Livestock
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ranchers often rely on each other spring brandings are a community affair, and in the fall friends help one another haul their calf crop to auction. But this year, that neighbourly tradition turned into an expensive one for Pincher Creek rancher Bill Homans. A friend and neighbour couldn t haul all his cattle in one […] Read more
Rancher Fined For Helping Neighbour Haul Cattle
Canada Scores Well On Production Costs But Could Improve Performance
Reading Time: 3 minutes As a major pork exporter, Canada has to compete not only with the U.S. for market share, but also with countries such as Denmark and Brazil. So it s important the industry has production costs that allow it to compete effectively and also leave producers a margin. While comparing costs between various countries is fraught […] Read more
Premier Appoints Task Force To Ensure Landowners Heard
Reading Time: < 1 minute Premier Alison Redford has created a task force that will be asking Albertans for their concerns regarding property rights. We have heard concerns from landowners that their property rights need to be better respected, Redford said in a release. We need to move towards a more commonsense approach when it comes to property rights. The […] Read more
Every livestock operation, large or small, needs a biosecurity plan
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recently released a workbook entitled Biosecurity in Practice. Designed for veterinarians, it includes recommended actions for livestock producers that would ensure biosecurity on their farms. For livestock operations, the three pillars of biosecurity are access management, animal health management and operational management. Access management is basically controlling who can […] Read more
Top Court Closes Book On Milk Minimums In Cheese
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Supreme Court of Canada dismissed an appeal by two dairy-processing giants to overturn minimum standards for milk content in cheese sold in Canada. The Nov. 24 ruling closes the book on efforts by cheese manufacturers to change the ration of whey protein to casein ratio, which would allow them to use more whey cream […] Read more
Skim milk, butter supports to get bump Feb. 1
Dairy farmers can expect roughly a 1.5 per cent uptick in per-hectolitre revenue for industrial milk starting in February, from a raise in the support prices used to pencil out that revenue. The Canadian Dairy Commission on Friday announced increases in the support prices for butter and skim milk powder to take effect Feb. 1, […] Read more
New president confirmed for Quebec’s UPA
A dairyman from southern Quebec’s Chaudiere-Appalaches region is formally the new head of the province’s ubiquitous and influential general farmers’ organization. Marcel Groleau, a dairy producer from Thetford Mines, was acclaimed Thursday as the new president of the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA), replacing Christian Lacasse, who chose not to seek a third term. Groleau, […] Read more
Ontario names new deputy ag minister
The Ontario civil servant soon to become the province’s top bureaucrat for agriculture is already running a review of a program that contracts farmers and others to help feed the hydro grid. Fareed Amin will replace John Burke as Ontario’s deputy minister for agriculture, food and rural affairs starting Dec. 12, the province said Wednesday. […] Read more
Saputo names new president, Canadian dairy COO
Canada’s biggest dairy processor has promoted the chief of its Canadian dairy division to be the company’s new president. Saputo Inc. has named Dino Dello Sbarba as its president and chief operating officer (COO) effective April 1, 2012. As president he replaces the company’s CEO, Lino Saputo Jr., who will remain in that role and […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle outlook remains positive
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were $2-$4 per hundredweight (cwt) lower on average last week. Run-of-the-mill red and black large-framed heifers averaging 638 pounds with no special qualities sold for $138/cwt landed in southern Alberta. Red and black Angus steers averaging 600 lbs. sold for $147/cwt in central Alberta. Simmental-red Angus fancy large-framed steer calves […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
