The National Farm Products Council is pleased to note Mr. Rory McAlpine has been appointed British Columbia's Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries effective June 9, 2003. Focus readers will recall Mr. McAlpine was Executive Director at NFPC prior to his most recent work in Multilateral Trade Policy and International Issues with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. "We congratulate Rory on this appointment", stated Council Chair Cynthia Currie "and are pleased that he will be continuing to share his expertise in working with Canada's agri food industry".

Accountability an NFPC priority

Government organizations are putting in place measures that improve their openness, transparency, and accountability, and marketing agencies should reflect on whether they need to follow suit. That was the message NFPC Chairperson Cynthia Currie delivered in a recent speech to the Chicken Farmers of Canada.

Mrs. Currie noted that these measures are fundamentally necessary for the Council. "They describe how we do business," Mrs. Currie said, "and how we do business is now every bit as important as what business we do."

In her speech, Mrs. Currie described how the Council is working to implement the standards of modern comptrollership set out by the Treasury Board of Canada. She suggested that the CFC consider whether it would benefit from a similar approach. She said, "The CFC has a tradition of being progressive" and of converting challenges into opportunities to serve its stakeholders better.

Her speech is online at at www.nfpc-cnpa.gc.ca.

NFPC has new look

Diversity, organization, and unity within a common structure that is clearly Canadian – these themes are all present in the NFPC's new visual identifier. The logo, which appears here for the first time, will provide a "common look and feel" for the Council's communications materials.

Strategic Plan 2003-2006

Strategic Vision 2003-2006, the NFPC's renewed strategic plan, is now available at www.nfpc-cnpa.gc.ca or by calling the Council at (613) 995-6752. The strategic plan sets out three results for the Council to achieve over three years:

• Marketing and promotion-research agencies operating under the Farm Products Agencies Act work in the balanced interest of all stakeholders.
• Improved strength, competitiveness, market-responsiveness, and profitability of Canadian agriculture and the agri-food industry.
• Efficient, transparent and responsible management of the Council's operations.

The document provides the foundation for the Council's annual business planning, evaluation and reporting. The plan was developed last fall with stakeholder input and approved by the Council in January.

NFPC Governance Manual

The National Farm Products Council has published its Governance Manual, providing stakeholders and Canadians with a clear, understandable guide to the Council's mission, mandate and operations.

The manual explains how the Council operates, details its organizational structure, and sets out Council members' duties and responsibilities.

The governance manual was developed with the help of the four national supply management agencies, industry associations, members of the national association of agricultural food supervisory agencies and other stakeholder representatives.

New Council staff

Reg Milne joins the National Farm Products Council staff as Commodity Advisor. His appointment takes effect May 1^st. Reg has been working with Council through the Interchange Canada Program since December, 2001. Reg comes to the Council from the Canadian Egg Marketing Agency where he managed econometrics. At NFPC, he will focus on CEMA and the Canadian Broiler Hatching Egg Marketing Agency (CBHEMA) and the beef cattle promotion and research agency.

Chantal Lafontaine joined the Council staff April 7^th as communications coordinator. She takes on the challenge of developing and coordinating production schedules for communications projects. Chantal recently served as Communications Assistant in the Office of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and worked previously with the Chicken Farmers of Canada.

People on the move

The Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council has named a new president, Robin Horel, a 27-year veteran of the poultry industry. Mr. Horel was Chair of CPEPC's Canadian Hatchery Federation Sector, and is a former treasurer of the Council. He has worked with Canada Packers and Maple Leaf Poultry.

Peter Brackenridge has been appointed as the new Vice President, Operations at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. He is the agency's former Vice President of Programs. Mr. Brackenridge replaces Larry Hillier, who has moved to the Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency.

Canada doubles funds for export promotion

The federal government has more than doubled – to $26 million – the amount of money available to support industry trade promotion activities.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lyle Vanclief says the move represents a significant investment in helping the Canadian industry to win international recognition and to improve market opportunities.

The new Canadian Agriculture and Food International (CAFI) Program provides industry groups with matching funds, enabling them to establish generic industry brands. Consistent with the new Agricultural Policy Framework, the generic brands will include Canada's superior safety and quality attributes, and our ability to meet market demands.

CAFI replaces the Agri-Food Trade Program. Its funding is part of the $175 million over six years announced in June 2002 to support market development and trade-liberalization efforts.

Brazil - Canada turkey protocol

Brazil and Canada have opened their doors to each other through a veterinary equivalency agreement for the import and export of turkey and turkey products. The agreement will allow Brazil to export turkeys to Canada under Canada's general import requirements.

The agreement resembles another accord announced last year for chicken.

Canada names Chief Agriculture Trade Negotiator

Steve Verheul has been named to represent Canada as Chief Agriculture Trade Negotiator. He has been working on international trade issues since joining Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 1989, and has advised the government on the NAFTA negotiations, the establishment of the World Trade Organization, and various trade issues with the United States. He was appointed Deputy Chief Agriculture Trade Negotiator in December 2002.

EVENT CALENDAR
Apr. 23-24	National Farm Products Council (Ottawa)
May 14-15	Canadian Egg Marketing Agency Meeting (Ottawa)
May 16	Beef Cattle Research, Market Development and Promotion Agency Meeting (Calgary)
June 8-10	Canadian Poultry & Egg Processors' Convention (Halifax)
June 9	National Farm Products Council Meeting (Halifax)
June 17-19	Canadian Turkey Marketing Agency Meeting (Halifax)
June 30-July 4	Chicken Farmers of Canada Meeting (Ottawa)
July 7-9	Canadian Egg Marketing Agency Meeting (Halifax)
July 14-17	Canadian Broiler Hatching Egg Marketing Agency Meeting (Kelowna)
Sept. 23-25	Canadian Turkey Marketing Agency Meeting (Toronto)
Sept. 24-25	Canadian Egg Marketing Agency Meeting (Ottawa)