News Release Archive

AGRICULTURE/MARKETING--BEEF INDUSTRY TASK FORCE
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Agriculture and Marketing Minister Guy Brown said today that a
successful first meeting was held yesterday with the newly
appointed Beef Industry Task Force.

The beef industry is facing tremendous challenges; one of which
is the lowest prices in twenty years. Mr. Brown appointed the
task force and charged them with the responsibility of
identifying the constraints and the opportunities in the beef
industry to come up with recommendations and develop a plan of
action.

"With the appointments I wanted to make sure that all the facets
of the industry were represented on the task force from producers
through to consumers," said Mr. Brown. "It is important to have
all of them working together to get the issues on the table and
then together find solutions. I think that is the key for the
future of the beef industry," he added.

The appointment of the task force is one facet of an eight-point
strategy announced by Mr. Brown in December to address industry
stability, production and marketing challenges.

The minister's appointments to the task force include Rick
Williams, chair and representative of the Nova Scotia Beef
Commission; Cal Ross, cow/calf operator, Falmouth and Jim
Lorraine, feed lot operator, Truro, represent the Nova Scotia
Cattlemen's Association; Gerry Fulton, dairy producer, Berwick,
Nova Scotia Milk Producers Association; John Pierce, O.H.
Armstrong Ltd., Lawrencetown; Anthony Van Oostrum, Nova Scotia
Federation of Agriculture; Mary Elizabeth Stewart, consumer
representative and consultant, Beef Information Centre, Truro; 
Frank Berkalaar, Maritime Cattle Market, Truro; Dr. Dave Bailey, 
director, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Research Station,
Charlottetown; Jeanne Cruickshank, Canadian Council of Grocery
Distributors; Sean Firth, beef specialist and George Chant,
Department of Agriculture and Marketing.

In June the task force is expected to present its report to the
minister.

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Contact: George Chant
         Department of Agriculture and Marketing
         902-893-6515

         Rick Williams, chair
         Nova Scotia Beef Commission
         902-925-2454


NOTE TO EDITORS: Terms of Reference for the Beef Industry Task
Force are available by calling 1-800-670-4357 or 902-424-4492.

trp                     Mar. 5, 1997 - 10 a.m.