MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

TYLER FULTON, PRESIDENT

2021 will be remembered as a year of hardship for Manitoba’s beef producers, but it also revealed the toughness and grit of our farmers and ranchers . The drought overtook all other issues as it became a crisis that needed direct action to mitigate and manage the effects . However, you will also see within this report the multitude of other issues on which we continue to work on your behalf .

Manitoba Beef Producers played a pivotal role in addressing the impacts of the drought, first by listening to producers about the conditions and their challenges and later forming plans to address the specific challenges . Some of the key responses included the opening of the Ag Action BMP 503 program to address water shortages for livestock, modifications to Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation’s crop insurance programs to provide incentives to convert marginal cereal and corn crops for use as livestock feed and, finally the AgriRecovery program designed to support producers that were struggling to maintain their breeding herd . However, all of these measures only partially addressed the impact of the drought our farms .

Communication and collaboration with staff at Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development, along with Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) and Manitoba Forage & Grasslands Association (MFGA) was exceptional . Bi-weekly meetings with this group were held since the spring and provided a venue to raise concerns, develop and provide feedback on new policy and programs and simply to address issues as they came up in the worsening drought . This type of ongoing dialogue with other commodities and with elected and other officials at both the provincial and federal government level was extremely important as we worked to tackle many different aspects of the drought .

The staff of MBP worked exceptionally hard in addressing the drought situation . David Hultin, our Communications Lead did an excellent job managing the media and key messages that led to an unprecedented awareness of the issue in the urban public and among policy makers . MBP was quoted or interviewed more than 200 times in media on the drought and many other topics, with coverage ranging from local to international media outlets . Maureen Cousins, MBP Policy Analyst, spent hours listening to producers describe their situations and hours more providing support and research for developing key drought initiatives . Her experience helped guide our discussions and responses with government officials . Our General Manager, Carson Callum ensured that we were all working cohesively to ensure progress on the issue and played a huge role in communicating to the public and government staff . While under the stress of managing through this situation, he provided steady leadership to the whole team, putting in the extra time and effort required . I feel very proud of the whole team effort and want to thank all staff for their hard work .

I also want to acknowledge the efforts of all the directors of MBP . I truly believe that the engagement and dedication of the directors in this organization brings great value to the industry . The diversity of opinions shared, the multiple regions represented, and the board’s collective knowledge and experience ensures that Manitoba Beef Producers stays grounded and accountable to our members . The challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic have limited the number of opportunities to meet in person, but despite this, we have been able to maintain a strong, thoughtful board with progressive ideas and plans for the future .

I feel very fortunate to have represented the organization and more broadly the industry over the last year . I have heard from dozens of beef producers whom I had not previously met, who are passionate advocates for our industry . While there are often differences of opinion on how to address an issue, I appreciate hearing all perspectives and please know that I attempt to represent them in our board’s conversations and decisions .

Looking ahead to 2022, Manitoba Beef Producers will have a full agenda . Among our efforts will be advocating for improved policy on Agricultural Crown Lands, providing feedback into the development of a new Agricultural Policy Framework with further improvements to Business Risk Management programs, the continuation of the pilot Livestock Predation Prevention Project, and a special focus on the issue of climate change and conservation . It is clear to me that we have an opportunity to lead on environment-related matters . We can do this by providing credible means to sequester more carbon and provide high quality wildlife habitat, while also helping farmers and ranchers benefit from their longstanding sustainable practices .

I remain optimistic about the future of Manitoba’s beef industry despite the challenges that we faced this past year . Favourable markets and weather, combined with passionate and hardworking farmers and ranchers will be a perfect combination to trigger a revitalization in our industry .