Despite high cattle prices, there are few signs that producers are preparing to increase the size of their herds
Glacier FarmMedia – High calf prices have been a good news story for cow-calf producers, but they’ve done little to help Canada recover its diminished beef herd. “According to Statistics Canada, we’ve seen a decrease in total cattle inventories in Alberta from 5.225 million on July 1, 2023 to 5.145 million on the same date […] Read more
Producers want more notice of beef check-off increases
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — When and how provincial beef checkoffs are increased continues to concern Saskatchewan producers. The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association administers the checkoff and recently applied for a 75-cent increase on the provincial portion. If approved, the increase would take effect in August 2025. However, the application comes after a motion passed at the […] Read more
Name change for cattle group meets resistance
Members attending Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association meeting say talk of changing group’s name is a distraction
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — The idea of changing the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association name did not sit well with producers attending their fall district meeting here late last month. They overwhelmingly spoke in favour of maintaining the name as is and passed a resolution saying so. Chief executive officer Grant McLellan said the organization isn’t contemplating […] Read moreCanfax report
This cattle market information is selected from the weekly report from Canfax, a division of the Canadian Cattle Association. More market information, analysis and statistics are available by becoming a Canfax subscriber by calling 403-275-5110 or at www.canfax.ca. Fed market disappoints It was a disappointing week for the western Canadian fed market. U.S. fed prices […] Read more
Breeding dairy cows to beef seen as beneficial
Beef on dairy can improve meat’s marbling, yield, quality and carcass cutability without affecting milk production
Breeding beef animals to dairy cows is becoming more common, says Kee Jim, senior lead of animal agriculture at Telus and managing director for G.K. Farms. He shared more information about beef on dairy with attendees at last month’s Canadian Beef Industry conference. “In my 41 years of doing feedlot work and being involved with […] Read more
New survey drills into cow-calf sector
The Beef Cattle Research Council says the national survey is intended to replace previous regional surveys
Glacier FarmMedia – Results from the first Canadian Cow-Calf Survey, which gathered insights from 600 producers across Canada, have been published by the Beef Cattle Research Council. The project is meant to provide a comprehensive assessment of cow-calf production practices and herd performance throughout the country and was spearheaded by the council and Canfax, as […] Read moreCanfax report
This cattle market information is selected from the weekly report from Canfax, a division of the Canadian Cattle Association. More market information, analysis and statistics are available by becoming a Canfax subscriber by calling 403-275-5110 or at www.canfax.ca. Feds up slightly Alberta fed steers and heifers averaged $243.71per hundredweight and $242.52 per cwt., respectively last […] Read more
U.S. farm income to fall again
CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — U.S. farm income will fall for a second consecutive year in 2024 but not as much as previously expected as prices of livestock and egg products boom and production expenses ease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says. Declining farm income could ripple across the rural economy in a presidential election year […] Read more
Microbes matter during pasture restoration
Research finds that the relationship between alfalfa genetics and microbes in the soil can alter growth of the plants
WINNIPEG — Choosing the right alfalfa variety can make a difference, possibly a huge difference, when producers are rejuvenating a pasture. After several years, the productivity of a pasture will decline and many ranchers choose to over-seed or sod-seed alfalfa to revive the pastureland. Farmers will likely select a high-yielding alfalfa variety that is adapted […] Read more
Veterinary medicine makes use of artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are becoming part of everyday life very rapidly. From smart watches that track your sleep to apps on your smartphone that use artificial intelligence to provide information in seconds, AI is becoming more and more commonplace. My simplified understanding of AI is that this field of computer science is developing […] Read more
