The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) has announced the participants in the 2021-22 Beef Researcher Mentorship program. Following an open application process, four researchers from across Canada were selected: Dr. Gleise Medeiros da Silva, who recently joined the faculty at the Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta as an… Read More
Tag: Beef Cattle Research Council
The University of Saskatchewan is establishing a new beef industry integrated forage management and utilization research chair position. The intent of the position is to connect the study of soils, plants, animals, economics, and ecosystems, to top into forage crops’ full range of benefits. “The chair will help to address concerns raised for a number… Read More
The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) has created a new webpage title “Beef Cattle and the Carbon Cycle” to assist individuals, organizations, and entire industries working to better understand the environmental implications of their activities. The webpage, which can be found here, defines terms like carbon sequestration, climate change, carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, and… Read More
Dr. Karen Beauchemin has been awarded the 2020 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. Awarded during the 2020 virtual Canadian Beef Industry Conference (CBIC), the award recognizes Beauchemin for her work focused on developing nutritional knowledge and technologies for the beef and dairy industries to improve the efficiency of production and reduce… Read More
When deciding on a forage species or mix for hay or pasture, the options can be overwhelming. A new resource can help make the decision easier and can assist in determining seeding rates, weed management, and more. The Forage U-Pick tool, created by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), matches forage species to growing conditions,… Read More
Did you know that around 70 per cent of Canada’s beef exports go to the United States? Depending that much on one market means that if there is ever an issue with the United States border crossing (hello, BSE crisis), Canadian export options become slimmer than we’d like them to be. This is why Ellen… Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) amendments to Health of Animals Regulations are set to come into force February 20, 2020, but, in the case of cattle, at least, it’s unclear if the changes will actually benefit the livestock being transported. For cattle, the big changes proposed centre around the maximum allowable time in transit,… Read More
Nominations are now open for the Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. The award has been presented by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) for the past four years. According to a press release, nominations are welcome from all stakeholders of the Canadian beef industry and will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised… Read More
Canada’s fourth Beef Quality Audit (BQA) was completed in March 2018, following previous audits in 1995, 1998, and 2010/11. The carcass audit measured the incidence and economic costs of avoidable defects in Canadian slaughter cattle and beef and identified opportunities to avoid these losses. The BQA is one way to check back on several data… Read More
In the words of country music star Keith Urban: “It’s going to be a long, hot summer.” That’s according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), whose recent global report states 2018 is shaping up to be the fourth hottest year on record. 2016 remains in the top spot for the hottest year with… Read More
Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced up to $14 million in funding for beef and forage research under the new Canadian Agricultural Partnership while attending the Calgary Stampede on Wednesday. The funding for the new “Sustainable Beef and Forage Science Cluster” will go to the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) — the research division of… Read More
Verified Beef Production (VBP) took a highly anticipated step today, with the official launch of Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+). The refreshed program now includes training and auditing for animal care, biosecurity and environmental stewardship as well as the original on-farm food safety practices, in both the cow-calf and feedlot sectors. “VBP+ is a straightforward, practical… Read More
There’s no doubt concerns around antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are growing. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the States sees at least “2 million people become infected with bacteria resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections.” In response to these concerns, the federal government released Antimicrobial… Read More
The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) announced its second group of Beef Researcher Mentorship Program participants this week. The program was designed in an effort to align research interests with those beneficial to the beef industry, as well as promote and facilitate collaborations between researchers and producers. Four researchers have been selected as mentees in… Read More
Results from the first Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey show there’s room to tighten up the breeding season on the majority of cow-calf operations from B.C. to Manitoba. The Beef Cattle Research Council and Western Beef Development Centre have published some production findings from the project (find them in a BCRC blog post here.) The questionnaire, which was… Read More