To sell beef in Europe, cattle must be raised without growth promotants and the packer can’t use a carcass wash not approved in the EU. Pictured is a meat counter in Morlaix, France.

CCA sees potential for more beef sales to Europe

Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada could be selling more beef to Europe if it increased the number of veterinarians trained to approve cattle for shipment there or secured approval for using Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) to meet European requirements, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association says. Since the free trade agreement with Europe came into effect nearly two years ago, […] Read more


Karmen McNabb.

Three cattle producers say keeping track pays off

For the record: These producers say keeping detailed production and herd records is well worth the effort

Reading Time: 7 minutes The Beef Cattle Research Council recently posted two in-depth articles on record-keeping and benchmarking. The articles look at the benefits, what records to keep, resources, and how good records can boost profitability. But they also note a recent survey found that while almost all producers keep some sort of records (such as birthdates, culling/death loss […] Read more

Keeping close tabs on the movement of cattle, visitors to your farm, and use of antimicrobials are all becoming increasingly important.

Put antimicrobials, traceability, and biosecurity on your to-do list

All three areas are undergoing changes that producers should be aware of, 
says the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association

Reading Time: 2 minutes There are things that beef producers need to look out for in the coming months when it comes to herd health and biosecurity. “We do know that there are changes in play that will require all medically important antimicrobials to become prescription only,” said Rob McNabb, general manager of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. Some medically […] Read more


Larry Thomas

Will BIXS be part of the new sustainable beef system?

The Beef InfoXchange System has struggled to attract producers

Reading Time: 2 minutes In order for McDonald’s to sell “verified sustainable beef,” someone will have to do the verifying — but questions remain about whether the favoured candidate is up to the job. “One of the reasons that McDonald’s chose to do the (pilot) project in Canada was because of the foundations like BIXS, the environmental farm plans, […] Read more