March 11, 2011 - Newly Appointed Team to Implement Canada Beef Working Group Recommendations
During its Annual General Meeting March 7, 2011, the Canadian Beef Cattle Research, Market Development and Promotion Agency (commonly referred to as the National Check-off Agency) was given clear direction by its directors to accept the recommendations of the Canada Beef Working Group (CBWG). These recommendations include the restructuring of the Agency’s governance and business plan to enable the Agency to assume the responsibility of implementing the domestic marketing plans of the Beef Information Centre (BIC) and the international marketing plans of the Canada Beef Export Federation (CBEF).
The Agency created a draft agreement for consideration by the Provincial Cattle Associations which collect and allocate the funds for national marketing and research programs on behalf of the industry. The agreement delegates the responsibility for implementing the CBWG Termination Report recommendations to the newly appointed Canada Beef Implementation Team. This team will be charged with developing the governance and marketing model for the restructured Agency with full consultation of all stakeholders.
Agency Chair Marlin Beever said the funders “have made it clear that they want more direct accountability for the funds they provide for marketing and research, while at the same time creating mechanisms to ensure all stakeholders and the appropriate expertise are included in the development and execution of the marketing plans.”
The Agency has operated since 2002 as the central collector of National Check-off, which is the mandatory $1 per head on all cattle marketed in Canada. The provinces remit the National Check-off to the Agency which then funds service providers to carry out the marketing and research plans.
Under the new structure, the Agency will continue to receive the National Check-off, and continue to contract the research services to the Beef Cattle Research Council. It will also be responsible for implementing the domestic and international marketing plans.
This new structure will be more consistent with the original mandate of the Agency, to collect the levies and perform the research, market development and promotion activities for the beef cattle industry, when it was created by Proclamation under The Farm Products Agencies Act Part III in 2002.
