The General Manager of the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association looks back on 2008 and admits it was a year of challenges but Sheila Mowat does find some high points.

“The population is increasing and there will be a demand for our product,” says Mowat. “There have been some tough times but we have seen some movement on border issues and that is a bright spot.”

Mowat would like to see more movement but cites the opportunity for breeding stock to move to Mexico under reduced restrictions as some opportunity.

“A delegation for Mexico stopped in Manitoba on their way to Agribition to look at some breeding stock,” she says. “We can ship breeding stock over 30 months of age at this time and hopefully there is movement so that we can ship younger animals in the future.”

She does not harbor a Pollyanna attitude for an industry that is struggling.

“We need to do more work on the government support programs,” she says. “The programs are based on margins and our industry has had a string of bad years and the past five don’t provide any trigger for a program based on margins.”

Mowat does not paint the current programs in a bad light and say the intent is good but special consideration needs to be given to the cattle industry that has had a series of negative events from BSE, to a strong Canadian dollar to COOL legislation south of the border.

“The Country of Origin Labeling is a major issue for us, and it is going ahead. We have to look for some bright spots and that has not been one of them especially for Manitoba producers who are faced with greater transportation costs when American packers are not buying their cattle.

She says the weather this summer did not favour cattle producers as drought hit the southwest portion of the province, and flooding hit the north.

“Those are tough conditions and while we have seen some drop in feed costs, there is still little room for margins,” says Mowat.

Mowat says the MCPA is involved with the government on talks regarding work that cattle producers perform that is positive for the environment.

“There is a movement to recognize the things that cattle producers do for the ecology, and that is a step in the right direction,” she says.

“We have also asked the government for some tax relief for the producers that have decided to leave the industry because of current conditions, and we are hopeful to see something done in the area of predator control which is an increasing problem.”