CALGARY – For many Chinese, beef is not a food staple, but that doesn’t diminish the huge market potential being eyed by Canadian beef exporters. Canada Beef Export Federation members are launching an aggressive campaign to get 14,000 tonnes of Canadian beef into China by 2005. With population projections at 1.3 billion within 10 years […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
South Korean yuppies open wallets for beef
CALGARY – “Korea is the new Japan.” Pronouncements like that are welcome to the Canada Beef Export Federation as it eagerly scans the eastern horizon for new beef customers. Living in an upwardly mobile nation of 44 million, South Koreans have money to spend and are looking hungrily at luxury items like imported beef, said […] Read more
Unifarm ponders vote on its continued existence
CALGARY – The struggle continues to keep a general farm organization alive in Alberta. Unifarm, the closest the province has to an umbrella farm group, says it will go as far as asking for a plebiscite to see if farmers want the organization. And farmers would be asked to support it with their wallets by […] Read more
Goodale downplays Alberta vote on CWB monopoly
CALGARY – Federal agriculture minister Ralph Goodale downplayed the significance of Alberta’s marketing plebiscite, saying the vote will only provide “a snapshot of opinion” from one province. “The Alberta plebiscite may bring forward some useful information. It may provide a snapshot of opinion in the province at a particular moment in time,” Goodale told reporters […] Read more
B.C. farm women ponder future if Canada Pension is eliminated
CALGARY – British Columbia farm women are investigating how a reformed old age pension plan could affect their future. The B.C. farm women’s network and women’s institute want to know if farm women have thought about retirement and their future money needs, especially if the Canada Pension Plan is changed drastically or eliminated. “If all […] Read more
Alberta holds vote on CWB monopoly
CALGARY – While Ottawa wrangles with an upcoming separatist vote in Quebec, Alberta is facing its own ground-breaking plebiscite that asks farmers how they want to sell their wheat and barley. Two ballot questions, one for wheat and one for barley, will ask whether the voter is in favor of being allowed to sell barley […] Read more
Dairy co-ops talk merger
CALGARY – Talks between two large western dairy co-operatives could lead to marriage, but not for some time, say company officials. Dairyworld and Dairy Producers Co-operative Limited board members have been discussing a merger since June, but no agreement has been reached, said Dan Wong of Dairyworld. Earlier rumors suggested the two had already agreed […] Read more
Canada caters to desires of Asian beef consumers
CALGARY – When Asians are shopping for beef on the world market, their top choices are short ribs or specially prepared tongue for the barbecue. And Canadian processors are rising to the challenge by preparing those specific orders. Such willingness to oblige is building the Canadian success story and reputation as it continues to sell […] Read more
Regional management key issue in new water bill
CALGARY – After living under a century-old water act originally written to manage irrigation projects, an updated water bill for Alberta should become law next spring. The act will encompass 93 recommendations prepared by a provincially appointed water management review committee. These recommendations were garnered from a series of public meetings. “One of the things […] Read more
Lesson to be learned in wheat virus
CALGARY – A wheat streak mosaic virus outbreak in southern Alberta may serve as a warning to farmers to be more diligent with rotations and field hygiene. The viral disease appeared in about 12 fields this year, says an Alberta Agriculture crop specialist. While the disease has been around for a long time, “this spring […] Read more
