Livestock
Reading Time: < 1 minute The East of Olds Dairy Farmer Study Club is the recipient of the Alberta dairy industry’s top award. “This year’s recipients are particularly special as they are fellow dairy farmers,” Alberta Milk chair Tom Kootstra said when presenting this year’s Dairy Industry Achievement Award. “This group truly is the essence of what the DIAA is […] Read more
Innovative dairy group wins sector’s top award
There’s a learning curve with new rules on medication
Now is the time to get up to speed on the ins and outs of the regulations on medicated feed and additives
Reading Time: 3 minutes Changes to Health Canada’s policy on medically important antimicrobials, which came into effect Dec. 1, include those medications administered in water and in feed. This change is in response to antimicrobial resistance and the assurance of a safe food supply. It will also, I feel, be a positive step to further assure accuracy in milled […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs drop on technical selling
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell for a third straight session on Monday as technical selling and profit-taking dragged prices to a 4-1/2-week low. Another steep sell-off in equities markets also stoked concerns that meat demand may not meet earlier expectations over the coming months. “Today we sucked more futures […] Read more
West Nile virus numbers spiked again this summer
The number of cases of this disease in horses rises and falls depending on a complex interplay of factors
Reading Time: 3 minutes Since the first horse was detected with West Nile virus in Canada in 2002, the prevalence of the disease has cycled annually through peaks and troughs. The number of cases in horses initially peaked in 2003 following its introduction, with many fewer cases reported until 2007 when the incidence of the disease spiked once again. […] Read more
Merck bolsters animal health unit with Allflex deal
Reuters — Merck and Co. said on Friday it will buy privately-held French company Antelliq Group, which makes digital identification products for livestock, for about 2.1 billion euros (C$3.19 billion) to bolster its fast-growing animal health business. The move affirms the drugmaker’s commitment to the business, which Wall Street analysts have long seen value in […] Read more
U.S. House approves farm bill without tighter food stamps criteria
Washington | Reuters — The U.S. House of Representatives passed the farm bill on Wednesday, capping months of acrimonious debate to finalize the legislation funding the nation’s US$867 billion food and agriculture programs. The bill, which passed by a vote of 369 to 47, will be submitted to President Donald Trump for his signature into […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle hit six-week high on technical buying
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rose sharply for the second straight session on Wednesday, reaching a six-week high, on technical buying and expectations that beef packers would pay higher prices for cattle this week, traders said. Cattle futures had declined earlier on Tuesday before turning higher and then surpassing the previous session’s […] Read more
McDonald’s to curb antibiotic use in its beef supply
Reuters — McDonald’s Corp. said Tuesday it plans to reduce the use of antibiotics in its global beef supply, fueling projections that other restaurants will follow suit. The move by the world’s biggest fast-food chain addresses concerns that the overuse of antibiotics vital to fighting human infections in farm animals may diminish the drugs’ effectiveness […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle climb on technical buying, demand optimism
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures gained about one per cent on Tuesday, lifted by technical buying and optimism for the continued robust demand for cattle and beef, traders and analysts said. Cattle futures shrugged off three straight sessions of declines to rise to the highest levels in about a week. […] Read more
Delegate results from ABP fall meetings
Reading Time: < 1 minute Six new producer delegates, along with many returning ones, were elected or acclaimed at Alberta Beef Producers’ fall meetings. In Zone 5, Katlyn Benedict (Wimborne) and Kelly Fraser (Pine Lake) were elected and in Zone 6, Jill Burkhardt (Gwynne) and Assar Grinde (Bluffton) were elected while Cecil Andersen (Drayton Valley) was acclaimed as the Cattle […] Read more