The noisy ethanol bandwagon is drawing near, but western livestock feeders are not anxious to join the parade. Many cattle feeders are raising questions about how biofuel plants, which they view as a subsidized competitor for feed grains, might affect the livestock industry’s bottom line, and whether the government is sincere about environmental concerns. “It’s […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Changing times for ranchers
As one of 52,000 cattle producers in western Canada, Erik Butters is part of the foundation beneath the beef industry pyramid. And from the pinnacle of his ranch in the Alberta foothills, Butters gazes at a changing world that is far different from when his father started ranching near Cochrane in 1937. It is a […] Read more
Provinces follow safety standards from December 28, 2006
In Canada, most beef comes from federally inspected plants but provincially inspected plants offer local service for processing cattle. In 2005, Canada slaughtered 3.9 million cattle. More than 600,000 were handled in provincial abattoirs. Each province sets standards for processing red meats and in Alberta’s 56 provincially inspected plants, the standards of staff training and […] Read more
Producers raise beef, add value
The Kotelko family has gained a reputation for traveling a different road. As owners of the 36,000 head Highland Feeders at Vegreville, Alta., brothers Mike and Bern are interested in more than fattening cattle. Among their ventures is a branded beef program, involving rancher partners, that offers consumers a natural product free of growth hormones […] Read more
Food safety starts outside the box
When it comes to providing wholesome beef to the public, Canadian facilities take precautions at every point in the food chain, from the time a steer arrives at a processing plant until the finished product leaves in a box. The extra precautions are part of the way business is done now, said Rancher’s Beef plant […] Read more
Checks and balances
On every working day in Canada’s federal red meat processing system, an army of veterinarians and inspectors are on the floor ensuring operations are safe and hygienic. The system has been refined over the years to the point where every federal plant must have a hazard analysis critical control points program, also known as HACCP, […] Read more
Calves pampered for trip to feedlot
When cattle arrive at VJV Foothills Livestock Auction in Stavely, Alta., they are greeted with feed, water and comfortable bedding. The extra care may cost more, but the philosophy at this auction yard is that it pays in the end with reduced stress and less weight loss caused by transport, weaning and other changes cattle […] Read more
Contracts tie up to half of America’s cattle
Captive supply arrangements cover almost half of the Canadian and American beef industry. Packer-owned feeder calves, special pricing formulas and other contractual agreements to market cattle have grown steadily in both countries, leaving many worried about what’s happening to the cash market. A commissioned study shows captive agreements cover 40-50 percent of the available supply […] Read more
Cattle sector feels biofuel squeeze
Alberta is losing its competitive edge as a champion cattle feeding region, according to a recent report commissioned by cattle groups in the province. “The cattle feeding sector in Alberta is, or already has, lost its economic advantage upon which the industry was built back in the 1980s and 1990s,” a consulting company wrote in […] Read more
National pork checkoff pondered
Pork producers are studying whether provincial fees they pay to fund marketing, research and other programs should be shared with the national organization. The Canadian Pork Council now receives voluntary contributions from nine provinces. Newfoundland does not have an association. “National checkoff does not mean the provincial checkoff has to go up. It might just […] Read more
