If another positive case of BSE is found, it is unlikely entire herds will be destroyed, says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Instead, the agency would look at animals in specific risk categories, said Darcy Undseth of the agency’s BSE team. If the disease is found in a mature cow, it would look for its […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Efficient cattle hard to determine
Beef producers know how to sort fat from thin cattle, but determining the most efficient is more difficult. The relationship between net feed efficiency, average daily gain, body size and composition was studied in a project funded in part by the Canada Alberta Beef Industry Development Fund. Researchers found there is no relationship between body […] Read more
Research fund winds down
The wind-up of a $16.4 million beef research program has producers pondering their next step as they figure out how to continue receiving government money for beneficial industry projects. The Canada Alberta Beef Industry Development Fund was established eight years ago with equal contributions from the federal and Alberta governments. The fund was formed because […] Read more
Alta. direct-sells lambs
AIRDRIE, Alta. – Savvy salesmanship on home turf is turning the Alberta Lamb marketing program into an unexpected success. So far, 265 producers and 40 retailers have joined the program during a time when export opportunities are almost non-existent since BSE closed the border to all ruminants 18 months ago. “We’re not sure when it […] Read more
Rural discontent lacks voice
In a province where a Conservative election victory is almost as certain as the sunrise, there is a mix of optimism and pessimism about the state of affairs in Alberta. Grant Bergman hears that diversity of opinion every day at his Video Café in Innisfree, Alta. “We get as many opinions as there are, so […] Read more
Voters ponder plans for province’s surplus
Alberta should not be embarrassed about its riches, but it should not go on a spending spree, say some rural leaders. The province runs a balanced budget and this year announced a $9 billion surplus mainly from oil and gas royalties. That wealth has been subject to a tug of war among an array of […] Read more
Hog farmers must perfect tattooing
RED DEER – Tattooing is an accepted identification method for market hogs, but problems can occur with ineligible or incorrectly placed marks. Canadian pork plants want hogs tattooed so animals can be traced to owners for proper payment or to inform them about potential problems such as drug residues in meat. Unreadable tattoos make it […] Read more
Beef group raises cash
OKOTOKS, Alta. – In a year of tight cash flow and reduced income on the farm, Alberta Beef Producers is filling a war chest for future trade battles and BSE recovery efforts. As Canada’s major beef producing province, the organization decided it needs a greater presence on the international stage to defend the industry, including […] Read more
Weed prevention cheapest control
Twenty years ago a farmer may have seeded caraway as an alternative crop. Today, in some parts of Alberta caraway has taken root as a weed in hay fields. “Plants seed themselves down and it gets into a hay field and the hay is baled for animal feed and further spread,” said Marian Jones, co-ordinator […] Read more
Cattle age becomes priority
Age verification is becoming an increasingly important part of negotiations designed to jump start beef trade with Japan. With some fine tuning, Canada hopes its cattle identification program will give it a leg up on the Americans in the negotiations. “Right now we are not prepared but we are more prepared than the United States,” […] Read more
