Beef producers who are Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef certified will recieve $400 in October 2026 as part of the recently launched CRSB Certified Producer Incentive.
Certified producers, those who maintain and update certification and who earn certification before June 30, 2026, are currently eligible for the incentive payment as long as they’ve completed related eligibility requirements, including:
- Agreeing to share information with the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) for chain of custody purposes.
- Submitting cattle birth dates into the Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) if they’re a cow-calf operation.
- Submitting move-in events on the CLTS if they’re a backgrounding or feedlot operation.
This incentive program is entirely funded by CRSB and replaces the previous Cargill Recognition Credit.
That credit was a “top-up” payment to fill the gap between $400, the maximum for the Recognition Credit, and the amount that the operation earned via Cargill Qualifying Cattle Credits for cattle that qualified for a CRSB Claim processed by Cargill.
The CRSB incentive will provide the full $400 for all eligible producers in 2026, regardless of where cattle are processed.
Payment amounts will shift going forward because they will be calculated based on available funds from beef sold and then evenly distributed to eligible beef producers. CRSB payment dollars come from fees collected at primary processors at a rate of three cents per pound of CRSB Certified beef sold.
“Most of the people that are part of CRSB are a little bit disappointed that we haven’t been able to grow that number,” said CRSB chair Ryan Beierbach.
“So I guess part of the hope with this incentive is it will help address some of the producer concerns, to help grow the number of farms and ranches that are certified.”
Time and effort
A cattle producer himself, Beierbach certified his 700-head cow-calf operation with CRSB eight years ago. For him, joining the program and being a part of CRSB is a way to show that Canadian beef is environmentally conscious and sustainable.
The new certification incentive is intended to show appreciation to producers for taking the time and effort to become and maintain being certified.
The certification process is typically only a few months from beginning to end, depending on the availability of the certification body and its auditors.
Producers interested in becoming certified must also have at least six months worth of records with which to be assessed, including animal health records, deaths, birth dates and shipping dates.
Once a farm is certified, annual record audits are conducted to maintain certification. An on-site assessment is required every five years.
To reap the biggest reward, animals must maintain certification throughout the entire custody chain until they get to a Cargill processing plant, in which case each handler of the animal from producer to feedlot will receive $20 per head as part of the Cargill animal qualifying payment.
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