Alberta Beef Producers to withdraw from Canadian Cattle Association in 2026

The Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) is calling it quits, announcing it will be withdrawing from the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) next year.

The not-for-profit commission representing cattle producers in the western province says its board decided to formally withdraw on July 1, 2026, following an “extensive deliberation and strategic review.”

Doug Roxburgh, chair of ABP, is quoted in the statement saying this is due to the CCA not meeting the “high standards for transparency, governance, and communications” the ABP holds.

“After seeing no meaningful progress or willingness to change, we’ve made the decision to withdraw our membership,” he said.

“We have a duty to Alberta producers to ensure their dollars are invested in organizations that reflect and advance our industry’s values.”

Brad Dubeau, the general Manager of ABP, says it has mapped a “strong path forward to ensure Alberta’s voice continues to be heard — provincially, nationally, and internationally.”

He says the ABP will continue to fulfill its financial obligations to the CCA until the agreement ends on June 30, 2026.

CCA president Tyler Fulton says it’s committed to working with the ABP to address the matter “so we can all continue our work for the benefit of beef producers across Canada.”

“ABP and CCA have a long-standing collaborative and cooperative relationship, and we are both committed to continue working together to benefit beef producers in Alberta and across our country,” he said in a statement to CityNews.

“Our priority continues to be advocating on behalf of Canadian beef producers on topics such as tariff-free trade, market access, competitiveness, animal disease prevention and preparedness, and business risk management programs.”

According to the provincial commission, the ABP funds over 50 per cent of the CCA budget through the $2.00 Alberta Service Charge, yet only a third of the CCA board is from Alberta.

The CCA says it maps its budget formula based on cattle sold in the province. With Alberta having the highest number of cattle sold in Canada, the ABP would account for nearly half of provincial funding.

In a list of key factors behind the decision, which the ABP says has been relayed to the CCA over time, it wanted board seats to be unfrozen and a revision of the representation formula to reflect provincial contributions.

According to the CCA website, it is the “national voice of Canada’s 60,000 beef farms and feedlots.” The ABP says it wasn’t happy with that statement as well, saying how the CCA should say it is “directed by nine member provinces.”