For the past two years, there have been issues with the delivery of water early in the growing season across the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID). In 2022, there were different reasons for the inability to access water early on, but this year, water challenges were linked to breakages and leaks in the canals. As... Read More
Category: Livestock
The Canadian pork industry continues to face roadblocks in rebuilding pork demand and prices, highlighted by the closure of the Olymel processing plant in Vallée-Jonction, Quebec and a HyLife plant in Minnesota. Stephen Heckbert, executive director of the Canadian Pork Council (CPC), says the closures don't necessarily need to be in Canada to impact the... Read More
The Alberta government has shared a notice regarding emergency grazing options for ranchers and livestock producers affected by the wildfires. As part of the provincial state of emergency, the province is accepting applications for temporary grazing on vacant public lands. More information can be found by calling 310-LAND (5263.) Alberta Forestry, Parks & Tourism says... Read More
This weekend marks the 20 year anniversary of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or more commonly known as BSE, being found in an Alberta cow, leading to the historic crash in the Canadian cattle industry. Dennis Laycraft, executive vice president of the Canadian Cattle Association, was on the front lines, and recalls the process that began with... Read More
Massey Ferguson has brought its rugged, hardworking RB Series of silage balers to North America. The machinery manufacturer rolled out the RB 4160V Classic at the National Farm Machinery Show earlier this year in Louisville, Kentucky. In this video report, Massey Ferguson marketing product specialist Lukas Dickerson notes that the RB Series has been working... Read More
Nathan Phinney, now president of the Canadian Cattle Association, was just finished university and ready to ship some fat cattle for a decent pay day when the BSE news hit. The beef producer from New Brunswick says the impact of the BSE finding in 2003 was a "crippling blow" to not just cattle prices, but... Read More
Thanks for tuning in to RealAg Radio brought to you by Pioneer Seeds Canada. On this special Thursday edition of the Farmer Rapid Fire, we're focusing on the 20th anniversary of BSE. Host Shaun Haney is joined by: Ken Schaus of Bruce County, Ont.; Tim Oleksyn of Prince Albert, Sask.; Leighton Kolk of Iron Springs,... Read More
Can the production rules of one state wag the (curly) tail of pork trade for an entire country? If the state is California, the answer is: it's possible. Prop 12, first passed in the state in 2018 and then upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court this week, sets out space requirements for livestock in production... Read More
Imagine for a moment receiving 1,000 requests for media interviews in one single day. If you've ever worked as a communications contact or spokesperson for an event or group, that number should bowl you over. It's a tidal wave of attention, and, in 2003, all those asks were of the beef industry. At the time,... Read More
The immediate impact of finding a BSE-positive cow in Alberta in 2003 was swift and brutal. Overnight, Canada's export market evaporated and prices for cattle, especially older animals, tanked. As we look back on the decades that have followed, the longer-lasting impacts have been monumental, but not necessarily as clear. To dive in to what... Read More