Horn Levy

HORN LEVY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

A $10.00 per head levy is collected when producers sell horned cattle in British Columbia. The levy is to encourage the de-horning of cattle in order to reduce economic impacts of injuries caused by animals with horns. Originally the levy was set at $2 per head and remained that way for more than sixty years until votes by provincial cattle organizations recommended that the levy be increased and that it be a levy under the Farming and Fishing Industries Development Act administered by the Cattle Industry Development Council.

On September 1, 2005 the levy was increased to $10 per head following an extensive education and promotion campaign to make producers aware of the increase. 

De-Horning Increasing, Horn Levy Reducing!

The Horn Levy Committee is pleased to announce that it is again open for applications. Cattle producer associations in British Columbia are invited to apply for funding assistance for projects that benefit the cattle industry. The fund was closed during recent months, but recent collection of levy has provided sufficient funds to help with projects again.

In the past, the Horn Levy Funds collected have been put to work by associations throughout the province, with $256,600 in project activity completed since 2005. The funds have gone to assist associations support local facilities such as the scales in Quesnel, and Dawson Creek, washracks in Barriere, numerous workshops and training for producers, research projects, and supporting Meet-A-Rancher events.

August Bremer, Chair of the Horn Levy Committee said “While the fund balance has increased recently, we continue to encourage producers to avoid the Horn Levy by providing dehorned cattle to the market. The committee is confident that the reduction in horns has meant increased safety for cattle and handlers, and more profit for producers.”

The Horn Levy Committee

Cattle industry associations elect representatives to serve on the Horn Levy Committee. In addition to these elected representatives, one ex-officio member from the Ministry of Agriculture and one from Ownership Identification Inc. may attend committee meetings along with the Committee secretary. This committee reports to the Cattle Industry Development Council.

HORN LEVY FUND

Roles and Responsibilities for Operation of the Horn Levy Fund

Cattle Industry Development Council will:

1. Receive and approve the business plan and annual reports from the Horn Fund Committee.
2. Provide secretariat services for the fund.

Secretariat responsibilities will include:

• Ensuring the decisions are recorded
• Ensuring that the decisions are implemented
• Ensuring that the deliverables are received
• Financial reporting is carried out in a timely manner

Horn Fund Committee

Industry associations will be invited to elect representatives to serve on the Horn Fund Committee as follows:

Exofficio

BC Ministry of Agriculture and OII Ownership Identification Inc., may send exofficio representatives to Horn Fund Committee meetings, and from time to time, others may be invited to do so as may be decided by the Committee.

Officers

The Horn Fund Committee shall annually elect a chair and a vice-chair from amongst the representatives.

Responsibilities

Promote dehorning of cattle for increased safety in the cattle industry and increased value of cattle in BC.

Establish and maintain policies, procedures and guidelines for the collection of the Horn Levy Fund.

Establish and maintain policies, procedures and guidelines for awarding funds from the Horn Levy Fund. Procedures include promotion of the funds, review of funding applications, awarding projects, tracking projects and evaluation of project results.

Prepare annual report for submission to the Cattle Industry Development Council.

Horn Levy Fund Projects

Funds collected under the Horn Levy are designated for projects that demonstrate a benefit to the cattle industry of BC. Only cattle industry associations (whose members produce cattle) are eligible to apply.

Guidelines and Application

• Click here to download PDF to print and fill in manually
• Click here for a Word Doc to fill in and print.
• Click here to apply online.