The Canadian Beef Breeds Council, the voice of the Canadian seed stock sector, is tasked with expanding the reach of Canadian beef breeds domestically and internationally.
Its efforts are made possible with funding from the federal government’s agri-marketing program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The council will receive $871,200 from 2023-26. Federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay highlighted the funding during Canadian Western Agribition.
“This federal investment is vital for our hard-working farmers so they can continue raising first-rate cattle while embracing practices that protect our land and livestock,” he said.
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Agribition is a partner of the council and plays role in promotion of Canadian purebred beef cattle. This year’s show included six in-person purebred cattle sales and showcased 10 breeds, which attracted international trade.
“Without promotion, without being able to go visit them and them come here, we wouldn’t have that trade,” said Sandy Russell, chief executive officer of the beef breeds council. “So, it’s those pieces, but it’s mainly in that high end of all genetics that they’re looking for so they can take back and amplify within their herd.”
Surrounded by the hum of the Agribition International Business Centre, and with the Simmental show going on in the arena below, Russell said this funding will be used for all aspects of international promotion for Canadian genetics, “to go out and bring inbound missions, outbound missions, so that we can build our trade exports on the genetic side.
“So live cattle, semen, embryos. And so, whether it’s through ourselves doing the work or our members doing the work, this funding is matching dollars that helps that promotion.”
Agri-marketing is about building relationships between potential buyers, sellers, breeders and everyone else in the industry on the international level.
Russell said the funding is also important for sharing important and necessary information about genetics, Canadian animal health standards and opportunities for trade.
The council met with a Mexican delegation at Agribition. Russell said discussion was focused on the interaction between the country’s beef industries and building relationships. The delegation wants to buy Canadian beef genetics to improve the country’s cattle herds.
International growth
In recent years, in part because of funding from the agri-marketing program, international attendance at shows such as Agribition has increased and interest in Canadian beef genetics has grown, said Russell.
The United States is the top marketing partner due to its proximity, but strategic markets that offer diversity and growth also include Vietnam, Australia, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.
The beef breeds council attends shows in North America and around the world, including Agribition, Farmfair in Edmonton, Beef Australia, National Western Stock Show in Denver and various shows in Mexico.
“So, a lot of it is travel, but a lot of it is also promotional materials, activities, virtual broadcasts of shows and stuff, so that people can view what was going on here and participate, like I said, in sales and stuff.”
Russell said the council has a prominent partnership with Australia. There were a few Australians at Agribition, notably the chief executive officer of Beef Australia, the biggest beef show on the other side of the world.
“We send representatives over to their big cattle show. They come here,” she said. “That would be a prime example of an activity that we’ve been doing and supported by these funding dollars that really translated into relationships, attendance, coming to each other’s country, seeing the cattle, seeing the opportunities, and then business being done.”
Russell said this commitment to partnerships is reflected by the willingness of Australian and Mexican buyers to travel to Regina at the end of November when there is risk of a foot of snow on the ground.
Cattle producers also play a big role.
“Breeders connecting with breeders is really what is ideal for relationships and for marketing. The Mexican breeders that are here, they don’t want to talk to Sandy. They want to go out into the barns and talk to the actual breeders.”
Russell urged producers to take advantage of opportunities at shows and the resources offered by the beef breeds council to better engage in the international marketplace.
“We can help support them inside those activities and participate in the missions. Whether that’s incoming breeders from other countries or outgoing to other countries, that opportunity to learn and to see what other countries need, from a genetics perspective, is extremely valuable.”
