Bridging the gap between consumers and producers was an area of concern discussed during last night's Alberta Beef Producers meeting in Ponoka.

Changing the public's perception about Alberta's beef industry was one of the highlighted issues among producers.  

One of the issues discussed was on A&W's advertising, something past chair of Alberta Beef Producers Greg Bowie says, only tells a portion of the story.

“By implying that their beef is superior because of not having hormones or not having implants used in it, is completely misleading to the consumer. In actual fact the differences are so slight, a product like cabbage has thousands of times more estrogen in it than beef, whether implanted or non-implanted.”

Bowie adds as an industry Canada has one of the best safety records when it comes to beef.

Getting more young people involved in the industry was another topic of discussion last night.

Some of the barriers mentioned were the high startup costs, including the price of land and increased costs for cattle.  

Alberta Beef Producers delegate Assar Grinde says he started in his early 30's and has some advice for those looking to enter the industry.  

“I’d say the most important lesson I’ve learned is that you really need to find some mentors and people to help you along in the first few years, because it’s a steep learning curve. That’s one of the reasons I got involved in Alberta Beef Producers because of the networking and knowledge base from older producers really helped me out and got me on my feet.”

Other issues on the agenda included Bill 6 which producers say have seen costs go up but coverage go down when it comes to covering paid employees through worker's compensation board.

The Carbon Tax was also mentioned, but Bowie says there isn't enough information yet to determine how it will impact the industry.