Why is it that agriculture minister Gerry Ritz and his buddies are so afraid of allowing farmers a vote on the future of the Canadian Wheat Board? The fact that this right has been legislated into law by Parliament doesn’t seem to register with these guys. I guess it really should come as no surprise […] Read more
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Afraid of the vote
U of S, POS Bio-Sciences link
The University of Saskatchewan and POS Bio-Sciences of Saskatoon have agreed to work together to get as many new commercially valuable technology products to market and to share in the benefits of that commercialization. The memorandum of agreement now in place helps streamline the process by providing a framework that will speed progress on several […] Read more
Canfax Report – for Aug. 18, 2011
FED PRICES HIGHER A weaker Canadian dollar and rising U.S. cattle and beef prices lifted Canadian fed prices last week, despite the volatility in stock markets. The Canfax fed steer weekly average was $105.41 per hundredweight, up $3.72 and heifers were $105, up $3.79. Alberta rail steers were $175.50-$177. Beef demand rose as retailers ordered […] Read more
Domestic beef demand falling
The global outlook for improved meat demand is promising but in North America the beef industry is flat lining. “Export demand is positive, which in part is offsetting declining domestic demand,” said economist Bill Helming at the international livestock congress held in Calgary Aug. 10. A grim economic picture has a direct impact on the […] Read more
New cattle strategy urged
If North Americans eat mostly ground beef, then cattle producers should give them what they want and forget about trying to feed every animal to the top quality grade, a cattle market analyst suggests. In 1970, ground beef comprised 42 percent of consumption in the Unite d States and by last year that changed to […] Read more
Western Producer Livestock Report – for Aug. 18, 2011
WP LIVESTOCK REPORT PORK RECORD SET Cash hog prices in the U.S. held steady, but might face pressure lower as numbers increase seasonally and cooler weather allows better weight gain. However, strong pork exports to China will keep a floor under prices. Canadian prices were supported by the weaker loonie. Iowa-southern Minnesota cash hogs delivered […] Read more
Vet explains proper way to vaccinate, castrate
Proper vaccination and castration are two of the most important chores for feedlot operators when processing new arrivals, according to Dr. John Campbell, the head of large animal clinical science at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Campbell discussed two different types of vaccines in a presentation to a group of students at the Western […] Read more
Feds to put value on CWB end
After years of vowing to kill the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly and months after setting Aug. 1, 2012, as the execution date, the Conservative government wants to find out what it will cost. Agriculture Canada is advertising for an audit to prepare two reports that determine how much taxpayers will be on the hook for […] Read more
Governments must respect producers’ experience
About 15 minutes into a Disney movie, the terrible villain appears. It is man, portrayed as the destroyer of wildlife, pillager of the environment and indifferent to nature. We saw it inBambiin 1942 and we saw it inAvatarin 2009. We’ve seen it in many movies, television shows and novels in between — so many that […] Read more
Appaloosas still apple of rancher’s eye
Donna Wyatt still carries the flag for Wyalta Ranch, promoting Appaloosas and the rich history of the family into which she married. When the family was featured in a 1965 article in The Western Producer, patriarch Jim Wyatt had one of North America’s top Appaloosa herds that included international champion stallions and mares. They also […] Read more
