Alberta-based meat packers and feedyard owners are voicing concerns about the ongoing blockade to protest COVID-19 restrictions at the Coutts, AB/Sweet Grass, MT border crossing. We've talked to numerous sources in the meatpacking and cattle feeding sector to get a handle on the issues that are arising as a result of the Coutts crossing remaining... Read More
Category: Livestock
The federal agriculture minister remains fully committed to her government's cross-border vaccination mandate for truck drivers, despite pressure from some industry groups and provinces to loosen the requirement to reduce the impact it's having on specific supply chains. While there's been much discussion about the direct effect the mandate could potentially have on grocery prices,... Read More
The RCMP has issued a travel advisory in regards to the Coutts, Alta., border crossing. Protesters, demonstrating against federal vaccine mandates, began a blockade at the crossing on January 29, 2022. The RCMP says it is looking to get the border crossing up and running as soon as possible. The crossing is a busy one... Read More
About a year after #buttergate took social media and mainstream media by storm, the working group tasked with investigating the issue has provided its conclusions and recommendations. It's unfortunate we can't go back in time and track the fatty acid profile of milk, says working group chair and president of Lactanet, Daniel Lefebvre, but we... Read More
Farmers are known for their independent, get 'er done mentality, and seemingly endless energy for putting in the required work to get those things done. But no farmer truly works alone — whether it's an agronomist, a marketing pro, or an equipment technician, most farmers know it takes a team of professionals to keep a... Read More
Two Manitoba groups have launched an initiative to connect livestock producers and grain producers through the Manitoba Grazing Exchange (MGE). The Manitoba Organic Alliance (MOA) and Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA) says the grazing exchange website is designed to make it easier for livestock producers to connect with grain producers who have available grazing... Read More
Due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID 19 case numbers and health restrictions, the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar (WCDS) advisory committee has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2022 WCDS. Based on feedback from producers and industry regarding "virtual fatigue" the committee has also decided not to hold a virtual event in 2022. The committee... Read More
Canada has quietly joined a coalition of countries promoting “sustainable productivity growth” in agriculture. The Sustainable Productivity Growth Coalition for Food Security and Resource Conservation, known as the SPG Coalition, was first championed by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at the UN Food Systems Summit in September 2021. The coalition's stated goal is to “accelerate... Read More
Manitoba's new agriculture minister says helping producers recover from the drought of 2021 and maintaining cross-border movement of feed and the province's agricultural exports are top priorities as he settles into the minister's office. Derek Johnson was sworn in as Manitoba's minister of agriculture last week, as the province's new premier, Heather Stefanson, appointed her... Read More
2021 won't be forgotten anytime soon in the cattle world. The January 1, 2022, Cattle on Feed report from CanFax showed a 12 per cent increase in the number of cattle on feed from a year ago, with placements down a bit. As Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange explains in our latest Beef... Read More