A federal private member’s bill meant to tighten animal cruelty laws in Canada — alarming farm organizations and energizing animal welfare groups en route — has gone the way of most private members’ bills. Bill C-246, introduced in February by Toronto Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and given first reading, died Wednesday in the House of […] Read more
Bill to tighten cruelty laws downed in Commons
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
Cattle producers and feeders in checkoff stalemate
ABP has proposed a new funding council, but that wasn’t enough to sway cattle feeders
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Alberta Beef Producers and the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association have come to an impasse on making the provincial checkoff non-refundable. And that’s put the controversial matter in the hands of the provincial government. “We’re trying to come up with a plan,” said Martin Zuidhof, chair of the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association. “That’s where it’s […] Read more
Ag in Motion boosts livestock programming for 2016
Reading Time: 2 minutes The new Livestock Central presented by BMO Financial Group will showcase live demonstrations, speakers and interactive exhibits featuring products and services specific to livestock producers. Nestled between 1st Street and 3rd Street along Manitoba Drive, Livestock Central will feature indoor and outdoor exhibits. The indoor exhibits will be housed in a new 60×60-foot Livestock Pavilion, […] Read more
‘Sustainable’ beef pilot a success, but job isn’t done yet
McDonald’s pilot is complete, but now the Canadian beef industry has to create and implement its own standards
Reading Time: 4 minutes After being the first to source and track “verified sustainable” beef for McDonald’s, the Canadian cattle industry has a new challenge — create its own standards that all of its buyers can use. The wrap-up event drew more than 300 ranchers and industry players to celebrate the accomplishment — a sharp contrast to the quiet, […] Read more
Partnering could be an option if feed is in short supply
There’s a lot of volatility in cattle markets right now and that could open the door to some ‘interesting value propositions,’ says expert
Reading Time: 3 minutes A shortage of feed and a dry start to the grazing season may make it worthwhile to investigate some retained ownership or other off-farm feeding opportunities, says a risk management specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “For some producers who may not have sufficient feed carry-over to sustain their production plans, moving yearlings or replacement […] Read more
Fewer downers being shipped, says hog exchange
An undercover video showing abuse has prompted widespread changes at the hog assembly yard
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Red Deer hog assembly yard at the heart of animal abuse allegations almost two years ago has seen industry-wide improvements in animal handling. “Since the Mercy for Animals incident, we have made significant strides in improving our level of animal care and husbandry,” said Brent Moen, chair of the Western Hog Exchange. “And I […] Read more
Changes come to traceability database
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency has enhanced the Canadian Livestock Tracking System database. The agency has enabled system users to submit an Import event for any foreign country tag ID numbers. The supported format is 15 digits in length, starting with the country code. Since current regulations only permit the farm of origin to age […] Read more
Draft a plan before rejuvenating tired forage stand
Forage ecologist Mike Schellenberg offers his insights on how to reinvigorate pastures and boost productivity
Reading Time: 4 minutes “Five years to forever.” That’s a long time for a forage stand to be highly productive — and yet that’s the answer producers often give when asked how long they expect the benefits of rejuvenating pastures to last, said Mike Schellenberg, a range and plant forage ecologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Swift Current, Sask. […] Read more
VBP program being expanded
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Verified Beef Production (VBP) program is being expanded to VBP Plus. The new version of the on-farm food safety program will use third-party audits of production practices and include modules for biosecurity, animal care, and environmental stewardship. The expanded program will allow producers to demonstrate that Canadian beef is being “produced in systems that […] Read more
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