BENEFITS FOR PRODUCERS

By participating in VBP+, currently* producers can receive: 

• Access to provincial funding: 
  • Alberta: up to $5,000 in funding for VBP+ audited operations and up to $2,500 for VBP+ trained operations. See details of the Alberta Beef Producers Alberta VBP+ Incentive. 
  • Saskatchewan: up to $15,000 in funding for VBP+ audited operations and up to $2,500 for VBP+ trained operations. See details of the Saskatchewan Beef Cattle – Animal Health and Biosecurity Producer Program. 
  • Manitoba: $500 Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) financial incentive with proof of audit completion or $500 MBP rebate with proof of purchase of hardware and/or software that enhances on-farm data collection and/or data management. Details of the Manitoba Beef Producers VBP+ Incentive Pilot 
  • Ontario: 100 per cent rebate on first time VBP+ audit fees or 75 per cent rebate on renewed audit fees. See the Ontario Beef Quality Assurance Rebate Incentive Program. 
  • New Brunswick: New Brunswick Market Development & Access program: Risk Management and Food Safety
• Access to buyers looking for assurance of good management practices specifically looking for cattle in sustainable supply chains. 
• Support collecting and managing herd data to enable profitable decision-making. 
  • Ex. Keeping calving records to identify fertility or calving ease issues 
  • Ex. Keeping health records to identify outbreaks, chronic issues, and areas for prevention 
• Satisfaction in helping to expand consumer trust in Canadian beef
• Simultaneous CRSB certification to the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB)’s Sustainable Beef Production Standard, which also provides the following incentive opportunities:
  • Eligibility for per head payments through Cargill’s Qualifying Cattle Credit program 
  • Eligibility for Farm Credit Canada’s Sustainability Incentive Program – up to $2,000 annually in direct cash payments based on eligible FCC lending for FCC clients who are CRSB Certified

Practices explained during VBP+ training can also offer the following benefits: 

• Reduced risk of: 
  • Disease outbreak because of preventative practices
  • Damage from large scale disasters because of emergency response planning
  • Unexpected costs because of proactive forage, nutrient, and water planning for the year’s conditions
• Improved efficacy of veterinary products used due to proper storage and handling
• Early detection of issues on-farm 
  • Ex. Early detection of a disease outbreak with treatment records 
  • Ex. Early detection of a nutrient shortage due to regular cattle monitoring, feed testing, and/or feeding records 
• Enhanced livestock performance potential with records that support culling decisions and implementation of best management practices
• Opportunities for specialized beef production such as marketing beef direct to consumer with the help of the VBP+ Certified Operation stamp
• Standard procedures that can be used to train family members and employees 
  • Ex. A feeding protocol to make sure feed truck drivers can mix and deliver loads accurately to avoid feed errors (and bunk shoveling!) 
  • Ex. A shipping protocol to make sure family members load the right animals on the truck 
• Realization of opportunities for continuous improvement 
  • Ex. New winter feeding practices that could help reduce costs 

*Current as of January 3, 2025