In theory, consumers’ willingness-to-pay should rise with the quality of a cut of beef, resulting in more value for the entire beef supply chain. But do beef grading factors — both quality and yield — actually pay in the real world? The answer is “yes,” right from the consumer back to the cow-calf producer, says... Read More
Category: Cattle
Not all booths at Agritechnica provide the most highly technical of products. Sometime innovation comes from the simplest of ideas. Fortschritt introduced RealAgriculture's Shaun Haney and Jason Stroeve to the Silage Compactor at the Agritechnica show in Hannover, Germany. One of the interesting features of this product is the packers look and feel like train... Read More
Cattle markets, led by the futures in Chicago, took another tumble this week. “It’s been discouraging, disappointing, but again markets have shown us this this fall, when they make a move, it tends to be pretty violent or erratic,” says Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock in this latest Beef Market Update. “We don’t seem to... Read More
I hit the road this week to attend a Planned Grazing Management workshop in Lacombe, organized by the Grey Wooded Forage Association and Organic Alberta. It was the first time I've heard Jim Gerrish (co-owner of American Grazinglands Services LLC) speak, though I've often heard his name mentioned in circles of self-proclaimed "graziers." In addition... Read More
Manitoba’s newest slaughter plant is up and running, although the facility north of Carman is still waiting for the stamp that would make it the first federally-inspected plant in the province with significant beef capacity in three decades. True North Foods is currently processing 80 to 100 head of cattle and bison per week, with... Read More
Advancements in genetic selection and nutrition are unlocking the potential to improve beef cattle feed efficiency by up to 20 percent, says a beef research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. Whether it’s on a cow/calf operation or in a feedlot, managing feed costs is a critical part of the business. Susan Markus, in the... Read More
We’re not entirely sure how the Beef Market Update started and ended with turkey and the Jays, but the real meat of this week’s podcast centres around how fed cattle prices have dropped, with both the feeder and calf markets following suit. On what we can expect for the rest of the year in the... Read More
Elora, Ontario’s Bert Stewart made his first trip to the World Dairy Expo (WDE) in 1969. He hasn’t missed one since. He’s been connected with some of the best female cattle to ever show at the annual dairy event and, since 1990, has mentored countless Ontario 4-H members who have competed in the National 4-H... Read More
It’s an interesting market for beef producers. While fed cattle are still struggling to find their market low, feeder animals are well above last year’s prices. And cow/calf producers may be feeling relieved, but will good margins be enough to persuade herd expansion? We hand Shaun Haney a bar of soap for this mid-September edition... Read More
Update: A decision from the WTO on Canada's COOL retaliation plan is expected on December 7. The Canadian government is making its case to the World Trade Organization this week on why should be allowed to impose C$3.1 billion per year in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports in the dispute over country of origin labeling... Read More