Ag Critic "Cautiously Optimistic" About Transport Regulation Phase In For Cattle Industry

Dec 16, 2019

The federal government's granted the cattle industry a two year phase in period to adjust to new animal transportation regulations coming into effect in February 2020.

The proposed new regulations would reduce the time in transport, allowed for cattle from the current 48 hours to a maximum of 36 hours that cattle could go without feed, water and rest.

This raised concern for the beef industry, citing concerns such as more loading and unloading for rest stops will likely increase the animals' stress and chance for injury, and the lack of rest stop infrastructure.

Conservative Agriculture Critic John Barlow says during this two year period, he hopes the Liberal Government will see the new regulations are not necessary, and go with science-based regulations.

"I hope they take a look at all the data that's out there," Barlow said. "But certainly from industry and transportation records in the past that have shown there is no animal health issues when it comes to transportation. There's been no out cry for this from industry or stakeholders. Certainly, maybe from activists, but there's no data or no proof to back up these changes."

Barlow says looking at the Liberal's track record over the past four years with front-of-package labeling, the Canada Food Guide, and the transportation regulations, the feedback from agriculture stakeholders doesn't seem to hold the same weight as activists.

He says Agriculture Minister, Marie-Claude Bibeau, wants to take a look at the data when it's done, and hopes she will take it to heart.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.