The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its biannual cattle inventory report, and it fell largely in line with expectations. With drought being a significant driver in parts of the U.S., the herd liquidation that has occurred over the past couple of years is continuing, confirming a tight supply picture going forward. According to… Read More
Category: Livestock
The United States is formally requesting a second dispute settlement panel over Canada’s dairy tariff-rate quota (TRQ) policies under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement (also known as CUSMA or USMCA). “Although the United States won a previous USMCA dispute on Canada’s dairy TRQ allocation policies, the Canadian government’s revised measures have not fixed the problem,” said… Read More
Over last few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to bounce around from conference to conference, learning on topics ranging from no-till, to canola production, to irrigation. On a glance these three topics may not have a ton in common, but as January wraps up (already!?) it’s got me thinking about some of the common themes…. Read More
For months since the North American Lamb Company (NALCO) announced it had gone into receivership, it’s been unclear as to who would take over the Alberta assets of the company, including a large feedlot and processing facility at Picture Butte. Finally public, the majority of the Alberta assets of NALCO have been acquired by Préval AG,… Read More
Weather is the biggest variable farmers face, and as many have seen throughout their career, too much or too little of something can seriously wreak some havoc. Andrew Pritchard, senior meteorologist with Nutrien, spoke earlier this week at the Northern Pulse Growers Association AGM, at Minot, North Dakota, to discuss the weather outlook for 2023…. Read More
The Plant and Animal Health Centre located in B.C.’s Sumas Prairie will be rebuilt in a new, more secure location, says the B.C. government. The current lab was heavily damaged in the flood of late 2021, and the government says that although it has largely returned to full operation, its location leaves it vulnerable to… Read More
Beginning in April, Canadian dairy producers will be able to compare the methane efficiency ratings of their dairy cattle. Lactanet Canada is launching the first-ever national genetic evaluation for methane efficiency, and the trait will be added to the list of traits evaluated for the Holstein breed. These genetic evaluations are used by Canadian producers… Read More
The Government of Saskatchewan has announced that rates paid by producers leasing Crown grazing land remain the same for 2023 and will not be increased. As well, growers leasing Crown land for grazing who have had to reduce stocking rates due to dry conditions are eligible to have rent reduced by up to 50 per… Read More
It’s been a mild January so far in Saskatchewan, where star of the Beef Market Update, Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, is reporting from today. Wasko joins guest host Lyndsey Smith this week to discuss cattle prices in the U.S., Western Canada, cattle-on-feed numbers, Canadian kill prices, and more. Check out the full… Read More
On many topics, we can require some convincing on what the right move is. Does a fungicide pass make sense? Can I fully move to zero-till? Will managed grazing be worth the investment? Too often we rely on anecdotes and personal experiences, but it can because that’s all there is to draw from. Solid data,… Read More
Before the age of combines, chaff was collected with a crop and left in a pile beside a threshing machine where it was then used for feed. A company based at Wawanesa, Manitoba is helping livestock producers return to this practice of collecting and feeding chaff by building a high capacity Australian-designed chaff cart that… Read More
A ramp designed by pork company HyLife for vaccinating weanlings has potential to improve animal care across the industry, the company says. The ramp was created by HyLife’s Continuous Improvement Team (CI), and has received approval from renowned animal behaviouralist, Dr. Temple Grandin. Grandin was brought in by HyLife to tour its farms and processing… Read More
It’s no secret that I love to read. I read all different varieties of books, with certain types always being the go-to. Genre aside, I also have a rotating list of my favourite books, which I try to re-read every couple of years. One of my favourites will always be The Perks of Being a Wallflower by… Read More
Not everyone is a numbers person, but most who run a business know the value of crunching income and expenses well ahead of the final tallies. Budgets can take many forms, from a scribbled down input/output scenario, to templates and spreadsheets, or a completely invisible version that lives only in someone’s head. There are pros… Read More
The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) has announced its 2023 executive committee, with a well-known Canadian name in the vice-president’s chair. Leading the organization will be Ian McConnel, of Tyson Foods, with Canadian rancher Bob Lowe, of Tri-L Ranch, serving as vice-president. Established in 2012, GRSB is comprised of over 100 member-organizations working to… Read More