Full details are still in the works, but it appears that the cattle industry — dairy included — will get a two-year delay on enforcement of new transport regulations set to come into force in early February. The federal minister of agriculture, Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced at a parliamentary reception this week that the grace period… Read More
Following months of decreased beef slaughter capacity in Ontario, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has cancelled Safe Food for Canadian licences for Ryding-Regency Meat Packers LTD., located at Toronto; Canadian Select Meats Inc. (operating under St. Ann’s Foods Inc); and The Beef Boutique LTD, (operating under St. Ann’s Foods Inc.). CFIA says the decision… Read More
It’s been over two months since the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) suspended the license of a beef slaughter and processing plant in Ontario, and the shutdown is taking a toll on the eastern Canadian beef industry. Toronto-based Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd. saw the suspension of its Safe Food for Canadians license effective September 17,… Read More
The United States Department of Agriculture released its November 1 cattle-on-feed report, which saw results in line with pre-report expectations. Anne Wasko, of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, sums up the report below: “November 1 cattle-on-feed is up 1 per cent from last year at 11.8 million head. This is 7 per cent larger than the… Read More
Fresh off a big trip to New Zealand representing the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, Anne Wasko, of Gateway Livestock Exchange, is back for a Beef Market Update. (Read more about Anne’s experience at the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef here) Here in the northern hemisphere, it was another good week in the U.S., with… Read More
The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef held its general assembly at Christchurch, New Zealand, last week. As chair of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, Anne Wasko was there and shares her insight and experience below: As the current chair of Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB), I was pleased to represent CRSB at the… Read More
Canadian farmers have been caught in the crossfire of the strained U.S./China/Canada trade relations. Several crops, such as wheat and peas, have avoided being impacted negatively, while canola, pork, and beef exports have been targeted by the Chinese. Farmers have lashed out at the federal government for not forcing change, talking tougher, or being vocal… Read More
As the saying goes, if Henry Ford had listened to what his customers wanted, they would have said, “Faster horses.” For Nicole Zeni, that innovation philosophy means that while you do need to listen to your customers, you must be open to change, and challenged to thinking broadly and for the long term. Zeni manages… Read More
Although there’s no official statement released on the prime ministers website yet, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tweeted out that Canadian pork and beef exports to China will resume. To note, the prime minister thanks newly appointed Ambassador to China, Dominic Barton. He’s had the position since September 4th, and was quoted saying, “The relationship… Read More
Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ernie Hardeman, is back in the province after leading a trade mission to South Korea and Japan. Joining the minister was Vic Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and several industry members, representing Ontario farmers. In an op-ed released following the trip, Hardeman says, “It… Read More
As farmers anticipate the ratification of the new NAFTA deal, USMCA, Democrats in the U.S. are seeking changes to the new pact text. Jon Tester (D-MT) has gone back in time to suggest a change that would greatly impact the beef industry in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Tester is asking for the Republican-led… Read More
Gabriel Ribeiro has been named as the new Saskatchewan Beef Industry Chair at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). Ribeiro steps in to the role following John McKinnon’s retirement. Prior to becoming the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Chair, Ribeiro was an assistant professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary. Originally from Brazil,… Read More
The United States Department of Agriculture has released its October 2019 edition of the U.S. Cattle on Feed report which showed cattle on feed down one percent in comparison to a year ago as of October 1. According to Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, “There were no real surprises in the numbers this… Read More
The Canadian government may have seen some change after the election, but to producer organizations like the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), it doesn’t change the fact that they need to be at the table, working with whomever else is there. “I think it’s about what was expected, and as the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, we work… Read More
Air travel can be a lot like livestock transport: it involves limited personal space, noisy neighbours, and the odd smelly odour coming from the row in front of you. Although farmers handle cattle with great care, livestock transport isn’t what most want out of people transport. In a new commercial WestJet pokes some fun at… Read More