During the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) directors meeting in Ottawa, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced nearly $200,000 in support of their Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) program and remote auditing.

“Canadian cattle producers care for their animals and our environment. Canada’s beef industry, through the leadership of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and it’s Verified Beef Production Plus program, is stepping up to meet the demands of consumers for food made to the highest standards for safety, animal care and environmental stewardship. This investment will help give more cattle producers access to this indispensable program and strengthen their relationship with consumers,” said Bibeau.

The VBP+ program is a voluntary certification program administered by the CCA to certify beef cattle operations meet high standards for food safety, animal care and environmental stewardship.

The funding will go towards a web portal and an app for remote audits, which will make it easier for cattle producers to access the VBP+ program.

The funding announced this week brings the total Government of Canada investment into VBP+ and its environmental component, the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework, to $1.9 million.

“VBP+ is one of the tools beef producers can use to ensure consumer trust and help our industry meet ambitious national strategy goals, which will help us meet beef demand well into the future. Increasing efficiency in certification infrastructure and delivery enables VBP+ to keep producer costs reasonable while on market opportunities,” said Bob Lowe, President of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association.

There are over 1.6 million cattle already under the management of certified VBP+ operations in Canada.