The 106th Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) annual general meeting was held this past week in Moose Jaw, Sask. More than 100 ranchers and industry from across the province came to the convention held on Monday to hear from keynote speakers with the formal AGM held on Tuesday. “We had a very productive AGM adopting… Read More
Often prescribed for curing thrush and other fungal infections of humans and a common ingredient in foot and hoof treatments for livestock, Health Canada has come out and said gentian violet increases the risk of cancer and is urging everyone — farmers included — to stop using any products that include the ingredient. Following a… Read More
U.S.-based Fair Oaks Farms dairy is under fire this week after an animal rights group circulated a video showing abuse of dairy calves at the dairy. Fair Oaks is a supplier of Coca-Cola’s Fairlife milk brand. Owner Dr. Mike McCloskey posted a video statement on the company’s web page. In it, McCloskey apologizes for the… Read More
As tensions remain high between China and North American countries, it appears as though China will be taking another step to strengthen inspections of imported meat from Canada. The news broke Tuesday afternoon from RealAg Radio regular, Kelsey Johnson of Reuters. In her article, she points out: A Canadian agriculture ministry notice seen by Reuters… Read More
With historically slow corn planting in the U.S. and Ontario due to adverse wet weather conditions, the consequences are building. As the doubts on how much of the desired corn will get planted, feedyards are having staring higher feed costs in the eye. The latest USDA planting progress report will come out today (Monday), but… Read More
Despite last Friday’s bullish Cattle on Feed report out of the U.S., markets on Monday opened with little impact, says Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, in today’s Beef Market Update. The report listed the May 1 inventory of cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market as the highest since the series… Read More
Earlier this year, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) announced it would no longer carry out enforcement of Ontario’s animal welfare laws. The announcement has spurred Ontario’s government to evaluate how animal welfare enforcement is handled in the province and will shape new animal welfare legislation. As part of that… Read More
The Canadian beef market is enjoying a record-setting export pace for the first three months of 2019. Last week’s announcement of Japan accepting beef from over-thirty-months of age cattle is a real bonus to an already great bull run. Fawn Jackson, senior manager of government and international relations for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, says that… Read More
Since closing its borders to beef from animals over thirty months (OTM) of age following the 2003 BSE finding in Canada, Japan has announced it will now import beef from animals of all ages. The ban, instituted in 2005, will be lifted for all importing countries, including Canada and the U.S. Japan is an important… Read More
Ontario sheep and cattle producers who work with many of the province’s independent meat processors could soon find themselves fully responsible for their livestock’s hides. In April, one of the few processing companies in the province that collects hides from small and medium-sized abattoirs, announced it was ceasing operations. It had been serving Ontario abattoirs… Read More
Time is running out for prairie producers to sign up for this year’s calf price insurance program. The sign up period began in early February and closes May 30, 2019. Bill Hoar, product owner with Western LPIP (livestock price insurance program), says that livestock producers can sign up over the phone, at a financial services… Read More
The May long weekend is the official kick off to the summer barbecue season, but the wet, cool weather trend doesn’t look like it’s going to let up for much of the country. Will this deter beef consumption? Will African swine fever’s impact on the hog markets boost beef retail sales through competitive pricing? Not… Read More
Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit has announced the winners for this year’s Agriculture Student Scholarship Program. The top prize winner receives a $4,000 scholarship towards agriculture-related post-secondary studies, while three runners up receive a $2,000 scholarship. This year’s grand prize winner is Caylee Dorval of Glaslyn. Dorval created a three-minute long video describing and showing… Read More
Quebec’s farmer union and its beef producers are calling on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to stop Beyond Meat from using the word “meat” when referring to its plant-based products, such as burgers and sausages, Quebec’s TVA Nouvelles reports. Beyond Meat launched its meat-alternative product line in Canada on May 1, 2019. L’Union des producteurs… Read More
Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) is consolidating its six feed production facilities in the Prairies into three. The three that are on the chopping block are the plants located in Brandon, Man., Melfort, Sask., and Edmonton, Alta. “While we don’t make these decisions lightly, by consolidating manufacturing and taking measures to refocus our resources in the… Read More