Members of the Saskatchewan Stock Grower’s Association (SSGA) gathered in a virtual space for this year’s annual general meeting, welcomed onto a Zoom call by president Bill Huber to discuss the organization’s past and future business.
The 107th annual meeting took place on Oct. 14, sharing details about the past year for the SSGA and the new Saskatchewan Stock Grower’s Foundation.
Topics of consideration included the SSGA’s financial reports for the 2019 fiscal year, which showed a decrease in revenue for the year, and the issues of interest the organization will be focusing on this year.
Resolutions included a motion to lobby the federal government to reconsider its ban on using strychnine to control the overpopulation of Richardson’s ground squirrels, as there is currently no alternative licensed, and to lobby the Ministry of Environment to require trappers get written permission from landowners before placing animal traps or snares within 1,500 metres of buildings or livestock.
The SSGA also passed a resolution to join with other meat producer organizations in opposing the use of the term “meat” to describe plant-based products.
The meeting also featured an update from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), which shared reactions to the provincial Throne Speech earlier this month and the organization’s response to COVID-19.
The SSGA reported that because organizations in other provinces are seeing an increased use in support porgrams for producers and ranchers due to their availability, it will advocate for an expansion of support programs within Saskatchewan as well.
The CCA said it is using the majority of its funds to expand and advocate for trade, including domestic, U.S. and foreign trade. Another 10 per cent is being put towards engaging with young cattlemen, with the remainder involved in various organization boards including the new Food Policy board.
The focus during COVID-19 for the CCA was on business continuity, as the association spent time lobbying the federal government for crisis supports for producers. Moving forward, the CCA will turn its focus to advocating for a strategy to eliminate the invasive wild pigs spreading across the country as well as pushing for AgriStability reform and the expansion of the Livestock Price Insurance program to help young ranchers.
The CCA is also calling for the development of a foot and mouth disease vaccine bank, as a preparatory measure in case of an outbreak.
The AGM featured the first-ever AGM of the Saskatchewan Stocker Grower’s Foundation, which is the first and only agricultural land conservation organization based in Saskatchewan. As the foundation was only conceived in January, there was no activity to report from chairman Ray McDougald.
To conclude the SSGA’s meeting, the new zone representatives were elected to a two-year position on the board. Members applauded president Bill Huber as he will not be seeking another term.
The next AGM from the SSGA will be hosted in Assibinoia in 2021.
