This week ‘”In the Field” focus on cattle and family succession planning

In a report from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), 27,346 samples were submitted to the national B-S-E surveillance program in 2016 and not one tested positive for B-S-E.

It’s was good news for a Canadian industry that is dealing with shrinking herds and other challenges, according to Association GM, Rob McNabb.

“Maintaining a credible level of BSE surveillance to demonstrate that Canada’s control measures are effective and are working towards eradicating the disease is important.”

However, the industry won’t rest on that laurel. Canada’s annual target for BSE samples is 30,000, which is a target set in 2003. The 2015 sample numbers surpassed the 2015 total, which produced just one positive case.

It is expected that the level of surveillance and control measures that are in place will allow Canada to maintain its controlled risk status.

The CCA continues to encourage producers to submit at least one cow per year for sampling. The most valuable information comes from cattle between 30 months and 10 years of age. However, “any animal older than 30 months of age that fits into one of the categories of dead, down, dying or diseased is a potential candidate for testing.”

There is also reimbursement for eligible samples under the National BSE Surveillance Program.

NAFTA-US-Demands:

A document published by the U-S government might contain clues about what the Americans want from Canada in a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The U-S publishes an annual list of complaints about trade practices in other countries, and the list was cited in a policy paper written for the Trump campaign.

In agriculture, the complaint list includes Canada’s supply-management system for dairy, chicken, turkey and eggs, as well as compositional standards which restrict access for U.S. dry milk proteins.

The list further takes exception to Canada’s Seeds Act, which generally prohibits the sale or advertising for sale or import into Canada of various seeds.

It also notes that U-S wheat and barley exporters struggle to receive a premium grade that indicates use for milling purposes.

CFIB wants MPs to support family succession bill:

A Quebec NDP member of Parliament is looking for support of a family succession bill and he’s found that support in the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

The CFIB is encouraging MP’s to support Bill C-274, a Private Member’s Bill put forward by the Honourable Guy Caron to amend the Income Tax Act as it pertains to the transfer of small businesses, family farms or fishing corporations.

The bill comes up for a vote soon.

Dan Kelly, the CFIB’s President, wants to see MP’s vote to pass the bill to the committee stage. He says it would address a significant and costly flaw in Canada’s succession planning rules that makes it easier to sell a family business to a third party than to a member of the family. It is seen as a flaw in the income tax act.

Caron’s bill proposes amendments to the Income Tax Act that would ease the tax burden on a large number business owners who just want to pass their business on to their children or grandchildren.

More information on the Private Member’s Bill can be found on Caron’s government website.

by Dori Modney (@Dori_Modney on Twitter)

This week ‘”In the Field” focus on cattle and family succession planning

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