Islanders step up to back local farmers at P.E.I. Easter Beef Sale

Stephen Brun · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 28, 2025 6:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

If the yearly P.E.I. Easter Beef Show and Sale sets the code for the province's beef industry, it looks similar the twelvemonth up could beryllium a bully one. 

In the look of uncertainty astir the punishing tariffs being placed connected goods the United States imports from Canada, including beef, farmers accidental Prince Edward Islanders are stepping up to enactment their homegrown manufacture successful a large way. 

"I effort not to get excessively caught up successful the tariffs, but yeah, they do... affect what we're doing arsenic an manufacture and selling our products to and from the U.S.A.," said Ian Drake, a cattle husbandman successful Vernon Bridge.

"I deliberation we've got to truly enactment much unneurotic with the U.S. due to the fact that they request america arsenic overmuch arsenic we request them."

This year's variation was the 74th for the Easter Beef Show and Sale, taking place astatine the Eastlink Centre successful Charlottetown. 

There were 38 cattle for sale, and everyone was watching to spot what the mean terms would be. 

In the end, it took a jump from $7.75 per lb to much than $10, portion full income were up $100,000 implicit past year. 

The highest terms fetched for a azygous carnal was conscionable implicit $16 a pound. 

WATCH | P.E.I. agriculture whitethorn beryllium bracing for U.S. tariffs, but income are beardown astatine Easter Beef Show:

James Worth, president of the amusement and sale, said it's a motion that Islanders are consenting to basal up for section farmers. 

"It looks large for the remainder of the twelvemonth for the beef industry, looks similar there's going to beryllium immoderate large numbers and tons of radical volition beryllium astir to enactment the industry," helium said. 

"I deliberation this is simply a large accidental for the Island to spot that businesses are lasting beardown with Island producers. If there's nary farmers, there's nary food." 

A agleam future

While each the tariff speech is surely weighing connected the minds of radical successful the industry, determination are adjacent much affirmative signs. 

This year's amusement included 21 4H members, the youngest of whom was 9 years old, meaning beef farming's adjacent procreation is successful the making. 

"The young ones, they're the ones you privation to support interested," Worth said. 

"They're the adjacent procreation that are going to provender the country, truthful you bash what you tin to support them enthused, support them blessed and thatch them each you know." 

Those bidding astatine this year's amusement weren't reasoning astir tariffs, said Drake, due to the fact that Islanders person a past of buying their beef locally.  

He besides doesn't deliberation the threats from the U.S. volition past precise agelong — and he's definite they won't impact the younger procreation of farmers. 

"It'll beryllium agelong blown implicit earlier galore of them get into the industry, I would imagine. We've been done trying times before, truthful we ever pressed successful and kept going," Drake said. "We ne'er discontinue and we ne'er springiness up."