long as it’s bringing the most value,” said Wildeman.
Some staff positions from both organizations may have to be cut, he said, but if possible, that would happen through attrition, such as retirements.
CORRECTION, Aug. 31: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to BIC as the Beef Information Council.
