Members of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) deliberated key issues for the beef industry at their Semi-Annual meeting in Regina on Friday, January 18, 2019 during the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference.
“The Semi-Annual meeting provided our members with a good opportunity to discuss issues the industry is facing, but also to work on solutions together,” stated Bill Huber, President of the SSGA. He reported on SSGA’s main activities last year that included monitoring and keeping members up-to-date on international trade negotiations and SSGA’s advocacy efforts.
The meeting adopted 6 resolutions, including asking the federal and provincial governments to include Class 1 truck driver training as an eligible expense under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) program. Another resolution highlighted SSGA’s conservation efforts by seeking to lobby the federal and provincial governments to recognize modified Species at Risk Partnerships on Agricultural Lands (SARPAL) conservation agreements as contributing towards Target 1 goals. Another resolution expressed the members’ concern about the revised Canada’s Food Guide that will be released soon and called on the federal government to maintain the current guide’s recommendations for red meat consumption.
Another resolution asked the federal and provincial governments to include traceability equipment as an eligible expense under CAP. The final two resolutions urged the federal government to maintain the license for strychnine until a viable alternative is available, and asked the provincial government to provide funding to PFRA and SPP community pastures in transition for controlling the spread of invasive weeds.
Minister of Justice Don Morgan presented valuable information on changes to the trespassing legislation, while SGI representatives explained the new Class 1 mandatory truck driver training going into effect on March 15. This is a timely issue since federal and provincial transport ministers will be meeting this month to discuss national standards for commercial truck driver training.
Resolutions
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