News Roundup Continued from page 39

Politics

SSGA looks to next 100 years

The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association’s (SSGA) 100th anniversary celebration this summer was a great time to reflect on the past, but it didn’t stop the members from focusing on the future when they got down to the business part of the weekend. SSGA president Harold Martens says the immediate issues facing the SSGA and the provincial beef industry are the transfer of the brand inspection service from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture (SMA) to an industry-led agency, and a review of the Provincial Lands Act (1978). Reviews of forage insurance and farm plastic recycling are two other emerging issues on their agenda. Martens and Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association 2013-14 board of directors. Front row (l-r): Terry Ostrander, Robin Wiggins, Lloyd Thompson, Calvin Knoss (past president), Shane Jahnke (second vice), Harold Martens (president), Doug Gillespie (first vice), Brooks Whitney (finance chair). Back row (l-r): Brent Griffin, Ryan Beierbach, Kelcy Elford, Keith Day, Henry McCarthy, Bill Huber, Larry Flaig, Gerald Schultz, Chad MacPherson (general manager). Missing, Fred Lansdall, Roy Rutledge, Helen Finucane, Laird Senft, Grant Alexander, Ken McDonald, Jack Ford, Garner Deobald, Tara Fritz, and Aaron Huber.

Association (SCA) chair Mark Elford, cochair the industry advisory committee put in place last summer by Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart to make recommendations for an industry-led brand inspection service. While Livestock Inspection Services (LIS) in Alberta is confident it can provide the service to Saskatchewan producers, SSGA and SCA members passed

resolutions at their respective AGMs throwing their support behind the formation of a Saskatchewan agency. Martens says a separate agency will ensure the service is directed by the Saskatchewan industry and that the province will retain its branding legislation. That doesn’t preclude contracting aspects of the service to an outside provider such as LIS.

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