On Labour Day Monday a turkey farm in Southern Alberta had to deal with trespassing animal activists attempting to bring media attention to the way turkeys are raised. About 30 protesters descended on to Jumbo Valley Colony by camping out along the wall in the turkey barn. The protestors demanded for the media to be… Read More
As of August 29, 2019, seven animals in the Saskatchewan RM of Chester have been found dead, and confirmed to have the bacteria that causes anthrax. Bacillus anthracis can survive in its spore form for decades. According to the Beef Cattle Research Council, the ‘perfect storm’ for the disease is caused by flooding or heavy… Read More
The type of trace mineral you feed your cattle matters, and, at least one research study suggests that paying a little more can result in a net return on investment when it comes to choosing the type of zinc, copper, cobalt, or selenium product you choose to feed. Dr. Matt Hersom, from the University of… Read More
For those looking for hand’s free, low-stress sheep and goat handling, the New Zealand designed, UK-manufactured Combi Clamp offers an efficient way to process many sheep and goats very quickly. The Combi Clamp, distributed by Huber Ag Equipment, uses an operator’s weight to clamp animals between panels, operated via a foot treadle plate. “It allows us… Read More
The Ontario Beef Research Centre has officially opened at the Elora Research Station, adjacent to the Ontario Dairy Research Centre and the soon-to-be constructed Ontario Swine Research Centre. The new centre supports research related to animal welfare, reproduction, and nutrition as well as meat quality and safety. Research results will be commercialized or shared with… Read More
Egg just for breakfast? That’s a thing of the past, according to a new national campaign by the Egg Farmers of Canada. In its new marketing platform the organization has created a funny spin on why “it’s not weird” to have eggs for lunch or dinner. “We want to reframe the way Canadians think about… Read More
Last week, the federal government announced it would be compensating supply-managed dairy producers $1.75 billion over eight years, for market losses expected through the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Much like many industry issues, there are divided opinions and viewpoints on the… Read More
Costco Canada is asking producers for more, high-quality Canadian beef. Chris Tindall, AGMM fresh meats for Costco, presented to attendees of the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Calgary last week, discussing how industry can build alliances with producers, the needs of the beef industry, and the desire to grow availability of AAA and Prime beef…. Read More
Ontario Sheep Farmers (OSF) has secured funding from the AgriRisk Initiative Program under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to investigate the feasibility of a production insurance program for the sheep industry and wants producer input for its development. The key outcome of this project will be recommendations on whether production insurance is feasible and affordable for… Read More
Canada Beef has launched an export market development (EMD) program aimed to stimulate market development activities and grow market segments in an effort to increase Canadian beef in the export market place, says president Michael Young. “It’s a new program that our committee just approved three weeks ago now, and what it does is it… Read More
We now know the terms of dairy farmers’ compensation: each Canadian will give $46 each to dairy farmers over the next 8 years while paying exorbitant retail prices for many dairy products. Eggs and poultry are coming next. And don’t hold your breath because more money given to dairy farmers won’t change much of anything… Read More
Canada’s food retailers have been looking to reduce competitive price wars — but it’s not enough to ease continued food inflation. That’s market analyst Kevin Grier’s take on what’s happening across Canada’s food retail landscape. Earlier this week, Grier joined RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney to discuss his latest Grocery Trade Report and says grocery retailers may… Read More
What do Chinese government leaders think of Canada? Can our government correct a policy course that has put Canadian agricultural exports on the ropes and knocked canola and meat out of the globe’s most lucrative economy? Earlier this week, RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney put these questions to Charles Burton, senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier… Read More
The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) has a new partner at the table. Harvey’s Restaurants has committed to sourcing a portion of their beef for their original burger in conjunction with CRSB’s sustainability standards. “We are thrilled to partner with Harvey’s and support their sustainable sourcing efforts,”says Anne Wasko, chair of the CRSB and… Read More
The climate change and land use report released last week by the United Nations generated plenty of headlines and tremendous discussion. But the media coverage of The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) really missed the mark, says Dr. Frank Mitloehner, University of California, Davis animal science professor and air quality extension specialist. This week… Read More