Livestock Management
When the first Japanese case of BSE was announced on Sept. 10, 2001, there was a ripple effect on the world beef industry, says a senior vice-president with Cargill’s meat division. Media hype fuelled fears about people contracting a variant BSE type condition called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease from eating contaminated beef. The Japanese government mishanded information […] Read more
Livestock Management
North American beef image still tainted
Alberta postpones mandatory age ID
The Alberta government has backed away from mandatory age verification of cattle. Compulsory birth date registration in Alberta was to take effect April 1, 2007, but the province decided to suspend the target date until it learns more about the federal announcement of a national traceability program. Also, there have been lots of registrations with […] Read more
Electronic ID put to test in Alta.
FORT MACLEOD, Alta. – Advanced animal identification technology is coming to Alberta auction markets next year. A pilot project to test electronic cattle identification readers at the Vold, Jones and Vold market in Ponoka, Burnt Lake Auction in Red Deer and the auction market in Fort Macleod is offering quick information transfer to track animal […] Read more
Livestock sector ignores importance of vitamins
They’re tiny things with a big impact, but just how important vitamins are for animal nutrition is a mystery because no one really studies them any more, a Quebec animal nutrition specialist says. “It’s a real challenge for the future of production,” said Jacques Matte, an Agriculture Canada researcher from Lennoxville, Que., in an interview […] Read more
Canada makes inroads in beef markets
The next time a Canadian tourist in Hong Kong orders a Yoshinoya beef bowl, it will be like a taste of home. The Japanese fast food company has a large following in Asia, with about 1,000 outlets in Japan, 30 in Hong Kong and others in China, Malaysia and California. The company relies entirely on […] Read more
Feed pellet’s value depends on process
Everyone likes a shiny, smooth, dust-free pellet. The problem is, they shouldn’t. That’s because the smoother and tougher the manufacturer makes the pellet, often the worse it is in feed value, a Norwegian researcher told the Western Nutrition Conference in Winnipeg. “I think farmers are far too concerned with technical quality and they forget that […] Read more
EU may allow Canadian beef if rules followed
The European Union is not likely to accept beef containing growth hormones any time soon, but there are other ways Canada could enter that market. “The hormone ban is not going anywhere. Any exports we are looking at would have to be hormone free,” said Evan Lewis, trade policy officer with the Canadian government. He […] Read more
CFIA gives Manitoba area TB-free status
A burden has been eased for cattle and bison producers living near a national park in Manitoba. The Riding Mountain Tuberculosis Eradication Area was recently granted TB-free status by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, giving it the same status as all other areas of Canada. Producers of cattle and farmed bison no longer need movement […] Read more
Canada’s grading system may suffer if harmonized
Standardizing the Canadian beef grading system with the United States would be a mistake, says the president of the Canada Beef Export Federation. “There has been some interest in further revising the Canadian beef grading program to fully match the U.S. (program) with the idea that it would enhance Canada’s international quality perception,” Ted Haney […] Read more
Canada’s grading fits Japan better than U.S.
The Canadian beef grading system is a good fit with Japanese specifications for bright red meat and white fat. The Japanese have a detailed quality grading system assessing fat, marbling, meat texture and carcass maturity, said Mark Klassen, technical services director for the Canada Beef Export Federation. Japanese graders assess 12 visual attributes for marbling, […] Read more
