The XL Foods beef recall over E. coli contamination and its detection was one of the top ag news stories of 2012. It's unfortunate that bad news is big news, and even worse that once the dust settles we discover that what happened was preventable even within the existing rules and regulations. An independent panel's... Read More
Category: Livestock
Whether you're using commercial blends or manure, shortly after first cut is a great time to fertilize forage fields. But, wait, aren't perennial crops low-input? Top notch hay producers will tell you that fertility is paramount to getting top production out of a hay corp and to ensure maximum persistence of that stand. In this... Read More
There are two things you're always going to have with livestock — deadstock and manure. Both byproducts, if you will, present their own type of challenges. And then there are rules and regulations to contend with. Unlike some other byproducts of beef production, however, manure is a truly valuable resource if handled, stored and used... Read More
What's your risk management plan for your cattle business? If you don't have one or would like to step up your understanding of price risk, managing returns and use of contracts, this free workshop may be for you. Beginning next week, Linus7, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation’s Cattle Price Insurance Program (CPIP) and RealAgriculture.com's cattle market... Read More
In this episode of Thumbs up, Thumbs down, RealAgriculture.com's fearless leaders Shaun Haney and Lyndsey Smith talk government retaliation measures, or rather the lack thereof, in the COOL fiasco, Lyndsey suggests a statute of limitations on blaming previous governments for today's problems and Shaun professes his love of wrestling. Also in this audio-only version of... Read More
Ah, branding ... set to coincide perfectly with the start of the wedding season. As if the blindingly white legs of a farmer in a skirt aren’t nearly distracting enough, they must also be embellished with bruises. We held our branding on the last weekend of May, and I’m still thinking about pain mitigation for... Read More
There's no denying the flax market tanked following the discovery of CDC Triffid in exports to Europe in 2009. The Flax Council of Canada set out a testing protocol for Triffid, but many farmers balked at the idea of sowing flax seed again. It's been four years now —will we see a gradual shift back... Read More
While several Ontario tracks are running right now, horse racing in Ontario is still struggling and the future is fraught with uncertainties. Standardbred racing has been hit particularly hard, and political wrangling around casinos going in, then not, in southern Ontario has those in the industry wondering what the next few years look like for... Read More
There are good weeks and then there are poor weeks. Last week the US implemented its new rules to COOL. The Canadian and US industries feel strongly that these remedies are un-called for. Lyndsey Smith and Anne Wasko discuss the implementation of COOL in the latest edition of the CDN Beef Market Update. If you... Read More
The United States was required to come into compliance with its World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations in relation to the WTO dispute on its country-of-origin labelling (COOL) regulations today, May 23. The country has instead implemented proposed changes that many U.S. and Canadian cattle and hog industry players say makes it even worse. The Canadian... Read More