As the drought continues across the Prairies, ranchers and grain farmers are navigating baling and grazing drought-affected crop. There are insurance considerations when offering field crops as grazing, but there are also several considerations for livestock producers when determining the suitability of a field as feed. Shannon Argent, business manager with VBP+, says that ranchers… Read More
The Government of Ontario has announced up to $2 million to assist with emergency measures for feed, water, and basic needs for livestock in the Rainy River and Kenora Districts. The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) will administer up to $800,000 of the Northwestern Livestock Emergency Assistance Initiative to help deal with the immediate feed shortages on… Read More
As drought ravages grassland, pasture, hay fields, and grain crops, ranchers are working hard to find immediate feed sources and source feed for the winter. Grazing or haying drought-affected fields requires navigating the issues of fencing, crop insurance considerations, payment, and more, but there’s also feed quality to consider. For some ranchers, sourcing feed low… Read More
There’s a lot of ground to cover in this week’s Beef Market Update, including price activity, cut-out value, demand, cash prices, and more. Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock Exchange joins host Shaun Haney to break down all these topics. In the U.S., prices are still doing a see-saw action and the market’s held on remarkably… Read More
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau has announced $2.6 million in federal funding for the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) to support three projects that will assess and improve alfalfa growth using artificial intelligence and develop a carbon offset system for grasslands. Some of the funding announced July 19 will also be used… Read More
The Alberta government is partnering with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Alberta Beef Producers, and Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association to undertake a competitiveness study that will provide strategic insights and data for the beef cattle industry. Announced July 14, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Devin Dreeshen says that collaborating with industry is vital to growing and… Read More
Editor’s note: The Government of Saskatchewan announced changes to crop insurance and some program changes after this story was published. See those changes here. The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) and other producer groups are calling on provincial and federal governments to take immediate action and support Prairie livestock producers who are facing drought conditions…. Read More
The governments of Canada and Saskatchewan have announced a new beneficial management practice program for cow-calf producers under the Farm Stewardship Program. Eligible cow-calf producers can now access cost-shared funding of up to 75 per cent of project costs, to a maximum of $15,000 for the development of run-off control measures. Eligible projects include holding… Read More
The University of Saskatchewan is establishing a new beef industry integrated forage management and utilization research chair position. The intent of the position is to connect the study of soils, plants, animals, economics, and ecosystems, to top into forage crops’ full range of benefits. “The chair will help to address concerns raised for a number… Read More
If you’ve been following the cattle markets, you’ll know that this week the Alberta fed cattle market lost some ground. This kind of behaviour is not exceptionally strange for a July cattle market, says Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange in the latest episode of the Beef Market Update. However, the market lost another… Read More
Saskatchewan Agriculture is reminding producers to be on the lookout for anthrax in their animals after confirmation that anthrax has been found in the RM of South Qu’Appelle. Anthrax was confirmed by laboratory results on July 7, 2021, as the cause of death in one animal in a flock of sheep. It is the suspected… Read More
It seems to be par for the course that the cattle markets are doing a little bit of everything these days. Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange says from a price perspective, the U.S. market is up and the Alberta market is down. “In the U.S., most of the trade is in the north,… Read More
Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan have been awarded nearly $5.7 million in grants that will support 32 wide-ranging projects. Included in the project list is a study on cattle temperament that’s worth $152,500, titled “Development of a chute-side test to use feedlot cattle temperament as an indicator of disease resilience.” Dr. Diego Moya, Western… Read More
Chop Steakhouse & Bar recently announced plans to become the first full-service restaurant chain in Canada to offer steaks featuring certification that recognizes sustainable beef practices. “The most exciting part of that menu is our new mass balance certification through the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef,” says Stephen Clark, executive chef for Chop Steakhouse & Bar…. Read More
On previous episodes of the Beef Market Update, you’ve heard Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange talk about the cattle hangover that is going on in the fed cattle market. Well, we’ve got some good news: we are on our way out. Wasko says although the U.S. is getting on its feet too, the… Read More