Livestock
Everybody, it seems, wants forage and that had speakers at the recent Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association conference in Saskatoon questioning why it’s still an afterthought on many Prairie farms. “That’s one of the problems with our industry. We don’t recognize the importance of forage,” said Ed Shaw, owner of Alberta-based International Quality Forages, and […] Read more
Forage’s fortunes never looked brighter, conference hears
Outgoing Man. cattlemen’s chief Major Jay Fox, 32
Funeral services are to be held Wednesday at Eddystone, Man. for one of Manitoba’s Outstanding Young Farmers and a former president of Manitoba Beef Producers. Major Jay Fox died Friday in Winnipeg from injuries he suffered after being pinned Thursday evening by a tractor’s front-end loader bucket on his farm at Eddystone, about 75 km […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder prices finish year on solid demand
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were steady to $2 per hundredweight (cwt) lower in comparison to week-ago levels. Many feedlots are running on skeleton crews through Christmas and New Year’s and they don’t want to be processing large numbers at this time. Auction market numbers were lower and the market was characterized by non-feature small […] Read more
Predators’ threats alone cut into animal populations: study
Even when predators can’t reach their prey, the fear of a potential attack is enough to significantly affect wildlife populations, a new study finds. Researchers at the University of Victoria say their study’s results confirm years of speculation, finding that wild animals, believing themselves to be at risk of being torn apart by predator species, […] Read more
Alta. sheep producers backed for RFID readers, software
A new program to help Alberta’s 1,900-odd sheep producers cover the cost of RFID readers, software, installation and training will complement an earlier program to help cover the cost of RFID tags. The province and federal government on Tuesday rolled out their Sheep RFID Technology Assistance Program, aiming to encourage use of radio frequency identification […] Read more
Alta. biodiesel maker backed to process animal fats, oils
In a way, the federal government plans to pour funding into Kyoto for reduction of greenhouse gases. The government on Wednesday announced it will invest up to $31.14 million over six years in Lethbridge, Alta.-based Kyoto Fuels Corp. to produce biodiesel from converted vegetable oil, cooking oil and/or animal fat. Funding for Kyoto will come […] Read more
Colabor buys Quebec meat distributor
A major food wholesaler and distributor in business across Eastern Canada has expanded its reach in Quebec with the purchase of a Montreal-area competitor. Colabor Group announced Thursday it has bought Viandes Decarie, a wholesaler and distributor of fresh and frozen beef, veal, pork, poultry and lamb at Anjou, Que., for an undisclosed sum. Decarie’s […] Read more
Ruling doesn’t end N.B. supply management problem: Nadeau
Poultry farmers shouldn’t assume the Supreme Court’s dismissal of a case against a New Brunswick chicken producer allows them to sell their birds wherever they want, a jilted processor warns. New Brunswick processor Nadeau Poultry, which had asked the Supreme Court to look at its claim of "refusal to deal" against poultry producer Groupe Westco, […] Read more
Supreme Court dismissal halts N.B. chicken dispute
Canada’s top court has shut the door on New Brunswick chicken processor Nadeau Poultry’s efforts to lock in a supply of birds it says are being siphoned off by a rival plant under construction. The Supreme Court of Canada announced Thursday it has dismissed, with costs, Nadeau’s application for leave to appeal a June ruling […] Read more
Live cattle access resumes to UAE
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and International Trade Minister Ed Fast have announced that the Government of Canada has reached a new agreement on an export certificate with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The agreement reopens a market that has been closed since a case of BSE was discovered in Canada in 2003. A government release […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
