The Beef Beat

By Darby Wheeler, BFO Policy Advisor darby@ontariobeef.com • www.ontariobeef.com

BFO Returns to Host Annual Barbecue at the Ontario Legislature

Having started working at BFO in the summer of 2020, my experiences out and about for work had been limited and my experiences at virtual meetings had been higher than ever expected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But opportunities the past few months to meet producers and engage with other organizations have certainly increased with people eager to get back to meeting in person. This past summer, it was great to be able to attend the firstever Ontario Beef Youth Alliance Summer Tour, the Canadian Beef Industry Conference and BFO’s Summer Meeting in Lanark County. It’s been awesome to meet producers and colleagues from across the province and country, and to gain more insight into the issues impacting the beef sector.

Another first for me since beginning at BFO, and with much anticipation, was taking part in BFO’s Annual Queen’s Park Beef Barbecue. After a two-year hiatus, BFO Directors and staff were excited to be back at Queen’s Park on September 7th for the 15th annual event and lobby day. Likewise, Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) and legislative staff were also excited to see the return of the beef barbecue on the front lawn and eagerly lined up to enjoy some Ontario Corn Fed Beef.

A major component of the BFO Queen’s Park Barbecue is engaging with MPPs and discussing timely issues facing the beef sector. Board and staff attended several meetings throughout the day with government and opposition MPPs from all parties represented in the legislature. This included meetings with Premier Ford; Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; and Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. It was a pleasure to meet with each and every MPP to highlight priority issues facing our members while underpinning the value of beef production in the province to our environment and economy.

In addition to discussing the impact of Ontario’s beef sector to the provincial economy and the industry’s environmental goals, priority issues raised with MPPs were investments in Ontario’s Risk Management Program (RMP), a review of the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act (PAWS Act), and the need for a foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccine bank. Also discussed with some MPPs was the use of Crown Land for agricultural use in northern Ontario, preserving Ontario’s farmland, and meat processing capacity. To dive further into the key issues discussed with MPPs, below is a brief overview of each issue.

BFO was pleased to have staff from Feed Ontario join us for our annual barbecue. BFO continues our commitment to Feed Ontario’s beef program through our annual donation. BFO Directors officially presented Feed Ontario with $40,000 to provide ground beef to folks and families in need.

Risk Management Program

Raised during every meeting was the need for increasing the RMP funding cap. As many know, RMP is a cost-shared insurance program designed to help stabilize the grains, horticulture and livestock sectors by providing partial financial protection for Ontario farmers against market volatility and production risks. RMP fills a critical gap for agricultural commodities in Ontario that are not protected by the supply management system. In discussions at Queen’s Park, BFO emphasized that the program is underfunded and for the need to increase the program cap from $150 million to $250 million. Currently the program is unable to meet all claims and increasing the program cap would ensure it is adequately resourced and responsive to changing market demands.

Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act

Replacing the OSPCA Act, the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act came into effect in January 2020, which implemented a provincially funded animal welfare enforcement model to protect animals from abuse and neglect. BFO has a team of animal care advisors who work cooperatively with PAWS inspection staff to provide a beef perspective when it comes to the standards of practice around care and handling of beef cattle. Despite BFO’s positive relationship with PAWS staff, there have been concerns around enforcement practices on farms and removal and seizure of livestock practices. In speaking with MPPs, BFO requested a review of the PAWS Act as it relates to enforcement on farms and removal and seizure of livestock, in partnership with agricultural stakeholders.

BFO appreciated the participation of MPP Sol Mamakwa, NDP Deputy Leader, and MPP John Vanthof, NDP Agriculture Critic, who helped to serve beef to MPPs and legislative staff.

Canadian FMD Vaccine Bank

BFO also raised the need for the Canadian government to fund a food and mouth disease (FMD) vaccine bank. Despite this being a federal issue, it was raised with MPPs to garner awareness. FMD is a severe and highly contagious disease that affects clovenhoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and deer, and is present or is a growing concern in a number of countries around the world. If detected in Canada, not only would it severely impact the health of animals, it would lead to an immediate border closure to exports from the beef, pork and dairy sectors. A large-scale outbreak in Canada has the potential for a $50-to-$60-billion-dollar financial impact on the Canadian economy. Vaccination is deemed as an important response to an FMD outbreak. Currently, Canada does not have its own FMD vaccine bank, but the projected cost of a Canadian FMD vaccine bank is $3.2 million. A small price tag in comparison to the potential cost of an outbreak in Canada.

Other Priority Issues

Other issues that were raised throughout the day included:

• Fostering growth of the agricultural sector in northern Ontario through access to Crown Land was discussed with many of the MPPs. Specifically, the need to develop an improved mechanism for permitting the use of Crown Land for agricultural use to support economic growth in northern Ontario;

• Preserving farmland to support the environment and food security was also discussed with an emphasis on preserving Ontario’s agricultural grasslands and recognizing the environmental benefits grasslands provide; and

• Committing to increase investment in programs that support meat processing capacity and infrastructure, and address labour challenges in the meat processing sector. BFO acknowledged the significant investments made by both the provincial and federal governments to support meat processing in Ontario, but noted the issue persists. BFO provided recommendations to improve funding programs and address labour concerns.

All in all, I would say our Queen’s Park Barbecue was a success! Many impactful conversations were had around the benefits Ontario’s beef sector provides to our economy and in maintaining our environment, the big issues facing the industry and how we can address them together.

BFO CELEBRATES 15TH ANNUAL BARBECUE AT QUEEN’S PARK

BFO returned to Queen’s Park in September to host their 15th Annual Beef Barbecue on the lawn of the Ontario Legislature in Toronto on Wednesday, September 7th for MPPs and their legislative staff. The BFO Board of Directors and staff proudly served an all-Ontario meal featuring Ontario Corn Fed Beef to 500 attendees over the lunch hour.

In addition to this highly anticipated annual event, BFO Directors and staff personally met with numerous MPPs throughout the day to advocate for increased investment in the Ontario Risk Management Program (RMP), a critical program to help protect the provinces food security, and ensure stability for the entire beef sector and for rural and urban communities.

“Farmers, like many sectors, now face unprecedented levels of risk and uncertainty. These risks cannot be mitigated by good management alone due to the increase in cost of production, trade and supply chain disruptions, and a level of market volatility we have never experienced,” says Jack Chaffe, BFO President. “Increasing the investment in RMP is the single most important action the province can take to support Ontario beef farmers with a proven return for the Ontario economy.”

Directors and staff also encouraged government to support a review of farm inspection and enforcement practices employed under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act with the farm sector. Preservation of farm and grazing land was another topic of discussion, with directors and staff asking for a commitment to preserve farmland through sound provincial land use policy that sees agriculture lands, including marginal lands used for livestock grazing and carbon sequestration, protected as the best use of our province’s arable land.

“The beef industry is an important economic driver of Ontario’s agri-food sector, contributing $2.69 billion to Ontario’s GDP,” explains Chaffe. “The priorities we shared with government representatives during our lobby day focus on growing beef production and promoting financial and environmental sustainability to ensure we can continue to provide a healthy supply of local food to Ontarians and those around the globe.”

BFO wishes to thank Premier Doug Ford for taking the time to meet with our executive team, and to Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, MPP Rob Flack and MPP Trevor Jones, Parliamentary Assistants to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, for generously taking time to serve beef to the barbecue attendees. BFO also appreciated the participation of MPP Sol Mamakwa, NDP Deputy Leader, and MPP John Vanthof, NDP Agriculture Critic, who helped to serve beef.

MPPs and legislative staff enjoyed an all-Ontario lunch featuring Ontario Corn Fed Beef striploin on a bun and hearty salads.