Livestock Management
RED DEER – The folks behind Canada Gold Beef remain optimistic they are on the right track, despite problems finding a packer to work with the source-verified beef program. Launched in February 2008, the program is designed to sell beef so that everyone from the cow-calf producer to the packer works together to share costs […] Read more
Livestock Management
Source verified beef still lacks packer
Corn grazing keeps cash in wallet: study
OLDS, Alta. – Swath grazing could be the cheapest way to feed cows over the winter. Long-term feeding projects in Alberta show costs can be reduced by nearly half when cows do the work rather than a producer hauling hay to the field. Using information from producers and research from the Western Forage Beef Centre, […] Read more
Fewer Canadian sheep despite profits
The number of sheep on farms dropped in 2008, according to Statistics Canada, but the Canadian Sheep Federation president questions whether the decline is as much as the numbers indicate. Dwane Morvik of Eastend, Sask., said he believed the numbers could be skewed because smaller producers are selling out to larger ones. Flocks are getting […] Read more
Packer deal rejected by U.S. gov’t
RED DEER – The Brazilian meat packing giant JBS SA has failed in its bid to take over National Beef in the United States. The failure was a disappointment because it brought with it a case-ready and premium beef division, said Chandler Keys, head of government affairs and industry affairs for JBS, based in Greeley, […] Read more
Silage corn expands traditional zone: trials
Silage corn is tougher than many would think. That’s the conclusion of a company that’s been testing varieties in southern Manitoba, which found that even areas cooler than the Red River Valley, such as the Dauphin-Ste. Rose area, appear to be able to produce corn without undue risk from the short season. “It’s able to […] Read more
Hog cycle may have hit bottom
During 35 years in the hog business, Florian Possberg has seen his share of ups and downs. But the events of the last year have definitely been the lowest. The loss of federal slaughter capacity in Saskatchewan, government programs that limited the ability of large hog operations to weather low prices and high costs, country-of-origin […] Read more
Canadian cattle herd shrinks; largest reductions in Sask., Ont.
There are at least 220,000 fewer beef cattle on Saskatchewan farms than there were a year ago. That number underscores what industry leaders have been saying for months but couldn’t quantify. “I don’t think this was a surprise to us,” said agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud after the Statistics Canada Jan. 1 livestock estimate was released. […] Read more
Study compares March, June calving
While it’s too early for definitive data, an Agriculture Canada research project is demonstrating that calving in June has one advantage over March. “So far, with preliminary results, we’ve noticed that June calving is cheaper,” said Lynne Girardin, a masters student in animal and poultry science at the University of Saskatchewan. “It’s cheaper to raise […] Read more
Big Mac remains Canadian beef, says chain rep
A mass e-mail accusing McDonald’s Canadian restaurants of importing beef from South America rather than buying domestically is a hoax, says a Canadian Cattlemen’s Association official. John Masswohl said an e-mail circulating that McDonald’s will begin sourcing its beef for Canadian restaurants from South America is not true. “We’ve had so much cheap cow beef […] Read more
XL Foods’ Tyson buy still pending
It will still be a few weeks before it’s known if the federal Competition Bureau will allow XL Foods to buy Tyson’s Lakeside beef slaughter plant in Brooks, Alta. Pamela Wong, the bureau’s media spokesperson, said the investigation is still ongoing into the sale of the plant, feed yard and fertilizer assets. “We’re in the […] Read more
