Reading Time: 4 minutes It was a response to a crisis that threatened to overwhelm Alberta’s cattle sector — but seven months later the cattle set-aside program has come to an end. And it’s clear it’s been a success, says the chair of the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association. “I think the program did its job,” said Greg Schmidt, an […] Read more
Disaster averted: Cattle set-aside does its job
'It could have been worse, a lot worse,’ says feeder association chair
The Big Squeeze: Alberta cattle sector struggling to get ahead
In this tight-margin business, a host of smaller factors pull down profitability
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta’s cattle industry may not be facing another near-fatal blow like BSE, but it’s hemorrhaging all the same. And this time, it’s a death by a thousand cuts, says a new study. Government regulations. Global trade wars. Rising land prices and ever-higher costs. Drought. Feed shortages. Head taxes and exclusion zones. There’s not one single […] Read more
Despite current dip, cattle feeders optimistic about what lies ahead
With lots of cattle on increasingly pricey feed, margins are taking a hit, but optimism remains strong
Reading Time: 4 minutes The feedlot industry is experiencing a little dip right now, but the sector continues to chug along nicely. That’s why Doug Price opted to buy Western Feedlots at High River, which has been shuttered since 2016. “It was a fairly good-sized feedlot and we’re just tearing most of it down except the bunks and re-doing […] Read more
Cattle producers, feeders crafting industry plan
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Beef Producers says it’s working with the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association on a “joint advocacy plan” for the province’s cattle sector that it will be putting forward to the new provincial government. “We will be seeking support for a globally competitive beef industry operating in a strong rural economy to provide sustainable food production, […] Read more
Non-refundable checkoff defeated, cattle group moving on
ABP leaders say they wish more had cast ballots but the issue is now in the rear-view mirror
Reading Time: 3 minutes *[UPDATED: Dec. 20, 2018] He’s disappointed to have lost the vote and wishes more cattle producers had cast a ballot, but the chair of Alberta Beef Producers says it’s now time to “move forward.” There were 1,874 votes cast in a plebiscite to make the $2 provincial beef checkoff non-refundable — with 51.3 per cent […] Read more
New CEO for cattle feeders’ associations
Reading Time: < 1 minute Janice Tranberg is the new president and CEO of both Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association and National Cattle Feeders’ Association. Tranberg takes over from Bryan Walton, who is retiring early in the new year. She most recently served as the executive director for Sask-Canola and prior to that was assistant deputy agriculture minister in Saskatchewan. Tranberg […] Read more
Beef checkoff plebiscite coming in fall
Reading Time: < 1 minute A plebiscite on a non-refundable cattle checkoff will be held this fall and the leadership of Alberta Beef Producers is urging its members to get out and vote. Currently, the provincial portion of the checkoff is voluntary and ABP refunds about $2.4 million yearly (mostly to feeders). If the checkoff is made non-refundable, most of […] Read more
Opinion: The beef industry needs to start speaking with a unified voice
Having at least 10 organizations representing the beef industry in Alberta is quite frankly a joke
Reading Time: 4 minutes Our farming and feeding operations have fundamental challenges and issues that are not being communicated in an effective manner to government. We have ongoing issues about hiring qualified managers and workers; with WCB compliance and enforcement; OH&S adherence; WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) education of our employees; an obsolete farm taxation model utilizing 25-year-old […] Read more
End of refundable checkoff may be near
If successful, most of the $2 million refunded each year would go towards the creation of an industry development fund
Reading Time: 2 minutes The province has given the nod to a long-sought request for a plebiscite to make the cattle checkoff non-refundable. It’s hoped a province-wide vote on the contentious issue will be held this autumn, said Rich Smith, executive director of Alberta Beef Producers. “It’s a very positive step towards us being able to have a plebiscite […] Read more
Is your farm prepared for a disease emergency?
New booklets lay out the threats to dairy, hog, and cattle operations and offer a blueprint for being ready
Reading Time: 3 minutes The first thing the Canadian Animal Health Coalition did after receiving a grant to better prepare for animal disease emergencies was to see if producer organizations had a crisis plan. The results weren’t encouraging. “We surveyed 130 organizations, all industry associations at different national and provincial levels across the country,” said Matt Taylor, one of […] Read more
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