Good morning. My name is Janice Tranberg. I'm the president and CEO of the National Cattle Feeders' Association. I'm joined today by Will Lowe, the chair of NCFA and a feedlot operator in Kyle, Saskatchewan.
NCFA is the national voice for cattle feeders. As a critical component of the beef value chain, feedlots effectively and efficiently produce consistent, high-quality beef in quantities that are required for both domestic and export markets year-round.
Canada's beef industry contributes $21.8 billion to the national GDP annually. It's highly export-dependent. Each year Canada exports about half of the beef we produce. The United States counts for about 75% of these exports. Japan, China, Mexico and Korea are other key markets.
I'll turn it over to Will.