MCOOL has become a reality for the US, Canadian and beef industry. Sometimes it is beneficial to better understand an issue or situation by stepping back and examining how we got here. I asked Dennis Laycraft of the Canadian Cattleman’s Association at the International Livestock Congress to provide me with a history of the MCOOL legislation and what could… Read More
Category: Canadian Agriculture Policy
With the event of H1N1 poultry food safety has become a very popular topic amongst the general public not just agriculturalists. At the International Livestock Congress in Calgary, I talked to Barbara Beane of KFC about how KFC is bringing innovative and new products to the marketplace. We also discussed how KFC manages food safety. Check out additional International… Read More
This spring, I met with Lillian Schaer of FoodandFarmingCanada.com , to discuss some of the issues related to the urban pesticides ban in Ontario. I was first exposed to this issue during an interview that I did with Jay Bradshaw, President of Syngenta Canada. The following is an update on the situation. The following was… Read More
Talking to hog producers in Manitoba, there is a real head scratching issue taking place. Hog producers are strongly criticizing the provincial government for not stepping up to compensate hog farmers for this terrible economic environment. The province think that it is a Federal government issue but others disagree. My friend journalism friend Harry Siemens… Read More
Today, Anne Dunford, General Manager, Gateway Livestock Exchange talked to me about the North American cattle industry. This is the first edition of the RealAgriculture.com Beef Market Update. In my continuing effort to increase the content I require your feedback to keep improving the site. When it comes to explaining what is happening in the… Read More
I have been getting a number of calls from feedlot producers to discuss the new Cattle Price Insurance Program (CPIP) that will be launched by AFSC this summer for Albertan cattle feeders. I talked to Susan Crump, Senior Project Manager, Program Development and Policy at AFSC about some of the preliminary details of the coming… Read More
Pigs are a host for the H1N1 virus, and yet while no pigs died directly because of the virus, it was called €œswine flu€ and the news story became focused on food safety. It sprung a lot of attention onto concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) as if the food supply is not safe anymore because… Read More
Canadian, Australian and American wheat organizations have formed the Biotech Wheat Coalition “in support for more efficient, sustainable and profitable production of wheat around the world”. See the Joint Statment Here As RealAgriculture.com has discussed before the need for biotech wheat is rising and the usual roadblocks are presenting themselves as discussed by the Canadian… Read More
Last month the Alberta Government announced that they were changing the checkoff rules for pork, beef, potatoes and lamb in the province. This has been a very controversial topic because of the massing theories as to what will happen with that money if a refund is requested. I spoke to Kevin Grier, Senior Market Analyst… Read More
Since H1N1 became an issue there has been a lot of speculation and sensationalism around whether or not it is safe to consume pork. We even had a hog farm in Alberta quarantined to contain the virus from spreading to neighboring farms. I first saw Dr. Cate Dewey, University of Guelph, on the CBC National… Read More
In Central Alberta, a 2200 head swine herd is under quarantine after the CFIA confirmed the H1N1 virus presence. According to a press release by the Government of Alberta, the pigs were exposed to the virus by a farm worker who recently returned from Mexico with flu symptoms. I’m just glad to see not only… Read More
The H1N1 virus is really causing an issue with the global pork consumers with the weekends announcement that a hog farm in Alberta has been quarantined. Many are asking why a person just returning from Mexico was ever let in the facility in the first place but the biggest concern is restoring consumer faith in… Read More
While the demographics of farmers and ranchers generally follow an aging trend, there are still many young people getting, and staying, involved in the livestock industry. A prime example is a new group I have the privilege of helping to develop between the US and Canada. The Canada/US Young Farmers and Ranchers Livestock Forum is… Read More
If you don’t follow the beef industry very closely then you have been missing the battle of the beef check off dollars. Traditionally all the check off dollars have gone to the Alberta Beef Producers but there was growing dissent within the industry as to what the ABP was doing with that money for the… Read More
Harry Siemens of SiemensSays does a great job in the following article and podcasts to bring to light the controversy over who has or hasn’t reported their donor list in the past CWB elections. Harry interviews former board candidate Rolf Penner, Ian Craven of Meyers Norris Penny and Larry Hill, Canadian Wheat Board Chair. Get… Read More