Funding helps cover Verified Beef Production program costs

Manitoba cattle farmers interested in becoming part of the Verified Beef Production (VBP) program may be eligible for funding through Growing Forward 2 to assist with the costs of the program.

Many producers, including Vienna Kinkead, co-owner of a cattle farm in the Interlake area, have already received support to partially cover audit and equipment costs.

Kinkead says her family started the farm as a way to allow her to be at home with her kids and to teach them life lessons and to work hard. She received funding from Growing Forward 2's Growing Assurance – Food Safety On-Farm program for the purchase of a single animal scale and first VBP audit costs.

"I have a family of four boys," says Kinkead. "When you're raising kids you want to know where your meat comes from and that you've done all you can to produce the best product possible. We've always tried to keep our cattle pure, joining the Verified Beef Production program gives us recognition for doing a lot of the things that we were already doing."

Joining VBP

Verified Beef Production is Canada's verified on-farm food safety program for beef. It is a grass-roots driven and industry-led program that upholds consumer confidence in the products and good practices of Canadian beef producers by demanding high standards in on-farm food safety. The program is designed to reduce or eliminate the possibility of a food safety concern on a beef cattle operation. It covers animal health management, cattle shipping, medicated feed, pesticide control and training or communications.

"I wasn't raised around cattle so it's hard for me to tell the difference between a 200 and 300 pound animal when I'm deciding how much medication to administer," says Kinkead. "The scale we purchased with the funding we got from Growing Forward 2 helps me know I'm giving my cattle the proper meds as outlined by the Verified Beef program."

The VBP program is not only good for the consumer, producers can use the program as proof of responsible actions, as a basis for training staff and as a tool to help brand their product. The industry also benefits as the success of Canada's beef industry depends on consumer confidence. The program helps define consistent standards for quality, reduces product recalls and builds potential to increase market share, both in Canada and around the world.

"The funding available through Growing Forward 2 is a great opportunity," says Kinkead. "It opens the door to opportunities to improve your facilities."

Funding options

Juanita Kopp, farm production extension specialist – beef with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) says that in time the Verified Beef Production program will likely become even more of a requirement than it is today in both domestic and international markets.

"Growing Forward 2 supports a number of the equipment and audit costs associated with enrolling in the Verified Beef Production program," she says. "For example, we provide funding for things like a scale as it mitigates the food safety concerns associated with giving pharmaceuticals without knowing the exact weight of the animal."

Growing Forward 2 is in its second year of five, so producers that want to sign up for VBP should look into the funding options available over the next three years as the program ends March of 2018.

To find out more about the funding options available, contact your local MAFRD GO Office or visit the program page.

For more information about VBP, visit their website.