Officials from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. were in Geneva this week for World Trade Organization appeal hearings on U.S. country of origin labelling (COOL) law. In the podcast below, John Masswohl of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and Kelvin Heppner discuss what happens next in the dragged-out COOL dispute resolution process, including when Canada could... Read More
Category: Cattle
While many ranchers and producers visibly cringed at the announced positive BSE case found in northern Alberta earlier this month, the cattle markets barely seemed to bat an eye. Why was that? A rather under the weather Anne Wasko, of Gateway Livestock, joins Real Agriculture’s Shaun Haney on this latest Beef Market Update to talk... Read More
With increasing scrutiny from both the public and regulators, it’s up to people involved in animal agriculture to explain how and why they use antibiotics, says a veterinary epidemiologist from southeast Saskatchewan. While media reports have been critical about antibiotic use in livestock and poultry production, Leigh Rosengren of Midale-based Rosengren Epidemiology Consulting says Canadian... Read More
Jack Chaffe, Jason Reid and Garnet Toms have been elected to the Beef Farmers of Ontario board of directors, the organization has announced. The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) held its 53rd Annual General Meeting recently at Toronto. Jack Chaffe will represent the feedlot sector on the board, and will serve a three year term.... Read More
Last week's announcement of a new BSE case in Canada involving a cow born in 2009 has many in the beef industry nervously watching cattle prices and fearing border closures. This is a very natural reaction based on what transpired in May 2003 —the American border closure bankrupted many and financially crippled still more ranchers... Read More
February 18, 2015 --- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has determined the animal confirmed positive in a recent BSE case in Alberta was born in March of 2009. "We were also able to confirm the location of the birth farm yesterday evening," said Paul Mayers, Vice President, Policy and Program at the CFIA, in... Read More
Update — Sunday, February 15th: The CFIA says South Korea has suspended imports of Canadian beef, pending further information on the confirmed BSE find. Almost 12 years after the first discovery of BSE in a domestic cow, headlines containing the acronym for the fatal neurological disease in cattle still touch a nerve among Canadian cattle... Read More
Editor's note: There is an updated story on this news here. In it, John Masswohl of the CCA remarks on whether or not this finding will significantly impact trade. As of late Friday, February 13, the age of the cow was not released publicly, but the location was — northern Alberta. As of Sunday, February... Read More
It's difficult to know exactly what motivated a Manitoba teenager charged with the theft of nine animals in 2014, but in Oklahoma, officials say cattle rustling is largely motivated by drugs. Last year, there were 30 reported thefts of cattle in the state, more than double the 13 reported the year previous. "Cattle rustling has... Read More
In Alberta, regulations require premises identification (PID) became law under the Animal Health Act on January 1, 2009. It is thus mandatory for livestock and poultry to be associated with a PID account. It’s part of a full traceability system aimed at improving disease and emergency response. Related: Alberta Beef Producers Proposes an Additional, Non-Refundable... Read More