CNS Canada — Demand has shifted at Alberta feedlots this year with more forward contracting and less business taking place in the spot market, according to an analyst. “In a lot of years we’ve seen the demand has stayed in the spot market but this year there were more forward purchases that were done by […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Demand shifting at Alberta feedlots
Have a plan to get the most out of your feed supply
Strategies include keeping alfalfa until the third trimester and monitoring the calcium/phosphorus ratio when feeding cereals
Reading Time: 2 minutes Livestock producers have several months of winter ahead of them. “It’s best to develop a strategy to get the most out of your feed supply at the start of feeding season, and it’s not too late,” said provincial beef extension specialist Andrea Hanson. By testing the various feeds and knowing the nutritional values of each, […] Read more
A taxing situation — study says there’s no easy fix to county’s cattle tax
The levy on feedlot cattle has some justification, a lot of drawbacks, and no trouble-free alternatives, says new study
Reading Time: 4 minutes Lethbridge County’s head tax is unfair for cattle feeders — but there’s no easy alternative. Those are the key takeaways from a new study that looked at both the impact of a per-cow tax, and how the county could raise badly needed funds for maintaining and repairing its roads. Read more: Lethbridge County ‘head tax’ ruled […] Read more
Feed testing now can save you money
Testing is especially important this year as supplies are tight and quality down in many areas of the province
Reading Time: 3 minutes Doing feed tests now, at the start of the feeding season, will allow producers to develop a strategy to ensure all categories of cattle in the herd are fed to their production goals and extra costs are avoided. “Livestock feed supplies are going to be tight in some areas of Alberta, while in other areas, […] Read more
High hopes for remote sensing of pasture conditions
Federal funding assists pasture project
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association says it hopes a research project on remote sensing of pasture conditions will be the foundation for a new national pasture insurance program. “The project’s findings may allow for more precision in the development of insurance programs for pasture production, on a farm level, rather than by geographic regions or limited […] Read more
Cattle organizations still talking — but no checkoff deal in sight
One proposal to resolve contentious issue of non-refundable checkoffs shot down in May and a new one is still being ‘analyzed’
Reading Time: 3 minutes Despite years of talks, the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association and Alberta Beef Producers still appear to be far apart in making a non-refundable provincial checkoff a reality. A new proposal was put on the table late last month, but while the chair of Alberta Beef Producers describes it as a major step forward, his counterpart […] Read more
Lethbridge County ‘head tax’ ruled legal
Feeders challenged the $3-per-head business tax on feedlots as unfair, but a judge said the municipal act allows it
Reading Time: 2 minutes Lethbridge County’s controversial ‘head tax’ will be staying put after a judge ruled the tax is legal. “We’re happy that the judge upheld the business tax,” said Lethbridge County Reeve Lorne Hickey. “He felt that under the Municipal Government Act, we were fully capable of putting that tax in place.” The $3-per-head business tax — […] Read more
Cargill to exit U.S. cattle feeding business
Chicago | Reuters — Cargill said on Wednesday it will exit the business of feeding cattle to direct capital toward other investments, the latest transformation for the global commodity trader. Minnesota-based Cargill struck a deal to sell its last two feed yards to ethanol producer Green Plains for US$36.7 million, after selling other feedyards to […] Read more
High costs threaten southern Alberta feedlot sector
Lethbridge County’s ‘head tax,’ WCB premiums, and a looming carbon tax are making his business uneconomical, says a prominent feeder
Reading Time: 4 minutes Other cattle feeders in southern Alberta may suffer the same fate as Western Feedlots if a local $3-per-head tax isn’t reversed. Last month, Western Feedlots — one of the country’s largest with 100,000-head capacity at its facilities near Strathmore, High River, and Mossleigh — announced that it would be winding down cattle ownership and feeding […] Read more
Cattle feeders get proactive with new feedlot animal welfare audit
Rather than wait and see multiple audits imposed by packers and retailers, the National Cattle Feeders Association developed an easy-to-use tool
Reading Time: 3 minutes Last April, the Vancouver-based Earls restaurant chain announced it would no longer source its beef from Canada, opting instead for ‘Certified Humane’ beef sourced from the United States. Though pressure from customers loyal to Canadian beef eventually forced the chain to reverse the decision, those most in the know — the feedlot associations and meat […] Read more
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