Rain doesn’t just make grain, it makes beef too, and much of Saskatchewan and Alberta is in desperate need of moisture to support the cattle out on grass. In this episode of the almost-in-person Beef Market Update, Anne Wasko, of Gateway Livestock, and Shaun Haney, of RealAgriculture, cover some serious ground, from the possible repealing… Read More

The Saskatchewan Premises Identification (PID) Database was launched as a new online resource to help improve livestock emergency prevention and response. “The benefits of the Premises Identification Database are far-reaching,” said Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart. “Knowing where our province’s livestock is located allows us to be more effective in handling everything from flooding to disease… Read More

The Canadian government has taken another step toward following through on its two-year-old threat to retaliate against U.S. country of origin labeling (COOL) unless the meat labeling rules are repealed. Canada’s trade and agriculture ministers — Ed Fast and Gerry Ritz — joined Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal, Mexico’s Secretary of Economy, and Enrique Martínez y Martínez, Mexico’s Secretary of… Read More

The threat of retaliation from Canada and Mexico is forcing American lawmakers and farm groups to weigh whether it’s worth maintaining the mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) rules for meat. The American Farm Bureau Federation, which describes itself as the largest general farm organization in the U.S., announced Wednesday it has decided to back… Read More

The Peterson Farm Bros might be American, but their latest effort gives a decisive nod to their northern neighbours with this Bachman Turner Overdrive parody, “Takin’ Care of Livestock.” All three brothers are joined by their sister in this livestock feeding frenzy, but it’s not just their parents that make a cameo! Farmers, farm kids,… Read More

North America’s largest food retailer, Walmart, unveiled its positions on animal welfare and the use of antibiotics in farm animals on Friday. Strangely enough, farm groups and animal rights organizations alike applauded the company’s animal care guidelines. While both sides are welcoming Walmart’s positions, if you dig a bit deeper, there are conflicting views on what the implications… Read More

Canadian beef industry leaders have established an endowment fund to support “the sustainable advancement and legacy of the Canadian beef industry.” The Canadian Cattlemen’s Foundation will have three main focus areas within the beef sector: youth and leadership development, environmental sustainability, and research. “If we want to see our industry thrive in the future we need… Read More

When Canada’s agriculture and trade ministers — as everybody expected following the World Trade Organization’s latest ruling against U.S. country of origin labeling — promised to retaliate unless the labeling rules are repealed, virtually all Canadian livestock producer groups and provincial governments who benefit from cross-border cattle and hog trade applauded the federal government’s swift action. With one… Read More

On behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, Members of Parliament Michael Chong and Harold Albrecht today announced an investment of $183, 929 to help ensure the safe transportation of livestock and poultry. “Our Government is proud to support industry-led initiatives that help to ensure the welfare of farm animals in Canada,” said Chong. “The transportation… Read More

Update on May 20th: The U.S. House Agriculture Committee, as expected, approved Chair Michael Conoway’s bill to repeal COOL on Wednesday morning by a vote of 38-6. It’s expected the entire House will vote on it in early June. The final ruling from the World Trade Organization against U.S. mandatory country of origin labeling and the threat… Read More

The Western Livestock Price Insurance Program’s (WLPIP) calf coverage deadline is May 28, 2015. WLPIP is a risk management program, allowing producers to pay a premium for forward price coverage. Should market price fall below their coverage level for their time frame, the producer will receive a payment. It all sounds pretty straightforward, but deciding… Read More

The World Trade Organization has once again sided with Canada and Mexico, as the WTO Appellate Body published a fourth and final ruling on U.S. country of origin labeling rules today. The appeal panel decision affirmed earlier rulings saying COOL illegally discriminates against foreign livestock (read the report and findings here). “The United States has used and… Read More

 

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