We’ve all seen it. The gentle rancher who turns Hyde in the face of cattle handling. Sticks or prods come out, and everyone prepares for the yelling that will follow. But what if that rancher could just be his or her gentle self even when working cattle? This past winter, I’ve had the pleasure of... Read More
Category: Livestock
Monsanto has announced $4 million in funding to protect monarch butterfly populations, mainly through the restoration of milkweed habitat in North America. The company on Tuesday committed $3.6 million over three years to the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, as well as $400 thousand in funding for universities and non-profit organizations involved in monarch... Read More
It's looking more and more like spring in Western Canada, and cattle prices are continuing to impress with seasonal demand, tight supplies and an American dollar hovering around $0.80. In this, the latest episode of the Beef Market Update, Anne Wasko, with Gateway Livestock, talks to RealAgriculture's Lyndsey Smith about prices across the border and... Read More
Sofina Foods Inc. has announced plans to turn the former Great Lakes Specialty Meats hog processing plant in Mitchell, Ontario into a turkey processing operation. The Markham-based company acquired the property in September 2014 after Great Lakes entered receivership. According to court documents, a net $4.77 million was paid for the site, which includes a... Read More
Maybe it's the return to winter across much of the west, or the very slow melt in eastern Ontario, or the mountains (literally!) of snow out east, but today I found myself looking for the happy side of the Internet. And, dear Real Aggies, the Internet did not disappoint. So, if you're like me and... Read More
Feed companies, farmers and other stakeholders in the feed industry in Western Canada have until April 9th to share their thoughts on the proposed mandatory licensing of feed mills with the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC.) So why is the CGC looking at licensing feed mills? In 2012, two major hog producers — Puratone and Big... Read More
The Canadian poultry sector is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to minimize the impact the outbreak of H5N2 avian influenza in the U.S. has at home. Following findings of the highly pathogenic strain, the CFIA has restricted imports of live birds and poultry products from Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and... Read More
There's still no indication when South Korea will lift the temporary ban on Canadian beef it implemented following the discovery of a cow with BSE in Alberta in early February. While the BSE case did not impact trade in most of Canada's export markets, Korea and several smaller markets temporarily suspended imports of Canadian beef,... Read More
This week, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz introduced the first of the Canadian Beef Branding Series events in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam. The series is meant to highlight the four pillars of the Canadian beef brand: producer, product, world class standards and sustainability. It’s been a busy few weeks for Canada Beef Inc., also announcing... Read More
It’s nearly the middle of March, but it feels more like May in many parts of Western Canada. Spring-like days with temps in the double digits for much of the southern areas of Alberta and Saskatchewan seem to have buoyed cattle markets, as it’s likely grass will be abundant and soon. That’s the latest Beef... Read More