FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOVEMBER 16, 2004, Guelph, ON

The Beef Information Centre (BIC) has received financial support from the Agricultural Adaptation Council’s (AAC) CanAdapt program to assist the Canadian beef industry in its efforts to expand the domestic commercial beef market by implementing a Commercial Beef Utilization Strategy.

This strategy has received strong national support from adaptation councils funded under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development (CARD) fund. The AAC has allocated $489,146 towards this endeavour. In total, the nine participating CARD councils are contributing $2,548,209 toward a total project cost of $9,164,128.

“The AAC is pleased to support organizations, businesses and producers who are willing to innovate and adapt. One way this can be done is by securing new domestic markets,” says Bob Bedggood, AAC chair. “By addressing one of the AAC’s priorities – capturing market opportunities – this project has the potential to expand the size of the domestic market for commercial beef.”

Since the halt of the export market for cattle and/or beef from cattle over 30 months of age, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and several other organizations have been looking for new ways to boost domestic consumption. The BIC will work with the manufacturing, foodservice and retail sectors to increase the domestic market share and expand the size of the commercial beef market as well as adding value to commercial beef products through new product innovation.

“The gate-to-plate coordination of industry players including producers, packers, processors and distributors will be paramount to the long-term success of this project,” says John Newman, Ontario beef producer and BIC chairman. “In cooperation with key Canadian industry partners and government, we must focus our limited resources on increasing share, expanding the market and increasing product values.”

“A long-term increase for beef in our domestic marketplace is a win-win situation for everyone in the Canadian beef production chain,” says Ron Wooddisse, President of the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association.

The AAC is a non-profit coalition of 58 agricultural, agri-business and rural organizations dedicated to providing financial resources to assist Ontario’s agri-food sector and rural communities to remain competitive, grow and maintain their economic strength. The AAC receives the majority of its funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. To learn more about the AAC please visit our Web site at www.adaptcouncil.org.

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A backgrounder detailing the funding contribution of each council toward the BIC Commercial Beef Utilization Strategy is available to the media.

For more information, please contact:
Nadine Buitenhuis, Communications Coordinator
Agricultural Adaptation Council
Phone: 519-822-7554 Cell: 519-359-8474 Fax: 519-822-6248
e-mail: Nadine's e-mail