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Olymel says it has “made the difficult decision” to reduce its hog operations in Western Canada due to continued financial losses and uncertainty in pork markets.

Approximately 80 employees at five sow facilities in Alberta (Smoky Sow/Dev, Pinnacle 1, Pinnacle 2, Dynacrest 1 and Dynacrest 2) and one farm in Saskatchewan (Kelsey) have been given layoff notices. The barns will be closed over the next few months, and remain shuttered until market conditions improve, the company says.

The decision will reduce the Quebec-based company’s sow herd in Western Canada from 57,000 to around 40,000 sows. As a result, the number of market hogs from company-owned farms headed to Olymel’s slaughter plant in Red Deer, Alta. is expected to decline by 200,000 starting in 2024.

“Over the past two years it is well documented that Olymel has experienced significant losses in the processing of fresh pork as a result of limited market access globally. Now coupled with stubbornly high feed costs resulting in unprecedented losses in the hog sector we have little choice but to retract and position ourselves for success in the future when conditions improve,” says Olymel CEO Yanick Gervais, in a May 26 statement. “I am confident that the changes being implemented in Olymel’s Western Canadian integrated hog sector will provide the foundation for ensuring that success.”

Olymel is also in the process of closing its pork processing plant in Vallée-Jonction, Quebec, which employed around 1,000 staff.

Related coverage:

Pork sector faces harsh realities for 2023

Pork Council looking for solutions following Olymel closure

Canadian pork industry challenged with plant closures

The Beef Cattle Research Council has announced twelve recipients of $2 million in beef check-off funds following its 2022/2023 call for research proposals.

The check-off money is being used to leverage over $4 million in matching funding from government and other partners.

“We are able to leverage producer dollars from the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off to support research that truly matters to the day-to-day management of our herds,” says BCRC chair Craig Lehr, who runs a cow/calf and backgrounding operation in Alberta. “This is important work. The BCRC not only funds the research but develops practical resources to support producers in making informed decisions to improve profitability, keep Canadian beef competitive and continue our ability to operate with a social license.”

Projects funded under the 2022/2023 BCRC call include:

• The known unknowns – Pulling back the cover on macrolide resistance in feedlots. Project Lead: Dr. Ruzzini, University of Saskatchewan
• Does supplementing pregnant cows with protein during winter grazing improve calf health? Project Lead: Dr. Malmuthuge, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge
• Can genomic tests identify the infectious causes of reproductive losses better than traditional diagnostics? Project Lead: Dr. Huang, Prairie Diagnostic Services Inc.
• Boosting calf immunity with early-life management. Project Leads: Dr. Malmuthuge, Agriculture & Agri- Food Canada, Lethbridge and Dr. Erickson, University of Saskatchewan
• Turning lemons into lemonade and cattle hide into snacks. Project Leads: Dr. Bruce and Dr. Roy, University of Alberta
• Cracking the code on early life management of crossbred dairy-beef calves. Project Lead: Dr. Steele, University of Guelph
• Can natural malate production in forages reduce methane emissions in grazing cattle? Project Lead: Dr. Block, Agriculture & Agri- Food Canada, Lacombe
• Burn baby burn – Can prescribed fire be a tool for pasture rejuvenation and improved soil health? Project Lead: Dr. Bainard, Agriculture & Agri- Food Canada, Agassiz
• Maximizing pasture’s grazing potential by sod-seeding alfalfa mixes. Project Lead: Dr. Lardner, University of Saskatchewan
• Testing new forage varieties to improve production and reduce our carbon hoofprint. Project Lead: Dr. Ribeiro, University of Saskatchewan
• Forage for climate action – Can grazing perennial forages improve environmental sustainability and animal health? Project Lead: Dr. Poudel, Agriculture & Agri- Food Canada, Lethbridge
• Understanding rest-recovery and grazing management for native prairie to improve grassland and animal productivity. Project Lead: Dr. Kelln, University of Saskatchewan

“Research matters. It moves the needle on best practices used across the industry, from animal health and productivity to nutrition, forage and grazing management, soil health, and the list goes on,” says Ron Stevenson, BCRC vice chair and Ontario cow-calf producer, who also works in the veterinary sector.

The BCRC, a division of the Canadian Cattle Association, is the national industry-led funding agency for beef, cattle and forage research, and is funded in part through the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-off.

Farm business transition is not a new challenge or opportunity for the agriculture industry, but there’s been an increased level of coverage and discussion about it in mainstream media following a well-publicized report by RBC highlighting the challenges earlier this spring.

At RealAgriculture and RealAgristudies, we are very interested in this topic and how it impacts farmers and their ability to engage in successful farm transition, which is not easy or simple in today’s complex business environment.

In any family business, dealing with the concerns of the parents, plus children in and out of the business, all under a prevailing cloud of balancing what is fair and equitable is challenging.

This survey was conducted from April 28 – May 2, 2023 and had 588 respondents, resulting in a degree of accuracy of +/- 4% with 95% confidence.

The topics explored in this survey include the following:

• The process of transition of ownership and management
• Development of a written succession plan
• Involvement of external advisors
• Usefulness of different sources of information related to transition/succession planning
• Perceived barriers to transition
• Importance and achievement of goals related to transition/succession

If you want more information on this study or RealAgristudies in general please email [email protected], or go to RealAgristudies.com

Watch the high level summary analysis of the study below, recorded by Justin Funk and myself. You can also download the summary slide deck of the results here.

Many may think the time to check their drills for seeding rate and depth is as the drill is going over the field.

While they wouldn’t be wrong, it’s also important to get out and dig through that field as the canola field germinates and emerges.

Rob Macdonald of BASF joins this episode of the Canola School to discuss a trial BASF has conducted near Strathmore, Alta., with different seeding sizes, rates, and depths.

There’s considerations when it comes to too shallow, and too deep — and unfortunately, says Macdonald, it’s not a matter of one number being the magic number for everyone. For this particular field, they saw fantastic results with inch and a quarter for seeding depth, but it comes down to a number of factors: soil type, residue, moisture, field history, your drill type, and more.

The age old question of whether or not to chase the moisture is one thing, but Macdonald says he’s seen growers have a lot of success with seeding underneath the moisture.

“We don’t target where the moisture is at. We target below the moisture, where we want to get below, one should protect that developing plant,” he explains. As well, it’s important to get below that residue level, so the seed can properly germinate.

Check out the full Canola School episode below, to dig in the soil and get to the roots of it all with Rob Macdonald: