Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Celebrate 25th Anniversary

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

There will be a little extra pride in evidence at this year’s Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association (SCFA) Convention, January 27 and 28 in Saskatoon, as the organization celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Jamie Blacklock is the SCFA’s General Manager.

“We are going with the theme ‘Celebrate the Past and Create the Future’ so that we are all aware of where we came from and the progress that we have made over 25 years. We should celebrate and be proud. Let’s take a close look at where we are today and evaluate the facts of our situation so that we can make the best decisions for tomorrow.”

Blacklock and her team have rounded up speakers guaranteed to make this event memorable. For instance, on Friday the 27th, National Meat Association Executive Director Rosemary Mucklow will address participants.

“She is a key person who has been in the meat industry for the last 40 years,” notes Blacklock. “The National Meat Association is one of the greatest allies of the Canadian beef industry. They were an extremely strong voice and have been working very hard the whole time to get back to normalized trade of live cattle—she is a key player in the big picture. Rosemary Mucklow is going to bring a strong message on the importance of working together, not only within the livestock industry, but all the way through to the meat industry as well.”

According to Blacklock, cattle feeders appreciate knowing the numbers that affect their business, so the SCFA is bringing in CanFax Senior Market Analyst Anne Dunford to address that need.

“Anne tends to be a big pull. The delegates like to hear what she has to say - what looks like it’s coming down the pipe. She has current information and actual numbers for them to take back to their operations so they can make the best decisions for themselves. With tarde access to the U.S. renewed, a broader range of markets are accessible, so major changes are likely on the way.”

The SCFA hosts this event in conjunction with the Livestock Loan Guarantee Program, the Livestock Markets and Order Buyers Association and Saskatchewan Quality Starts Here (QSH). They all have their annual meetings as well during the Convention, explains Blacklock.

“The cattle feeders were key in the development of the Livestock Loan Guarantee Program—a tight connection there, as well as with the Livestock Markets and Order Buyers Association. Concurrently, the QSH/VBP working group will meet. The Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association chairs that group, along with the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association. We believe it is absolutely critical. It is all about on-farm food safety. From start to finish, we might as well all work together.”

“The President’s reception on Friday night gives our President a chance to speak face to face with the delegates and give a good overview of what we have been hashing out over the last year, along with what some of the topics and coming initiatives are,” Blacklock says. “It is a good evening for the delegates and the members to sit down and really talk about the issues. It also sets the stage for the next day.”

Michael Levy of Custom House Global Foreign Exchange will be one of the speakers featured on Saturday.

“He is a high-energy, entertaining presenter with tons of information to share. Cattle feeders are number crunchers, so they tend to enjoy the hard facts that Michael can expound upon. With renewed access to the U.S. and Japanese markets, the timing is great. He will be able to go a little more in depth in terms of currency and exchange rate factors.”

The SCFA Convention’s last guest speaker will be cattle industry consultant Charlie Gracey.

“His presentation is titled: ‘Past, Present and Future of the Industry.’ Charlie has been a key player in the Canadian industry. He has been involved at many different levels for a long time. We want to make sure participants know where we have come from so they are ready to take advantage of opportunities as they manifest themselves in the future.”

Blacklock says the President’s Reception and the Cattlemen’s Feast ‘n’ Festivities are open to anyone who wants to come. “We sell a lot of additional tickets for these evenings.”

The SCFA Convention and AGM takes place at the Saskatoon Inn. To find out more or register, visit: http://www.saskcattle.com

For more information, contact:

Jamie Blacklock
General Manager
Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association
(306) 382-2333