Resuscitating Canada's Cervid Industry

Address by Hon. David Kilgour

MP, Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont
To Alberta Elk Convention, Executive Royal Inn
Leduc, Alberta

9 April 2005

Industry Potential

The cervid industry shows large promise. In New Zealand, producers have been highly successful. The industry has grown since 1965 when elk was first commercially produced and is now worth approximately $300 000 000 annually. Of the annual production each year, about 90% is exported making the industry an important export one for New Zealand. 

Judging by New Zealand’s success, Canada could easily become a formidable player in the international market for cervid products, given the fact that a large number of cervid species have long been native to Canada.

Already there are approximately 425 elk farms in Alberta alone and there could easily be many more. The economic diversification provided by the cervid industry is good not only for Alberta but also for the rest of our country. Cervid production could provide farmers not already involved in the industry with another potentially lucrative option to add to their current production mix. However, none of this will be possible without greater support for the industry in the wake of the Korean border closure in December 2000 and the devastating effect it has had and is continuing to have.

Much like the case with the Canadian beef industry, the majority of cervid products were exported to one market and the closure of this market has been a terrible blow to the industry. While the BSE crisis began in 2003, elk producers have suffered without recognition of their plight since 2000. Before Korea instituted its ban on all North American elk products it was the prime export destination for Canadian velvet (antler) and the Koreans bought approximately 85% of Canadian production. Each year that the Korean market has remained closed cervid farmers have lost millions of dollars in sales of velvet.

The Need for a Repositioning Strategy

I think that much like our beef industry the cervid industry is in need of a strategy to reposition itself. With the proper support, a robust North American market for venison from farm-raised elk could be developed. The majority of consumers in Canada and the United States are still largely unaware that farm-raised Canadian elk presents a very healthy alternative for an increasingly health conscious North America. Elk are raised in free-range environments in which they are usually fed by grazing or sometimes fed natural plant-based supplements. There is no use of hormones or steroids in the production of elk and thier meat is low in fat, sodium, cholesterol and saturated fatty acids. It is high in protein and a good source of copper, iron and zinc. Elk meat also has a unique flavor, is easy to prepare and has a very short cooking time. One could argue that it is the best food product that most have never heard of. Given the rising concerns about obesity, cholesterol intake and the increasing popularity of organic products in North America, Canadian elk producers have an unprecedented opportunity to develop an industry that could potentially be worth hundreds of millions of dollars if not more. The opportunity for Canadian elk producers is all the more compelling given that the United States permits the importation of meat from far-raised cervids from Canada without restriction.

However in order for this to happen it will be necessary for transitional funding to be made available to help the industry reorient itself.  Money will need to be committed to fund the creation of a grading system and regulatory infrastructure to accommodate the development of the venison industry in Canada. This money would enable the CFIA to work in conjunction with the elk producers in order to develop a supply system capable of feeding a large volume of elk meat products into the domestic wholesale and retail markets and into the American market.

Ensuring the Long-term Success

More research and development money will also be necessary in order to develop a live-animal test for Chronic Wasting Disease. This assurance will be necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the elk industry and to prevent public health scares concerning chronic wasting disease from derailing the industry in future.

In the meantime more pressure should be applied to the Koreans to reopen the border to exports of Canadian velvet since there is no conclusive evidence that Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is transmittable to humans. In the 35 years since Chronic Wasting Disease was discovered there have been no known illnesses and no known deaths that have occurred which have been attributable to the consumption of any kind of cervid.

In the case of velvet consumption specifically, there is no evidence to suggest that Chronic Wasting Disease could be transmitted to humans through the consumption of velvet even if it was generally transmissible. At a meeting of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Advisory Panel that on January 19, 2001, the panel concluded that studies to date did not show that CWD could infect humans, unlike BSE. Since that time there has been no evidence to the contrary. Furthermore, CFIA maintains robust controls on the movement of cervid species, which further limits the risk of farm-raised cervids being exposed to wild cervids that are infected with Chronic Wasting Disease.

There should be government support to help the elk industry increase consumer awareness about venison products and to promote Canadian venison internationally. More money should also be made available in the form of grants to fund scientific research concerning the benefits of velvet consumption. This kind of investment could potentially yield large returns if North Americans began to purchase supplements containing velvet in any sizable quantities.

Canada could easily become a world leader in the production of cervid products if the right kinds of policy decisions are made with respect to the industry. I understand the potential that this industry has and I am committed to working to assist an industry that has the potential to benefit Canada enormously.