QUEBEC CITY — Reported cases of food-borne illness dropped 23 percent in the United States between 1991 and 2009. In that same period, media coverage of food borne illness and food recalls increased 250 percent. Reasons for this apparent paradox and the differences between perception and reality were at the heart of Richard Raymond’s speech […] Read more
Tag Archives Bison
Bison producers may come under fire: expert
QUEBEC CITY — The public perceives bison to be a healthier meat choice than beef or poultry but how long will that last? Richard Raymond, former undersecretary for food safety with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, put that question to bison producers at the July 25-27 International Bison Conference. The food safety consultant speculated that […] Read more
U.S. drought will put brakes on bison herd expansion
QUEBEC CITY — The dusty tentacles of drought are touching all agricultural sectors in North America and the bison industry is no exception. Both the Canadian and the U.S. based National Bison Association say demand for bison meat exceeds supply but the drought will likely prolong the industry’s ability to increase herds and product. “Our […] Read more
Is it just me, or do others think the soybean selloff was just following general sentiment?
Is it just me, or does anyone else out there think the soybean slump of the past few days has really been mostly about the overall world market zeitgeist and only marginally about soybeans? Yes, yes, yes I know: soybeans have skyrocketed in recent months, the drought impact may already be factored-in, demand is being […] Read more
Study shows bison susceptible to cattle pathogen
Fatal condition | Researchers are studying whether it is a different strain of the organism that infects cattle
Mycoplasma bovis is a simple organism with devastating effects on bison. Commonly known for causing pneumonia and arthritis in feedlot cattle, it is now found in domestic bison herds. “The thing that is different and really surprised me was how many cases we discovered that was killing adult bison cows. We don’t see that in […] Read moreBison cull urged in national park
Diseased bison will continue to show up in northern Alberta un-less the diseased Wood Buffalo National Park herd is killed and the park restocked with disease-free animals, said the past chair of the Alberta Bison Producers. “The bottom line is someday we’ve got to recognize that the herd in the park has to be destroyed […] Read more
Elimination of bison commission ends voluntary checkoff
A $3 checkoff for every bison sold and slaughtered in Alberta ceased to exist as of June 30. The Bison Producers of Alberta board agreed in March to dissolve as a commission and instead become an association. Without commission status, the group can no longer collect a slaughter and sale levy. Like other checkoffs in […] Read more
Bison cull urged in national park
Diseased bison will continue to show up in northern Alberta un-less the diseased Wood Buffalo National Park herd is killed and the park restocked with disease-free animals, said the past chair of the Alberta Bison Producers. “The bottom line is someday we’ve got to recognize that the herd in the park has to be destroyed […] Read more
Bison data collected to enable benchmarking
Producers compare performance | ‘It’s all about improving the performance of the industry,’ says bison association official
PONOKA, Alta. — Bison producers now have key performance benchmarks to measure their herds. A Saskatchewan Bison Association study collected data from 19 producers on their cow-calf, backgrounder and finishing operations and included information on herd profiles, production costs, investment requirements and other key production factors. Terry Kremeniuk, executive director of the Canadian Bison Association, […] Read more
Bison prices, demand up
North Battleford sale | Producers worry higher prices may reduce demand
Attendance at the March 3 bison sale in North Battleford, Sask., was good news for Saskatchewan Bison Association president Les Kroeger. “Some of the bigger players in the marketing were there. The future looks pretty strong and the markets are holding very well,” he said. While record high bison meat prices have created optimism in […] Read more
