Fredericton, New Brunswick – The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is encouraged by the outcomes coming out of the Federal, Territorial, and Provincial (FPT) Agriculture Ministers’ meeting held in Fredericton this week. Notably, we are pleased with the momentum gained in the conversations concerning Livestock Price Insurance (LPI) for Maritime cattle producers.
“An LPI expansion to the Maritimes has been a long-time CCA policy ask as cattle producers in my home region have been operating without a viable risk management program,” said Nathan Phinney, CCA President. “We appreciate Federal Minister Bibeau, New Brunswick host Minister Johnston, and Maritime counterparts for moving forward and we hope to see a further announcement on LPI Maritime expansion before the 2024 season.”
LPI helps cattle producers navigate uncertainty and risks related to market downturns or the impacts of adverse weather. For new producers entering the sector or producers hoping to expand their operations, access to LPI is critical. There are still details that need to be worked out at the provincial level, but today’s announcement is a step in the right direction.
Adverse weather conditions continue to impact cattle producers in western Canada this year. CCA appreciates the commitment by Ministers to work together to share data and complete the AgriRecovery assessments. CCA will continue to work with provincial members and advocate for timely relief for impacted cattle producers.
As a follow-up to the announcement in the 2023 Federal Budget, Minister Bibeau also confirmed Canada’s commitment to establish a Canadian Foot and Mouth (FMD) Vaccine Bank during the FTP meeting. This investment will secure adequate vaccine doses to ensure a rapid response in the event of an outbreak and CCA urges a timely establishment of the vaccine bank.
We were pleased to see Ministers also discuss Specified Risk Material (SRM), which is another key advocacy ask of CCA. We need to ensure an evidence-based outcome and alignment with the United States of America (USA) SRM removal and disposal rules materializes.
Source : Cattle.ca