Reading Time: 2 minutes af staff |pincher creek It’s time to shift the focus back to the Alberta Beef brand, according to the marketing experts at the Alberta Beef Producers. “Let’s face it, right across the country, Alberta beef is famous,” said Mark Francis, ABP promotion committee chair. “It’s still famous here at home and it’s time to ramp […] Read more
It’s Back To The Future For Beef Marketers
Chief Vet Wants Diagnostic Testing Back In The Public Sector
Reading Time: 3 minutes After years of going without, Alberta may once more be home to inprovince animal diagnostic testing as early as this fall. “A bunch of the commodities had been talking and we brought it up with the chief provincial vet and we brought it up with the ag minister and they have applied for funding because […] Read more
Winners And Losers Now That Checkoffs Are Voluntary
Reading Time: 3 minutes The landscape of the Alberta livestock industry was forever changed by the upheaval surrounding the move to voluntary checkoff deductions on September 1, 2010, but the cumulative effect remains to be seen. Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) was anticipated to take the biggest hit under the new checkoff regimen. ABP chair Chuck MacLean said he expected […] Read more
Canada Gold Beef New Owners Of Meatpacking Plant
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Sunterra Meats plant at Innisfail – Canada’s largest lamb processor – is now a member of the Canada Gold Beef family. Now known as SunGold Specialty Meats, the ownership change became effective February 8. “It’s a plant where we’re killing lambs, beef for the EU, and branded beef – Canada Gold Beef – for […] Read more
New Technology Threatens GPS In U.S.
Reading Time: 3 minutes Virtually unheard of just a decade ago, GPS has become indispensable in agriculture, but the service may be threatened by an emerging technology in the United States. LightSquared, a U.S. broadband company, plans to introduce a new network into the American marketplace later this year, but is currently battling opponents who are concerned the service […] Read more
Legend Of Farm Reporting Retires After Nearly 42 Years
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ric Swihart reported for his first day of work on Dec. 8, 1969, and he says it’s not quite true that he was at the same desk for 42 years. But until he retired earlier this month, Ric never left theLethbridge Heraldand while he covered many beats in his career, he was best known for […] Read more
Traceability Needs More Accountability From Regulators
Reading Time: 3 minutes I first started covering the cattle business in 2007, at the start of the fall run. Prices were in the tank and the new specified risk material (SRM) rules to combat BSE had just been introduced. A couple of months later, the U.S. finally opened the border to over-30-month (OTM) cattle, even as the country-of-origin […] Read more
Auction Marts Say Traceability Success Exaggerated
Reading Time: 4 minutes While the Alberta government recently heralded the success of a pilot traceability project, the Alberta Auction Markets Association (AAMA) has a much different tale to tell. In an open letter released to the livestock industry, as well as to Alberta Agriculture, the association warns against using the technology before other elements within the system are […] Read more
Alberta’s Clean Air Strategic Alliance Sometimes Turbulent, But Always Worthwhile
Reading Time: 2 minutes Do environmental issues always have to lead to discord and battle? No, says an Alberta group created to find common ground and forge agreements on air-quality issues. The Clean Air Strategic Alliance (CASA) was formed in 1994 to find mutually acceptable solutions for air-quality issues between government, industry and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It’s an approach […] Read more
Another Association Poised To Take Checkoff
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta may soon have another commodity checkoff, this time for oat producers. Currently, both Manitoba and Saskatchewan have an oat checkoff and those associations fall under the umbrella of the larger Prairie Oat Growers Association (POGA). “Eventually, the three organizations will function as the arms of the Prairie Oat Growers Association,” said Bill Wilton, president […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
