At press time last week, cattle industry organizations were still waiting for confirmation that the compulsory national checkoff on Alberta cattle would be reinstated.
That was expected after the agreement between the Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) and the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association to reinstate the $1 per head checkoff.
However, ABP had to get approval from its delegates and then formally request the change from Marketing Council, who in turn had to go through its own procedure.
“It is our understanding that the council will file the change to the checkoff regulation the week of Nov. 29 and that the $1 national checkoff will then become nonrefundable in a few days,” said Rich Smith, ABP general manager.
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Brett Sparrow, executive assistant to Agriculture Minister Jack Hayden said that he also expected the checkoff regulation to be in place in the same week. “However, we all know that some times these changes can be slow due to the nature of how governments work.”
The longer the delay in making the changes, the more national checkoff money that may potentially be lost due to refund requests before the cutoff date. Smith said that taking into account past rates of checkoff revenue, the possible 40 per cent refund request and the one-third national share, the loss to national checkoffs could be as high as $1 million. “There is no way we can recoup any of that either,” he said.
Some concern has been expressed that political pressure has been exerted at the highest level to block the non-refundable $1 national checkoff. Smith says that if there is any pressure, its not coming from their partners to the agreement, the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association. “They have been supportive and Minister Hayden has also worked hard at getting the change through the process.”
The next step will be to begin charging it on beef and cattle imports. “We will be going after the federal government to get that collection process in place as soon as possible,” smith said.
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“However,weallknowthatsometimesthesechangescanbeslowduetothenatureofhowgovernmentswork.”
BRETT SPARROW
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO AGRICULTURE MINISTER JACK HAYDEN
