Dairy and beef farmer Jennifer Hayes has been appointed as the first woman chairperson of the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) for a four-year term. Hayes was first appointed to the CDC in January 2017 in the role of commissioner and has held the position for four years. She took the role of chairperson on December... Read More
Category: Livestock
Both Canada and the U.S. are claiming victory in a panel ruling that upheld Canada's supply management system for dairy, but found Canada's handling of tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for processors in violation of Article 3 of the United States Canada Mexico Agreement (USMCA). The dispute is the first test of the USMCA agreement for... Read More
Along with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Merrick Garland, U.S. President Joe Biden hosted a roundtable to address consolidation in the meat industry and the impacts on the cattle sector. President Biden opened the roundtable, held January 3, 2022, by mentioning the 50-14 proposed legislation by Tester/Grassley; how... Read More
A new year can bring a clean slate, a fresh start, and with it some encouragement to improve ourselves, our businesses, and our habits. Beyond the usual lose-20-pounds (hello, COVID weight), or eat more vegetables, let's take setting out New Year's resolutions a step further to the farm business itself. Whether it's getting a better... Read More
Producers, consumers, and members of industry have until January 27, 2022, to submit their comments on a draft version of the Dairy Code of Practice. The comment period has been open since late November. The Code of Practice is extensive, covering all aspects of dairy cattle care, from housing and bedding, to pain management for... Read More
On December 17, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed a case of an atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an eight-and-a-half-year-old beef cow on a farm in Alberta. On December 21, South Korea announced it would be restricting Canadian beef imports due to the case. Dennis Laycraft, executive vice-president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association... Read More
The Dairy Direct Payment Program is set to begin sending out a total of $469 million to dairy producers across Canada. The program is a $1.75 billion compensation package for dairy producers for market access concessions made under the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific... Read More
Former federal Agriculture Minister Bob Speller has passed away at the age of 66. Speller (above left) was named Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food by Prime Minister Paul Martin in December 2003, during the Canadian cattle industry's BSE crisis. He passed away on Dec. 16 at a care facility near Waterford, Ontario, following an illness.... Read More
We don't have to say it twice: it's been a frustrating year for many involved in the cattle community. As Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange explains in our latest Beef Market Update, the impacts of the 2021 drought won't easily be forgotten, and and it's not something that's just going to go away.... Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed a case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an 8 and a half year old beef cow on a farm in Alberta. The CFIA notified the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) of the discovery — the first in Canada since 2015 — on December 17.... Read More