CEO of Alberta’s livestock agency is gone

Word at the coffee shop is that Jeff Kucharski is gone as CEO of the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA). I haven’t seen that announced officially yet, but I figured it was a good rumor to spread if nothing else.

Kucharski who has been with Alberta Agriculture for more than 20 years and worked mainly in the international trade area, has only been at the helm of ALMA for the past few months. I don’t know if his departure means there was trouble in paradise, or there could be any number of other reasons from better job opportunities to personal reasons.

I don’t have my hand on the pulse of the beef industry, but I know there were a few letters and phone conversations with producers in my office, who, shall we say did not have Kucharski on their Christmas card list.

ALMA is an agency created last year to help relaunch or renew Alberta’s livestock industry  - not just beef, but pork, poultry, sheep, bison, elk and other meat sectors. While the agency mandate was geared to improve production standards and ultimately marketing of Alberta meat products, the agency had a broader impact because essentially if you were from another province but had livestock fed or processed in Alberta, you needed to meet ALMA standards.

Kucharski’s departure likely doesn’t affect ALMA’s operation. In fact the government agency was converted to a private company just a couple weeks ago. It is now Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency Ltd. The board of directors reports directly to the minister of agriculture.

Joe Makowecki, president of the Edmonton-area Heritage Frozen Foods (Cheemo Brand products) is chairman of the board.

For more information on ALMA and to read the February newsletter visit the agency website at: http://alma.alberta.ca