SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Canada and Mexico have a strong legal case against the United States’ country-of-origin labelling law, says the National Cattlemen’s Association’s legal counsel. The two countries filed a World Trade Organization challenge in November, arguing the mandatory labelling legislation for livestock, raw meat, produce and fish is anti-trade. It could be at […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Industry promotes mid-priced options
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The global recession is turning belt tightening into a trend. “It is cool to be frugal,” said John Lundeen, executive director of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s market research division. Consumer surveys since August 2009 have found that people are pinching pennies to save money, he told a seminar at the […] Read more
Countries vie for markets
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Canadians are feeling better about their economic future, while Americans are still in the dumps. An international report on consumer optimism found almost 40 percent of Canadians are ready to start spending again, Brett Stuart of Cattlefax told the recent National Cattlemen’s Beef Association convention in San Antonio. “Canada was on […] Read more
New market access plan urged
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – American cattle producers want a new approach to trade negotiations after seven years of frustration in regaining full market access. “I am not sure we have another seven years or deep enough pockets to deal with this whole quagmire,” said Montana rancher Jim Peterson, chair of the United States Meat Export […] Read more
Network enables disease response
BANFF, Alta. – More than 1.5 million Alberta cattle are under surveillance, not for nefarious activities but to monitor their well-being. The Alberta Veterinary Surveillance Network collected disease data from 4,500 farms in 2006 and 4,900 farms in 2007. Alberta Agriculture veterinarian John Berezowski said most were cow-calf operations. He told last month’s Banff Pork […] Read more
Pig growers seek solutions
Simon Goodwin imposed a deadline on his Calmar, Alta., hog farm last summer. The end of his fiscal year was Nov. 30 and those results would determine whether he might continue as a hog farmer. He lost $30 per pig, but discussions with staff and family made him agree to continue. The Canadian dollar appreciating […] Read more
Horses prefer to graze
RED DEER – A horse’s digestive system is like a fine machine: there could be trouble if the wrong fuel is added. The horse has evolved as a grazing animal with a unique digestive system, says equine specialist Bob Coleman of the University of Kentucky. “It was well designed for a forage-consuming trickle feeder,” he […] Read more
U.S. may ban human drugs from agricultural use
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The fear of more antibiotic resistant bugs affecting sick people could curtail the use of common livestock medications in the United States. Individual states and the U.S. Congress are examining the issue, so it is important legislators get educated on how drugs are used on the farm, said Bernadette Dunham, director […] Read more
Beef producer considers exit
Gayland Panko was feeling optimistic in 2004. After a year of BSE and industry anxiety over the future, the Saskatchewan rancher anticipated a quick border opening to move cattle south and a return to good times. He never anticipated market declines to continue. Now his optimism is melting away. Last fall he listed his ranch […] Read more
Meat sector in the red
Exports are the key to saving the struggling North American meat industry, said the head of one of the world’s leading beef and pork processors. Meat demand in North America is flat but growth is expected in markets like Russia and northern Asia, said Wesley Batista, chief executive officer of the Brazilian based packer JBS […] Read more
