Millions of dollars can be spent on marketing, but to build a strong brand, you still need a good product. Having a high-quality product is what helped the Cooper sports equipment brand reach a 70 percent market share in hockey globally and a 30 percent market share in Major League Baseball, explains Donald Cooper, who... Read More
Category: Livestock
Cattle will give you signals as to their health and well-being, says director-owner of CowSignals Training Company, Joep Driessen. Driessen was one of this year’s Canadian Dairy Xpo speakers, where he hosted a Robot Feeding Signals workshop. In it, and in an interview with Bernard Tobin, he emphasized the importance of good food and rest... 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
Ontario’s dairy farmers — and those from across Canada — descended on the storied town of Stratford, Ontario, last week to take in the third annual Canadian Dairy Xpo. Bernard Tobin, our Ontario field editor, caught up with show president Jordan Underhill for a recap of what was new and exciting at the show this... Read More
There are signs the long-running dispute over U.S. mandatory country of origin labelling (COOL) rules for meat is moving closer to resolution, as a Canadian delegation led by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz visited Washington, DC. this week. “COOL is on life support,” Ritz told reporters on a conference call on Thursday afternoon. In what was... Read More
The federal and Manitoba governments on Thursday announced $3.1 million in funding for beef and grassland research in Manitoba. Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn and Member of Parliament Larry Maguire (Brandon-Souris) unveiled the commitment at the Manitoba Beef Producers' annual meeting in Brandon. Over the next three years, government and industry... Read More
Every year, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture calculates the date by when the average Canadian has earned enough income to pay for their annual grocery bill, and dubs the day “Food Freedom Day.” This year, Food Freedom Day occurs on Friday, February 6th — one day earlier than in 2014. With 2015 being the "International... Read More
With the overall goal to benchmark the sustainability of Canada’s beef industry, the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) is currently looking for producer participation. “Verifiable sustainability is a ‘want’ of our major customers, and we are being given the opportunity to define what that looks like,” said Cherie Copithorne Barnes, CRSB chair, in the... Read More
Last week, the U.S. released its cattle inventory numbers for January 1, and, as expected, there was some growth of the cattle herd. The numbers were slightly higher than anticipated, but still make for a historically small cattle herd. What does it mean for cattle supplies going forward? And will the Canadian numbers follow the... Read More