National Beef Strategy celebrates gains

The Canadian Beef Advisors, comprised of national beef organizations, is celebrating achieving many of the goals in the 2020-24 National Beef Strategy.

Some of the achievements included an improvement in trade. Canada’s Bovine Spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) negligible risk status changed in May 2021. Singapore removed all related restrictions, Japan expanded access to processed beef products, and Taiwan removed all remaining BSE restrictions.

Canada’s exports to Japan and Vietnam grew through the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP).

International beef demand hit a record high in 2023, and Canada exported 496,917 tonnes of beef at $5.02 billion.

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There have been gains in the environmental component of cattle production as well.

The 2021 National Beef Strategy Assessment found that emissions from beef are down 15 per cent, halfway to the 2030 goal.

Since the start of 2022, the Beef Cattle Research Council has funded 87 projects.

These projects address topics such as animal health and welfare, antimicrobial use, forage and grassland productivity, feed efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Despite challenges such as rising energy, input prices, and food inflation, the groups are pleased with the success.

The Canadian Beef Advisors will renew the National Beef Strategy for 2025-2030, and it will be released January 2025.

The National Beef Strategy is a collaborative effort by the Beef Cattle Research Council, Canadian Beef Breeds Council, Canada Beef, Canadian Cattle Association and its provincial member associations, the Canadian Meat Council, the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and the National Cattle Feeder’s Association.