(Photo by Lukas Hartmann / pexles.com)
The Alberta Beef Producers says it will pull out of the Canadian Cattle Association next year, citing a lack of membership benefits for beef farmers in the province.
The withdrawal will be effective as of July 1, 2026.
Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) chair Doug Roxburgh said the board of directors voted to withdraw from the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) over a lack of transparency and communication from the national organization.
“ABP holds high standards for fiscal transparency, governance, and communications, and we expect the same from the organizations we support. The CCA does not meet those standards,” Roxburgh said in a statement.
“After seeing no meaningful progress or willingness to change, we’ve made the decision to withdraw our membership. We have a duty to Alberta producers to ensure their dollars are invested in organizations that reflect and advance our industry’s values.”
The organization said it will shift focus to prioritizing the long-term strength and viability of its provincial operations with the goal of building “a resilient, transparent, and producer-driven organization that is well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of Alberta’s cattle industry.”
CCA President Tyler Fulton said his organization has received ABP’s notice of withdrawal, but said the association would continue to advocate for beef producers in Alberta in the meantime.
“We are committed to working directly with the Alberta Beef Producers and all of our provincial members to address this matter so we can all continue our work for the benefit of beef producers across Canada,” Fulton said in a statement.
The Epoch Times contacted the associations for further comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
Alberta is home to 4.8 million head of cattle, accounting for approximately 43 percent of Canada’s total inventory, according to provincial statistics.
The CCA is funded by fees from the nine provincial cattle association members. Each province pays its membership to the association from the provincial portion of their check-off revenues. The ABP has said it funds more than 50 percent of the CCA budget.
The fees are based on yearly cattle marketing records for each province as a percentage of the total Canadian marketing. Associations in each province pay their membership to CCA from the provincial portion of their check-off revenues.
The Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off is a mandatory charge of $2.50 per head that is collected from beef cattle producers at the time they sell their cattle, except in Ontario, where the fee is maintained at $1.
The ABP said its decision to exit the CCA will not affect the funding allocated to the agency or its service providers.
“We are focused on delivering strong, strategic representation for Alberta’s beef industry,” ABP general manager Brad Dubeau said. “In light of the board’s decision, we have mapped a strong path forward to ensure Alberta’s voice continues to be heard — provincially, nationally, and internationally.”
The ABP has said it will meet all of its financial obligations to the CCA through the end of June 2026.
Jennifer Cowan is a writer and editor with the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times.