The Beef Cattle Research Council and Canadian Cattle Association are pleased with the recent announcement that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) will fund the salaries of Dr. Óscar López-Campos and Dr. Nuria Prieto at the University of Guelph for a two-year period. This funding will help reinvigorate the University’s meat science program, maintain ongoing industry research and provide valuable training opportunities for students and future beef researchers.
This was one of the key requests made by the CCA and BCRC when the AAFC cuts were announced in late January, and we acknowledge the efforts made by the University, AAFC and Drs. López-Campos and Prieto to achieve this result.
Dr. Óscar López-Campos has led industry efforts to continuously improve beef carcass grading technology, as well as the recent harmonization of the Canadian and U.S. yield grades. He is also well-known and respected for engaging young producers with the importance of carcass merit through annual 4-H club competitions in Alberta.
Dr. Nuria Prieto’s expertise in evaluating beef tenderness, flavour and juiciness is critical in evaluating how changes to beef cattle diets and production systems impact consumer acceptability, as well as in comparing the eating quality of Canadian beef to those of our international competitors.
“While the funding announcement is positive for the Canadian beef industry, it is important to note that AAFC’s salary support is for a two-year period,” says CCA President Tyler Fulton. “We strongly support the University’s ongoing efforts to build the case to make these permanent faculty positions within the Ontario Agriculture College.”
Click here to see more...