Livestock Management
Politicians in the EU discuss the potential for a ban on use of farmland to produce livestock feedgrains
WINNIPEG — Pigs once ate a lot of slops. Today, feeding pigs human food waste is banned in some countries and heavily restricted in others. That would need to change in order to create “circularity in food production,” according to Dutch swine nutritionist Alfons Jansman of Wageningen University. European consumers and politicians are beginning to […] Read more
Livestock Management
Traceability updates create concerns
Livestock Markets Association asks CFIA for producer education on changes to Health of Animals Regulations
Glacier FarmMedia – Livestock producers want more details and training on proposed changes to Canada’s national livestock traceability rules so they can ensure they meet requirements. Changes to the Health of Animals Regulations (Identification and Traceability) can have far-reaching effects on livestock business operations. Rick Wright, chair of the Livestock Markets Association of Canada, told […] Read more
Feds announce early livestock tax deferral
Program has also been streamlined and buffer zones added to ensure eligibility
Glacier FarmMedia – Livestock producers in drought-affected areas are getting and early livestock tax deferral (LTD) for the 2024 season. The federal government said the situation has become more challenging for producers due to climate change, when announcing a list of regions eligible for the deferral on June 14. The LTD allows producers in designated […] Read more
‘Telepathology’ unites vets and specialists
Post-mortem investigations can suffer without pathologists input because they provide specialization and expertise
Glacier FarmMedia – Televised necropsies may be the next big thing in determining causes of death in cattle and other livestock, according to results of a proof-of-concept research project. Using video conferencing technology, researchers with the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine found that connecting specialized pathologists with in-the-field large animal veterinarians in real […] Read more
Including cattle on cropland didn’t help soil health
Saskatchewan and Manitoba research finds soil benefits from cover crops, but grazing them doesn’t really move the needle
Glacier FarmMedia – Annual cover crops have another research receipt to support their purported soil health benefits. But while those mixes can help cattle producers graze longer or recover some of the establishment cost by feeding livestock, cattle activity might not magnify soil health gains as much as many would hope. The research comes from […] Read more
Making liquid fertilizer so manure doesn’t have to be trucked
A Dutch farmer is making liquid fertilizer from his manure so he can use the nutrients where they are produced instead of moving them around the country. Ton Groot Roessink milks about 200 cows with robots, automated feeding and automated manure cleaning near Baak. The manure from the farm is put through a biogas digester. […] Read more
New report highlights farmer share of food dollar
Commodity prices dropped and retail prices rose, leaving both farmers and consumers unhappy
REGINA — A new report from the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan highlights the increasing discrepancy between what farmers get for their products and retail food costs. The 2024 Farmers and Food Prices report found prices for commodities like canola, wheat, lentils, barley and hogs dropped between five and 16 per cent from 2022 to […] Read more
Cattle producers wary of grasslands conservation proposal
Sask. Stock Growers say they need more information before they could support the plan
Glacier FarmMedia – SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association members want the Canadian Cattle Association to press pause on its Grasslands Conservation Initiative until it can better communicate its plan. Several resolutions about the initiative were debated during the SSGA annual meeting June 11 and while some were defeated members did approve one […] Read more
VIDEO: Bland outlook for rest of 2024 hog market
Most farmers were able to make money on market hogs in the first few months of 2024, but prices have weakened
DES MOINES, Iowa — It’s better than losing a lot of money, but hog producers are facing razor-thin profitability for the remainder of 2024, say two leading hog market analysts. “I don’t see us as much better than break-even,” said Steve Meyer, who gave a number of hog market outlooks at the World Pork Expo, […] Read more
VIDEO: MacAulay boosts Canada at expo
DES MOINES, Iowa — Federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay gave Canadian farmers and agriculture a big boost at this year’s World Pork Expo by touring the show, meeting American industry leaders and hosting a who’s-who of Iowa business leaders at a reception. The visit by a Canadian agriculture minister to this event was the first […] Read more
