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
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
In addition to maintaining or improving current trade relations, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) is also focused on diversifying beef exports. However, the work comes with challenges. Back in June, China had requested Canada to hold off its export certificates to the country. Since then, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has submitted the technical… 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
Sometimes you have to move slow to get where you want to go. The same can be said for cattle handling. Low stress cattle handling techniques don’t just make sense for animal welfare, they’re also a key component of verified sustainable beef production. Veterinarian Dr. Kip Lukasiewicz, head of animal handling, field research and facility… Read More
Circle H Farms took home the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association’s The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA) from the Canadian Beef Industry Conference (CBIC) in London, Ont. last week. Located near Brandon, Man., Brian and Sonja Harper were recognized for their work transforming their farm since acquiring the property in 1990. “What set the Harpers apart in their focus… Read More
Talking with your family about farm succession needs to happen sooner rather than later, emphasizes Darrell Wade, president and founder of FarmLife Financial. Wade’s key message at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in London, Ont., was to start the succession conversation early. As he explains in the video below, his family didn’t, and when a… Read More
As a first-timer heading to the Canadian Beef Industry Conference (CBIC) in London, Ont. in less than two weeks, it excites me to see the vast amount of topics covered in the three-day conference. Everything from best transport practises, breeding, and how knowing what the packer wants can help you as a producer in the… Read More
The federal Liberals’ reluctance to show that they want to move forward on the Trans-Pacific Partnership could be due to competition for votes in certain Ontario, Quebec and B.C. ridings in 2019, according to a trade expert with the Canada West Foundation. It’s difficult to get an answer on why Canada has not been more… Read More
McDonald’s, Swiss Chalet and Cargill have committed to funding a pilot project that is designed to pay cattle producers a financial incentive for producing beef that meets verifiable sustainability standards. The “Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration Project” was soft-launched at the recent Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Calgary. It will begin in October, with the first… Read More
The expansion cycle in the cattle markets can tend to be a bit of a rollercoaster, and it’s not always easy to tell where we are at on that ride. Don Close, animal protein analyst with Rabobank, says in his opinion, the current US cattle market is still on the upward rise. “We think we… Read More
Over the past couple of decades, those who make a profit off of the environment — farmers, ranchers, miners, and loggers — have seen a fair amount of negative publicity. As people involved in some of these industries, we know the negativity isn’t always accurate, and Bruce Vincent with Environomics Incorporated more than agrees. “The… Read More
When penciling out the cost of replacement heifers, it’s easy to think of all of the obvious costs, the cash costs. But Kathy Larson, research economist with the Western Beef Development Centre, encourages producers to consider the opportunity costs of raising animals as well. “Opportunity costs are essentially non-cash costs. The biggest one being the money… Read More
There are certain parts to a beef cow that consumers tend to migrate to, with most of them being the centre cuts — sirloin, prime rib, and others we see at restaurants and in stores. The Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence, located in Calgary, AB, is looking to show food service operators, chefs, and domestic/international… Read More
Livestock producers in Western Canada now have access to a new medication system that will ensure accuracy, as well as help track medication given to their animals. The system, which was announced at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference last week, is made up of an auto-dosing tool that tracks and records what, when, and the… Read More