The Canadian Cattle Association’s (CCA) Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) Program has announced the semi-finalists for the upcoming 2023-2024 program year. Established in 2010, the CYL Program welcomes people ages 18-35 from across Canada involved in all areas of the beef supply chain and connects them with industry leaders to provide unique mentorship, and offers… Read More
Author: RealAgriculture Livestock Team
For many, branding season is quickly coming to a close. Calves are moving out to grass where possible, and the summer season is underway, says Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange. On this week’s episode of the Beef Market Update, host Shaun Haney and Wasko discuss a few key topics including western Canadian cattle… Read More
The Government of Canada has formally responded to the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service’s proposal to change its Product of U.S.A. labeling requirements. The proposed rule changes stipulate an animal must be born, raised, and processed in the U.S. to carry the Product of U.S.A. label. Though voluntary, there are concerns in Canada that… Read More
Earlier this year, Lancashire, England-based Hoofcount made its first visit to the Canadian Dairy XPO since the foot care company set up Canadian operations in 2021. In this interview at the annual dairy showcase at Stratford, Ont., Hoofcount director Jane Marsh shares how the company’s success is built on effective, reliable and labour-saving foot bathing… Read More
Positive results of feeding canola meal to cattle is not new — the dairy industry is already a big fan of the protein supplement. But ongoing beef cattle research out of Saskatchewan is looking at the impact of supplementing heifers on pasture and how the practice might extend grazing sites in lower grass production years…. Read More
What does a wizard have to do with cattle prices? Nothing really, but it would seem that there are some zany factors at play in cattle production where somehow cattle prices are climbing even as feed costs are dropping. Is it magic? Not quite, says Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, but prices are… Read More
A biosecurity and animal disease prevention company based at Guelph, Ontario has announced it’s merging with a U.S.-based company that has developed a facial recognition entry system for barns. Farm Health Guardian Ltd. and NoveTechnologies, LLC (NoveTech) say they have combined forces as of June 5, 2023, and will operate under the Farm Health Guardian… Read More
A super thin plastic that creates an effective oxygen barrier for improving aerobic stability of any kind of silage is the promise of Germany-based silage specialists, Bock Silosysteme. Earlier this year, company representatives travelled to the annual dairy showcase Canadian Dairy XPO at Stratford, Ont., to share the product with farmers. Bock was one of… Read More
Cattle markets have held their own over the last week, with prime grilling season underway heading into the Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. and Father’s Day around the corner. U.S. cattle prices this week ranged from one to three dollars higher, from south to north, explains Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange in… Read More
The Beef Cattle Research Council has announced twelve recipients of $2 million in beef check-off funds following its 2022/2023 call for research proposals. The check-off money is being used to leverage over $4 million in matching funding from government and other partners. “We are able to leverage producer dollars from the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off… Read More
The Canadian pork industry continues to face roadblocks in rebuilding pork demand and prices, highlighted by the closure of the Olymel processing plant in Vallée-Jonction, Quebec and a HyLife plant in Minnesota. Stephen Heckbert, executive director of the Canadian Pork Council (CPC), says the closures don’t necessarily need to be in Canada to impact the… Read More
This weekend marks the 20 year anniversary of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or more commonly known as BSE, being found in an Alberta cow, leading to the historic crash in the Canadian cattle industry. Dennis Laycraft, executive vice president of the Canadian Cattle Association, was on the front lines, and recalls the process that began with… Read More
Nathan Phinney, now president of the Canadian Cattle Association, was just finished university and ready to ship some fat cattle for a decent pay day when the BSE news hit. The beef producer from New Brunswick says the impact of the BSE finding in 2003 was a “crippling blow” to not just cattle prices, but… Read More
Can the production rules of one state wag the (curly) tail of pork trade for an entire country? If the state is California, the answer is: it’s possible. Prop 12, first passed in the state in 2018 and then upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court this week, sets out space requirements for livestock in production… Read More
The immediate impact of finding a BSE-positive cow in Alberta in 2003 was swift and brutal. Overnight, Canada’s export market evaporated and prices for cattle, especially older animals, tanked. As we look back on the decades that have followed, the longer-lasting impacts have been monumental, but not necessarily as clear. To dive in to what… Read More