Livestock Management
Six months ago, Ottawa announced a government-guaranteed loan program for the sinking hog industry that agriculture minister Gerry Ritz predicted could make $800 million available to a cash-strapped sector. From the beginning, critics argued the last thing the money-losing and heavily indebted hog industry needed was more debt, particularly since the first obligation of producers […] Read more
Livestock Management
Pork loan aid plan seen as failure
COOL challenge possible, but could backfire
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
Cold climate may reduce greenhouse gas
New research may be good news for Canada’s reputation as a greenhouse gas emitter. A master’s student at the University of Manitoba has discovered that beef cows emit less methane in the winter, compared to the warmer months of the year. Jennilee Bernier and her supervisors at the U of M expected that scenario, but […] Read more
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
More hogs to be culled
A federal program aimed at reducing Canada’s hog inventory will soon remove another 38,000 sows, 77,000 weanlings and 150,000 market hogs from Canadian pig barns. The Hog Farm Transition Program (HFTP) pays producers to empty their barns and mothball their production facilities for at least three years. To qualify for payments, registered producers must submit […] Read more
Changes in virus still baffle experts
BANFF, Alta. – The ongoing H1N1 pandemic was an important development in giving researchers new insight into the virus. Influenza viruses affect many species with varying degrees of severity. With H1N1, thousands of people have died since it was detected in the spring of 2009, yet infected hogs suffered minimal effects. Veterinarian Marie Gramer from […] Read more
Old disease still poses problem on Prairies
SASKATOON – Cattle producers who find a high number of open and late cows should consider suspecting an old disease. Vibrio has fallen off the radar over the past 20 years but it’s still a potential problem, said Leanne Van De Weyer, a graduate student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon. She […] Read more
Livestock producers wait for word on feed assistance
SASKATOON – Saskatchewan livestock producers still don’t know if they will receive help from Agri-Recovery to cover feed shortages caused by drought. Provincial agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud asked the federal government in November to consider triggering the program, which is supposed to respond to natural disasters such as weather. There has been no reply and […] Read more
Ways to make a better herd
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Cow size may not be as important as efficiency within the herd. That is one of the conclusions of a study from Texas A & M University presented at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association annual meeting Jan. 27. “Some of this is nothing new but there is a ton of stuff […] Read more
Danes on embryo seeking mission
Anders Mortensen’s search for possible embryo exports to Denmark brought him to the recent Canadian Bull Congress in Camrose. For 12 days, Mortensen and his son, Christoffer, looked for good Angus and Hereford bloodlines by travelling to farms, looking at records and attended the bull congress. “I try to avoid pure luck and make a […] Read more
