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
As many ranchers know – what we feed our cattle is in direct relation to what sort of performance they achieve. Within the last few years producers have found that soybean meal is a great option for cows, as it provides the proper nutrients they require. However, if you’re a canola grower, you may find… Read More
Even though NAFTA negotiations are underway, TPP is still vitally important if Canada and the US want to expand exports. President Trump removed the United States from TPP shortly after his inaugaration, which has caused some of the remaining eleven TPP countries to do some soul searching. Canada has been searching for its own identity… Read More
As Canadian ranchers and feeders head into the the thick of the fall run there are many variables that come into play. Fluctuations in export demand, the Canadian dollar, futures prices, weather, trade, and feed costs are all hanging over how great of a fall it will be for producers. At the Canadian Beef Industry… Read More
The Canadian economy has been healthy as of late, which has many farmers with higher debt levels somewhat concerned about interest rate increases in the near future. Farmers have enjoyed a low interest rate environment for quite some time, but the reality is – the Bank of Canada has some some decisions to make. Additionally… Read More
People from all corners of the cattle business in Canada were at Stampede Park in Calgary this week for the second annual Canadian Beef Industry Conference. Attendance was up over last year, with over 700 registered attendees and banquet attendance on Wednesday night topping 820. “We were hoping to build on the success of last… Read More
With the NAFTA renegotiations starting this week, officials with the U.S. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) were in Calgary for the Canadian Beef Industry Conference, showing their support for the relationship between the two countries. Representatives from both the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and NCBA plan on heading to Washington for the anticipating beginning of the… Read More
Trade and market access are always major topics at cattle industry meetings, but with the renegotiation of NAFTA becoming reality, there was a little extra emphasis on the politics of trade this week at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Calgary. If there were any questions about how unified cattle producer groups from Canada, the… Read More