Applications are now open for the 2020 Canada-Alberta Fed Cattle Feed Cost Offset Initiative.

The first phase of the program for the Fed Cattle Feed Assistance initiative provides a retroactive payment for cattle set aside from May 1st to June 30th.

Kelly Smith-Fraser, Chair of the Alberta Beef Producers Chair, says producers who have applied are eligible to take part in the second phase of the program which starts on Monday, June 29th:

“This component is a bid process that producers can choose to participate in each week. It will occur online and participants need an AFSC ID and an AFSC Connect account to place weekly bid.”

She notes a one-time registration is required to participate in the process.

The Federal and Provincial governments continue to recommend producers use AgriStability to manage risk to their margins as a result of market fluctuations but Smith-Fraser says they have another idea.

“We've been requesting a removal of the reference margin limit to make AgriStability a better option for cow-calf producers. This has not happened yet, but the deadline is approaching and producers will have until July 3 to enroll in AgriStability.”

Details on the 2020 Canada-Alberta Fed Cattle Feed Cost Offset Initiative can be found here.