Reading Time: 4 minutes The dates are seared in Dennis Laycraft’s brain. May 20, 2003, when the first positive test of a cow with BSE was confirmed; Aug. 10, 2003, when the U.S. and Mexico restored import access for Canadian boneless beef from animals under 30 months of age; July 14, 2005, when the U.S. reopened full access for […] Read more
The 20th anniversary of BSE: So much has changed
Border closures captured the headlines but BSE reshaped the cattle sector in profound ways
Japan lifts last of BSE-era restrictions off Canadian beef
Canadian processed beef regains access to Japan
The last of Japan’s import restrictions on Canadian beef and beef products stemming from the BSE crisis has been lifted, allowing access for Canadian further-processed beef. Canada’s federal agriculture department announced Monday that Japan has reopened to imports of “processed” Canadian beef — just days ahead of a significant reduction in Japan’s tariffs on imports […] Read more
Indo-Pacific plan wins kudos from cattle group
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Cattle Association is hailing Ottawa’s plan to boost trade with the Indo-Pacific region. About 20 per cent of beef exports already head to the region, with Japan, China, South Korea, Vietnam and Hong Kong being the top markets. The prospects for increasing beef exports are good, it said. “The Indo-Pacific region holds the […] Read more
A tale of two trade agreements
The TPP deal soars, the EU deal stalls
Asian and Pacific nations are snapping up our beef while EU roadblocks persist
Reading Time: 5 minutes When it comes to Canada’s two big foreign trade deals, the difference for beef producers is night and day — one is putting money in their pockets and the other has mostly been an exercise in frustration. In just the first two years of the three-year-old Trans-Pacific trade deal, member nations upped their buys of […] Read more
Singapore clears all Canadian beef for import
Country first to lift BSE-era restrictions under new status
Canada’s new official international status as a “negligible risk” country for bovine spongiform encephalopathy now has its first recognition from a beef-importing nation. Singapore has approved the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s certificate for exports of all Canadian beef, including beef offal, with no restrictions on the age of the cattle from which the beef was […] Read more
A flood of American cattle is coming north — but the tide may turn
Alberta usually exports cattle but a quarter of a million U.S. cows a year are coming to Western Canada
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta feeder cattle imports have exploded, reaching highs not seen since the early 2000s. But feedlot operators are still struggling to turn a profit, and adding to their woes, the surge in American cattle may soon slow. “We were barely importing any feeders four or five years ago,” said Brian Perillat, manager of Canfax. “We […] Read more
Here’s the beef — it’s on Costco shelves in Madrid and that’s a big win
A Canadian beef deal in Spain raises hope the battle for European access is paying off
Reading Time: 5 minutes You might expect to pay $30 for a steak at a restaurant. But at the supermarket meat counter? Not so much. However, Costco customers in Madrid haven’t balked at paying those sorts of prices since the chain began carrying Canada AAA rib-eyes in November. “As a Canadian consumer walking into the grocery store, I don’t […] Read more
Klassen: Uncertain beef demand weighs on feeder market
Compared to last week, western Canadian prices for yearling and heavier calves were down $2-$4 on average. The calf market was hard to define; Alberta markets traded $3 lower to $4 higher but notable strength was evident in Saskatchewan and Manitoba where values were steady to $4 higher. Favourable weather contributed to higher auction market […] Read more
Namibia looks to import cattle as drought decimates herds
Windhoek | Reuters — Namibian state-owned meat processing and marketing firm Meatco is in talks with neighbour Botswana to import cattle, as severe drought decimates local herds and threatens beef export deals with China and European countries. The southern African desert nation moved closer to famine last month after dam levels fell below 20 per […] Read more
Canadian beef exports surge in first half of 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadian beef exports and cattle slaughter numbers were up and cull prices down in the first half of the year, says a provincial livestock market analyst. “Canadian beef exports for the January to July 2019 period are $1.841 billion, up 24 per cent by value from the same period in 2018,” said Jason Wood. “Export […] Read more
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