There are still plenty of unknowns surrounding the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak that has killed millions of chickens and turkeys on farms across North America going back to early 2022, but a drop in the number of new cases in the month of May is a positive sign for the poultry sector. The… Read More
Category: Livestock
Ontario-based Dairy Distillery has already proved you can make amazing things from a “waste” product, through its creation of Vodkow vodka using milk permeate. Now, the company is partnering with the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) to create a milk-made biofuel. Currently, MMPA runs a facility that produces 14,000 tonnes of permeate per year that’s… Read More
A new report commissioned by the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) and the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation (SSGF) looks at the differences in profitability between cow-calf and annual crop production in southwest Saskatchewan. Over a 50 year time period, the returns from grain farming are $508/acre higher than cow-calf production, according to the research modelling… 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
The international agricultural landscape is witnessing a troubling trend towards protectionism. In past eras, protectionism was enabled through prohibitive tariffs that blocked trade. World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations and bilateral trade agreements have largely eliminated tariffs from the protectionists’ toolbox, but, as evidenced by recent events, there are other ways in which trade can be… 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 Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is welcoming the announcement that Taiwan is restoring full market access for Canadian beef in the coming weeks. Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Mary Ng, shared the news in a tweet late Thursday, while attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Detroit. “Cattle producers are pleased to learn… Read More
Olymel says it has “made the difficult decision” to reduce its hog operations in Western Canada due to continued financial losses and uncertainty in pork markets. Approximately 80 employees at five sow facilities in Alberta (Smoky Sow/Dev, Pinnacle 1, Pinnacle 2, Dynacrest 1 and Dynacrest 2) and one farm in Saskatchewan (Kelsey) have been given… 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 road back to profitability for the pork sector is likely long and difficult as Canadian producers continue to face a troublesome combination of declining domestic demand, fewer opportunities in export markets, and the spectre of tougher U.S. animal welfare regulations that could drive prices lower. It all adds up to tough times for pork… Read More
With California on an aggressive timeline to implement the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative — more commonly known as Prop 12 — requirements by July 1, 2023 the United States pork industry is still reeling with questions regarding the details of verification, logistics, and supply. Last week, we heard from the Canadian Pork Council on concerns… Read More
For the past two years, there have been issues with the delivery of water early in the growing season across the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID). In 2022, there were different reasons for the inability to access water early on, but this year, water challenges were linked to breakages and leaks in the canals. As… 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
The Alberta government has shared a notice regarding emergency grazing options for ranchers and livestock producers affected by the wildfires. As part of the provincial state of emergency, the province is accepting applications for temporary grazing on vacant public lands. More information can be found by calling 310-LAND (5263.) Alberta Forestry, Parks & Tourism says… 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