Livestock
Heavier feeder cattle were steady to $2 per hundredweight (cwt) higher last week while calves under 600 pounds were up as much as $2 to $3 in some instances. Despite the softening of the nearby fed market, buying interest for feeders improved as the April and June live cattle futures made fresh contract highs. A […] Read more
Klassen: Feeders maintain upward trend
Antibiotic residue test for milk gets federal support
An Edmonton firm working on a device to allow dairy producers to quickly detect antibiotic residues in milk on-farm will get over $350,000 in federal development funding. The support for SciMed Technologies is to flow through the federal Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP). The company’s new testing kit “will ensure quality control at all stages […] Read more
National bee diagnostic centre backed for Peace region
Almost $1.2 million in federal backing has been pledged for a national centre for diagnostic health tests on bees, to be set up in northwestern Alberta’s Peace River region. Grande Prairie Regional College will get $1,193,500 from Western Economic Diversification Canada to set up the National Bee Diagnostic Centre at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Beaverlodge […] Read more
Que. cheese, berry processors get forestry town loans
A federal fund to encourage diversification in Quebec communities tied to the forestry sector will put up loans for an Asbestos-area cheesemaker and a Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes berry processor. Fromagerie l’Oiseau Bleu, based at Asbestos, will get $500,000 in repayable funding from the Temporary Initiative for the Strengthening of Quebec’s Forest Economies (TISQFE). The startup company plans […] Read more
Pork exports to China up, values soar
Canadian pork exports to all destinations in 2011 are on par to match the level established during 2010, but demand from both China and South Korea has jumped significantly, according to an official in the industry. “Demand for Canadian pork products from China and South Korea are spectacularly ahead of trend,” said Martin Rice, executive […] Read more
Cattle breed groups considering Angus office space
A number of Canadian beef breed and beef industry organizations are reportedly considering a new landlord named Angus for their office needs. The Canadian Angus Association on Thursday announced it has bought land at East Balzac in Rocky View County outside Calgary, where it plans to put up its own new office building. The Angus […] Read more
Price spread seen limiting DDGS use in Canada
Ample domestic feed grain supplies, together with high prices for corn-based DDGS (dried distillers grains with solubles) from the U.S., are now limiting usage of the ethanol byproduct in Canadian livestock rations, according to market participants. The price spread is too wide right now to bring in DDGS, said Ryan Slozka, senior commodity trader with […] Read more
BIXS set for cow-calf producers’ use nationwide
The Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS) is officially live nationwide for cow-calf producers’ use heading into this year’s fall calf run. “BIXS is the result of the (Canadian Cattlemen’s Association) recognizing how an improved flow of information between producers and packers can enhance industry competitiveness,” CCA president Travis Toews said in a release Thursday. “In time, […] Read more
Raw milk access a matter for consumers, not dairyman: Ruling
Getting handy access to unpasteurized or “raw” milk in Ontario will take a legal challenge by its consumers, not by a dairyman whose cows provide it, a recent court ruling finds. Judge Peter Tetley of the Ontario Court of Justice so ruled Sept. 28 in overturning most of last year’s acquittals on 19 charges against […] Read more
Klassen: Fed cattle lead feeders higher
The weaker Canadian dollar, along with stronger beef prices and lower market-ready supplies, caused fed cattle to jump $4 per hundredweight (cwt) last week. Alberta packers paid up to $111/cwt in a struggle to fill nearby demand. Feeder cattle prices followed suit, edging up $2-$3/cwt on average, with lighter-weight cattle up as much as $5/cwt […] Read more
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