Cattle producer organizations, provincial governments and beef research agencies are conducting a survey that will portray how the cow-calf sector has changed since the 1990s.
For the first time ever, cow-calf producers from B.C. through Manitoba are invited to participate in a survey about production practices on their farms. The Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey is based on the “Alberta Beef Herd Analysis,” which was last conducted in 1998, explains Kathy Larson of the Western Beef Development Centre in the interview below.
Individual farm submissions will be kept confidential, but the data will be used to create industry benchmarks and to paint a picture of management practices across the west. The findings will also guide extension and research efforts.
Cow-calf producers will have an opportunity to fill out the survey at meetings throughout the winter, with a deadline of February 28th, 2015. The survey can also be completed online or by mail. Results will be published next spring.
The project is supported by the provincial producer organizations, the provincial agriculture departments, the Beef Cattle Research Council, Canfax and the Western Beef Development Centre.
Here’s WBDC’s Kathy Larson discussing the Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey with Kelvin Heppner:
