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
According to the Western Canadian Cow Calf Survey completed in 2015, 72 percent of calves in Western Canada are sold at weaning, with 80 percent being sold via an auction market. The combination of stressors calves face in that short time from weaning to auction to entering a feedlot has major health and economic implications, says Brenna… Read More
Although he sees minor improvement in the cattle industry’s work towards mitigating the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), Cody Creelman, managing partner and DVM, Veterinary Agri-Health Services, says there’s much more work to be done to understand the extent of AMR. “There needs to be more dedicated research,” Creelman told RealAgriculture, in an interview filmed… Read More
We’ve all heard that phrase, often used to console in the gruff way most ranchers know best. “When you have livestock, you have deadstock.” But that phrase places too much emphasis on the notion that the death is out of our hands. It’s not. While we must not beat ourselves up for lost animals, there’s still something that… Read More
For some ranchers procedures like dehorning/disbudding, castration and branding are necessary evils of the job. But necessity doesn’t make the work any easier. In an effort to improve animal welfare, and to respond to consumer concerns, the beef industry is addressing procedures like these with pain mitigation, and improved genetics. The Code of Practice for the Care… Read More
Anti-trade messages from both U.S. presidential candidates are undoubtedly troubling for the future of the Canadian economy, especially in export-oriented sectors like agriculture. “That to me would be the number one concern when we look over the next six months — what happens in the U.S. election and what happens afterwards,” said Douglas Porter, chief economist… Read More
23 Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) semi-finalists headed to Calgary for the Canadian Beef Industry Conference earlier this month, and this week, 16 finalists were announced, including: British Columbia: Ryan Scorgie – Kamloops Alberta: Becky Tees – Cochrane, Grayden Kay – Lloydminster, Jessica Sperber – Rimbey, Jesse Williams –Hanna, Katie Songer – Sylvan Lake, Luke Marshall – Innisfail,… Read More
With blurred lines between how pets and food animals should be treated, concerns about the use of growth promotants and antimicrobials, serious questions about environmental impacts, and let’s not forget, the cringeworthy moniker ‘pink slime,’ the beef industry has its work cut out for it when it comes to helping consumers understand how beef gets… Read More
Cattle markets will likely continue to trend lower, although at a slower rate than we saw for much of 2015 and early 2016, according to the senior analyst with Canfax. “We’ve been through such a massive adjustment here, I think the bulk of the pain is over,” says Brian Perillat in this interview at the Canadian… Read More