Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) will likely be without an executive director when negotiations on a new North American Free Trade Agreement begin later this summer, where the U.S. will push to gain increased access to the Canadian dairy market. DFC’s current executive director, Caroline Emond, has decided to step down effective July 4th. A… Read more »
Category: Livestock
R-CALF rhetoric pushes to have COOL reinstated
Montana-based cattle membership organization R-CALF has launched a multi-pronged attack to convince President Trump to reinstate mandatory country of origin labelling (MCOOL) in the upcoming renegotiation of NAFTA. On Agritalk on Thursday, R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard argued for MCOOL on the basis it supports President Trump’s “America first” policy, food safety, and America’s sovereignty, since the… Read more »
Beef Market Update: Surprises to the upside and the downside
The cattle market has had more than a few surprises lately. After maintaining momentum to the upside longer than expected, the market saw a quick adjustment to the downside this week, as Anne Wasko highlights in this latest Beef Market Update. “Not that the downtrend wasn’t expected, we’re heading into the summer. We’ve had a… Read more »
MPs examine truckwash policy as PEDv outbreak continues in Manitoba
The House of Commons agriculture committee held an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) outbreak in southeast Manitoba. There have been at least 20 confirmed on-farm cases since May 2. To put that number in perspective, Manitoba previously only had 10 PEDv-positive barns dating back to 2014 when the… Read more »
Saskatchewan gov’t to offer leases to pasture patrons
The Saskatchewan government says it will offer current patrons of its pasture program the option of leasing the land in 15-year leases as the program is wound down over the next three years. The decision to end the Saskatchewan Pastures Program (SPP) was announced in the province’s budget back in March. The province says more… Read more »
Trudeau is the best person to trade away supply management
Before we start let me make this point very clear: This editorial is not an argument for or against supply management. It’s a statement on Canada’s negotiating position heading into the upcoming NAFTA talks. In any trade you try to maximize the return on an asset. In sports, this could be other players, draft picks… Read more »
Canadian dealer listed in top 10 North American Krone outlets
Krone North America has announced their highest retail sales volume dealers for fiscal year 2016 and a big surprise is that a Canadian retailer made the list. Krone manufactures and sells hay and forage equipment in 40 countries around the world but has relatively small distribution in Canada. With a heavy focus in the forage market, Krone… Read more »
Did Perdue really say “if you want supply management, that’s fine”?
It’s no surprise that Canada’s dairy supply management was discussed in the first face-to-face meeting between Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and new U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue. However, some of Perdue’s comments on supply management after the meeting on Monday are surprising or noteworthy with many on the U.S. side calling for the system to be dismantled…. Read more »
Beef Market Update: Rallying against the trend during barbecue season
As the smell of barbecue fills the air in many neighbourhoods, this is normally the time of year when cattle market highs are well behind us. But the market moved against that trend this week, as live and feeder cattle futures, as well as cash prices, climbed higher. In this week’s edition of the Beef… Read more »
Livestock centre of excellence receives $4.5 million from federal gov’t
The federal government has announced another $4.47 million in funding for the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence being built near Saskatoon. David Lametti, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced the funding on Friday at the University of Saskatchewan. Originally announced in 2015, the centre will have its physical… Read more »
Neither side wins with ‘Pig Trial’ verdict
The recent court case of Anita Krajnc, informally called the “Pig Trial,” has come to a close, and the farming community leaves the courtroom with disappointment. Sort of. Rather than a one-sided legal rout for animal rights activism, the verdict delivered in this criminal mischief case actually supports Ontario farmers in a number of ways. Let’s… Read more »
Watching for ‘Cow Signals’ is time well spent
Every time a cow takes a lame step or stands for a long period of time she’s sending a signal. Farmers who read those signals and respond with efforts to improve cow comfort are rewarded with increased cow longevity and more profit in their pocket. That’s the return on investing in Cow Signals, according to Agribrands… Read more »
U.S. beef gets access to China, plus the importance of CCA and NCBA co-operation: Kent Bacus
The United States announced this week that it had an agreement to increase beef exports to China. Lately much of the trade focus has been on holding on to existing markets but possible changes are afoot as President Donald Trump threatens to renegotiate NAFTA. The U.S./Canada beef industry relationship is more than one of just buying… Read more »
Raise calves in Ontario? Your input is needed
If you have a cow-calf operation in Ontario, your input is needed in an effort to create a baseline of common management practices for the province. The Ontario Cow-Calf Production Survey is being conducted by researchers at the University of Guelph, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Beef Farmers of… Read more »
Domino’s Pizza says it won’t be pushed around by animal activists
Farmers have gotten used to food companies bowing to the desires and demands of animal activists. It seems rare for a mainstream food company to stand behind the methods and practices of farmers and ranchers across the United States and Canada. Outside of McDonald’s Canada, the list seems quite short at times (and, yes, they’re moving… Read more »