Reading Time: 4 minutes You may run a good beef farm, maybe even a great one. Making yourself remarkable, however, is another matter in the age of explosive artificial intelligence (AI) technology. That was the message from one technology expert speaking to the Alberta Beef Industry Conference earlier this year. Shawn Kanungo, a globally recognized innovation strategist based in […] Read more

AI and beef: When good isn’t enough anymore
A recent small purchase from the U.S. had little influence on price

Kansas beef plant shuts down after fire
National Beef Packing Company, one of four major U.S. beef processors, said it suspended production at its Liberal, Kansas, plant for a second day on Friday, after a fire.

Cattle sector awaits details on methane plan
Early thinking is that federal incentives to help producers reduce cattle emissions could fit with industry targets
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Canada’s draft policy that would provide financial incentives to livestock producers to reduce methane from cattle aligns with the beef sector’s target to see those emissions reduced by one-third by 2030. The beef industry will have to see how well federal government proposals merge with its own efforts, which have already resulted in Canadian […] Read more

Tyson Foods, Cargill idle Kansas beef plants due to snowstorm
Blizzards shut down roads, stranded some workers at packing plants overnight
Tyson Foods and Cargill said on Tuesday they suspended operations at beef plants in Kansas due to a massive snowstorm, reducing U.S. meat production.

Updated Certified Sustainable Beef Framework released
The program, launched in 2017, came up for its five-year review in 2022
A new and improved Certified Sustainable Beef Framework has been released following its first, five-year review announced the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) today.

Klassen: Lower beef production forecasts support feeder complex
Major feedlots seen aggressive on quality calves
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $2-$4 on either side of unchanged. Calf markets were steady to $5 higher on average, with stronger buying interest on preconditioned weaned steer calves. Light calves weighing under 500 lbs. appeared to jump $10-$20 in certain regions. This past week, focus of finishing feedlots switched from […] Read more

Cost advice for beef operators
Reading Time: < 1 minute Any new business can benefit from the guidance of those more experienced, and starting a beef operation is no different. In order to share the wisdom of seasoned producers with the next generation, Canfax Research Services asked 180 participants of the Canadian Cow-Calf Cost of Production Network for their advice on starting a cow-calf operation. […] Read more

Can Canada see beef herd expansion in 2023?
Reading Time: < 1 minute The short answer to cattle herd expansion is that it depends if there’s any money in it, says Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. “Any expansion will be dependent on this year’s weather, feed costs and conditions in the second half of 2023,” says Ann Boyda, provincial livestock market analyst with the Alberta government. “Expansion is dependent […] Read more

Take the long view by preparing for next year right now
There are several things to be thinking about now, including federal cash that’s up for grabs
Reading Time: 3 minutes Prepare for more dry times, grab hold of federal climate cash and keep watch for meaningful government action on the processing side. Those are three key recommendations from a prominent educator, a producer and a farm leader on positioning the ranch for 2023. Rainfall patterns have been different in the last three to five years […] Read more

SUSTAINABLE BEEF: A tale of two different numbers
In less than four years, one in five ranches has been certified sustainable — but market penetration is still low
Reading Time: 5 minutes When it comes to making Canada a leader in the certified sustainable beef movement, two numbers stand out – one very large and the other (in relative terms) very small. As of June 30, nearly one-fifth of the country’s beef cattle were raised on farms certified under the standards of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable […] Read more