2021 won’t be forgotten anytime soon in the cattle world. The January 1, 2022, Cattle on Feed report from CanFax showed a 12 per cent increase in the number of cattle on feed from a year ago, with placements down a bit. As Anne Wasko, of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, explains in our latest Beef… Read More
There are those that say if you talk about something enough, it’s more likely to happen. If that’s the case, you can blame Kelvin Heppner for the rate of inflation and perhaps Shaun Haney for the fact that you can’t lock down enough glyphosate for the spring. While I’m mostly kidding, both supply chain disruption… Read More
Imports of feed into southern Alberta since November have been unprecedented, but delays in shipments, of both corn and distillers’ dried grains (DDGs), from the U.S. have resulted in cattle feeders still having to scramble to find feed. As we reported earlier this week, many feedlots are waiting nervously for trains to arrive, with feed… Read More
Early in 2021, #buttergate caused a media frenzy when a foodie from western Canada suggested that butter seemed firmer at room temperature than before. Some suggested a link between farmers feeding palm oil and too-firm butter, but there was no readily available science to prove or disprove the theory. A year later, a working group… Read More
There’s a rising number of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) cases in Manitoba’s hog population. The numbers are so high in fact, that Cam Dahl, general manager of the Manitoba Pork Council, has deemed the issue to be a “general outbreak.” “Normally, this is a disease that we see spread in late spring or summer, a… Read More
Corn imports into Western Canada from the U.S. have risen dramatically following the 2021 drought, but cattle feeders in Alberta say unpredictable shipments are not keeping up with demand. In some cases, feedlots say they are scraping together the last of their feed supplies, and are banking on delayed trains still arriving in time to… Read More
Ontario veterinarians will be able to access a portion of up to $4 million for new, portal and virtual equipment. Funded through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Livestock Veterinary Innovation Initiative is intended to increase the access options for veterinary care, especially in rural and northern Ontario. The province says the program will target investment… Read More
South Korea has announced it will end its almost month-long ban on buying Canadian beef. The ban lasted almost one month, after an atypical case of BSE was reported in a beef cow on an Alberta farm Dec. 17, 2021. South Korea closed its doors to Canadian beef on Dec. 21. This morning, South Korea… Read More
On January 15th, Canada officially put in place a vaccine mandate for cross-border truck drivers. The United States is planning on doing the same starting January 22nd. Cam Dahl, general manager of the Manitoba Pork Council, says from the perspective of the pork industry, the entire system is already strained and it’s uncertain know what… Read More
How do you rebuild a farming community after the most serious flooding event in modern history? Last week on the Farmer Rapid Fire, Shaun Haney was joined by Rudi Meier, Abbotsford, B.C.-area farmer. Meier shared what his community is dealing with, now two months after the first flooding began in the Fraser River valley. “There’s… Read More
With the Government of Canada planning to implement its vaccine mandate for cross-border truck drivers on Saturday, January 15, and a looming domestic mandate still at play, the agricultural industry is trying to adjust and cope with the impact. Under the more pressing mandate of January 15, unvaccinated Canadian drivers will be allowed back to… Read More
Bob Lowe, current president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and long-standing beef industry member, will serve as vice president of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) for 2022. The GRSB’s executive committee is comprised of some of the global beef supply chain’s largest stakeholders, including representatives from McDonald’s, Tyson Foods, Zoetis, Rabobank, and, the Canadian… Read More
Ontario’s agriculture ministry is set to hire four new extension staff over three locations: Ridgetown, Kemptville, and Vineland. Job offers are currently posted for a soil fertility specialist, a cropping systems specialist, a livestock specialist, and a lead for horticulture sustainability. Newly-posted OMAFRA crop and livestock specialist positions at Ridgetown, Kemptville, and Vineland. Soil… Read More
With the rise of the omicron variant, we’re watching COVID-19 once again disrupt the supply chain. Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livstock Exchange says the markets are looking a bit defensive this week — especially the futures market. “We can see some of the slaughter disruptions that are going on with the absenteeism from COVID…. Read More
Wheat is an emotional crop. It doesn’t cry or yell but it will tell you how it’s feeling, especially if it’s struggling in a field that’s compacted, has inadequate drainage, or is suffering from poor manure or nitrogen application. “Wheat shows everything,” says Russ Barker, Corteva/Pioneer Hi-Bred agronomist, who joins OMAFRA cereals specialist Joanna Follings and RealAgriculture’s… Read More