Purebred Beef Spotlight: April 19, 2022
Exhibitor news
- Anchor D Ranch Simmentals celebrated a successful Genetic Edge Bull Sale, with an average of $7,730 bid on bulls and $2,550 bid on heifers. The ranch also mourned the loss of Dino.
- Carpathian Land and Livestock‘s crew did well at the Lloydminster Exhibition last month. “It was great to be out again!”
- Colgan’s Cattle Company said Jennings 37J was its high-selling bull, purchased by Skye Line Farms. Its high-selling heifer was purchased by MX Ranch. “We would like to extend an enormous thank you to all the buyers, bidders, and supporters.”
- Crooked Creek Angus said it added three breed-leading bulls to its lineup this year.
- KFC Farms has yearling purebred Speckle Park bulls for sale.
- McAleer Ranching said its high-selling yearling bull will be making its way to Fleetwood Speckle Park in Ontario.
- Merit Cattle Co. celebrated a successful sale last month, with 83 bulls selling for an average of $8,017.
- Riverside Angus is selling a group of purebred angus heifers via private treaty due to pasture shortage.
- Robertson West Livestock shared a quick video of its Galloway and crossbred calves feeding. It has a small group of Galloway-influenced replacement heifers, as well as a couple of purebred heifers, available.
- Shiloh Cattle Company said it has ramped up its bull battery this spring with new Junior Herd Sires for its breeding program. It also thanked buyers and bidders in its eighth annual sale. “Your continued support and confidence in our breeding program means the world to us.”
- Ty-D Livestock said it has three younger bulls it is looking to sell privately.
- Wilbar Cattle Co. said its bulls averaged $8,100 at last month’s Tools of the Trade bill sale.
Sales and shows
Beef news
- Dr. Melanie Wowk has been re-elected chair of Alberta Beef Producers. Jason Hale will serve as vice-chair. New board members this year include Nanita Blomquist, George L’Heureux, Jay Hager, and Gary These.
- Reg Schellenberg has stepped in as president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association following Bob Lowe’s retirement. He spoke with RealAgriculture about the key challenges ahead as well as what he’s most looking forward to in the role.
- Fawn Jackson, director of policy and international affairs at the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said the federal budget includes increased investment in resilient supply chains as well as a commitment to continue investing in the Canadian Agriculture Partnership.
- Researchers at several universities across Alberta have partnered to create the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) One Health Consortium to conduct studies on Alberta beef and dairy cattle on antimicrobial use and resistance. “As veterinarians, we want to be able to treat animals with antibiotics when they have these infections and get sick,” said Herman Barkema, scientific director of AMR.
- A four-year-long study on the spread of invasive wild pigs in Alberta will include Alberta Beef Producers and Alberta Pork as collaborators. “We’re trying to understand first at a very broad scale where wild pigs are going to spread, what are they going to get into, how will they overlap with beef and swine production,” said University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine professor Dr. Mathieu Pruvot, who is leading the research project.
- A training program targeted at feedlot employees led by veterinarian Dr. Joyce Van Donkersgoed through the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association aims to help address the shortage of employees in the industry. Training videos are expected to start rolling out this summer.
- Alberta’s unique climate and geography, rich grain industry, and “incredible cattle farmers and ranchers who are constantly evolving” all contribute to Alberta’s renown as a producer of beef, reports Eat North.
- The White Lake Hutterite Colony is trying different combinations of forage species to be used as cover crops and fall/winter grazing for cattle. Cattle manager Jerry Hofer said oats grown in combination with another forage species are best for the land and cattle.
- Karin Schmid, beef production and extension lead with the Alberta Beef Producers, recommends that producers avoid grazing early this spring and think about lengthening recovery periods, in order to deal with the effects of last year’s drought.
- A new documentary called Too Close to Home from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association highlights the potential role that cattle can play in the mitigation of wildfires.
- The grand champion steer at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo sold for a record-breaking $1 million last month. The previous record, set in 2019, was $625,000.
- Steve Lee, founder of the Three Percent Project, travelled across Canada and connected with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association which helped him meet beef producers. “I think that it’s important for Canadians to understand that the Canadian beef industry is not one huge monolith industry that’s kind of out there to get me. They’re very much small, individual family enterprises that are trying to make ends meet,” Lee said. “I think that came as a shock to me.”
- Beef demand appears to be somewhat software compared to January, reports Jerry Klassen. “Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range $272-$275 during the second week of March, relatively unchanged from 30 days earlier,” he wrote.
Ag news
- Avian influenza has been detected recently in poultry flocks across southern Alberta as well as into Saskatchewan, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced over the long weekend. Karen Kirkwood, executive director of Alberta Chicken Producers, said Alberta has activated its provincial poultry emergency management team. “It’s unpredictable. It’s something we’ve never had. We’ve never had avian influenza in our province before,” she said. At least 166,000 farm birds have died or been culled in “an unprecedented year” for the spread of avian flu. “It’s a little stressful right now,” said Jeff Notenbomer, chairman of Alberta Hatching Egg Producers.
- Lloydminster Agricultural Exhibition Association announced its Spring Rare and Exotic Sale, scheduled for April 23, has been cancelled due to an Animal Health Control Area Order issued in Saskatchewan.
- The provincial government announced that wild boar damage is now included in the Wildlife Damage Compensation Program administered by the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation. The new Wild Boar Control Program aims to eliminate the destructive pest’s threat to crops, livestock, and the environment.
- Team Alberta Crops, which began as a partnership between Alberta Barley, Alberta Canola, Alberta Pulse Growers, and Alberta Wheat has welcomed four new members: Alberta Beekeepers Commission, Alberta Seed Growers, Alberta Sugar Beet Growers, and Potato Growers of Alberta.
- The federal government has announced $376,200 in funding for the Canadian Produce Marketing Association under the Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program, to support the transition towards more sustainable food and produce packaging. The announcement was made at CPMA’s annual convention and trade show which had more than 3,600 registrants and exhibitors from more than 270 companies.
- Canadian Western Agribition announced an operating loss of $321,000 from its 2021 event, the 50th edition. CEO Chris Lane and president Chris Lees are both departing this year. The 2022 event is scheduled to run Nov. 28 to Dec. 3 in Regina.
- RBC’s latest agricultural forecast suggests that farmers are feeling good about the next 12 months though a regional director for the Alberta Barley Commission cautioned that outlooks may vary drastically across the Prairie provinces.
- The latest annual food report from Farm Credit Canada found that Canada’s food manufacturing sales increased 14.8% to more than $125 billion in 2021, the strongest year-over-year sales growth since 1992.
- Lakeland College has signed a student transfer agreement with the University of Alberta to allow diploma graduates to transfer into the bachelor of science in agriculture degree program. More than 550 students are currently enrolled in Lakeland’s ag programs.
- Dr. Brenda Ralston, a livestock research scientist at Lakeland College, is the recipient of Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) 2022 Award of Distinction. “As a result of her contributions, the way we think of pain in cattle has changed and now pain mitigation is common practice on farms and ranches across the province and the country,” said her colleague Dr. Denis Nagel.
- United Farmers of Alberta and Olds College announced Styn Nieuwenhuis as the winner of the 2022 UFA Student Pitch Competition. Students were asked to submit a business model canvas and pitch deck for an innovative ag idea.
- United Farmers of Alberta has announced an $18 million patronage dividend, the fifth consecutive year of increased patronage and a 27% increase over last year.
- Ducks Unlimited has published a new wetland field guide to help Albertans identify, understand, and protect wetlands in the province. The field guide offers 24 detailed fact sheets for each wetland class, form, and type by verifying the landscape, soil, water, chemistry, and vegetation characteristics for each wetland class.
- Ducks Unlimited is expanding the Marginal Areas Program across Alberta to support grain farmers. The program pays farmers a financial incentive of $125 per acre to seed areas to forage on their farm where they’re realizing a negative return on investment. “When we include mixed natural areas on the landscape, we all benefit from resulting carbon storage, biodiversity, increased soil retention, and water filtration,” said Janine Paly, agricultural programs and extension specialist in Alberta.
- Olds College has received a $2 million donation from residents Bob and Carollyne Collier, which will support the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology (WSAT) and give students opportunities to access conferences, courses, and more. The funds will also support applied research at the Olds College Smart Farm.
- The Agriculture Financial Services Corporation has welcomed three new members to its board of directors: Andre Harpe, Michael Howden, and Ross Bricker.
- The federal government announced changes to the Advance Payments Program to increase cashflow to producers this spring as they deal with high input costs caused by disrupted supply chains, the war in Ukraine, and the pandemic.
- Realizing the Potential for Agtech in Alberta is a report recently prepared for the Alberta government by SVG Ventures | THRIVE in partnership with Olds College and the United Farmers of Alberta. The report positions Alberta as well-poised to be a global agtech leader and recommends a program that would allow small farms to access new tech through leasing or subscription programs, thereby increasing their adoption rates, the Western Producer reports.
- The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair announced that after a two-year in-person hiatus, the event will take place at Toronto’s Exhibition Place from Nov. 4-13, showcasing “the very best in Canadian agriculture, local food and equine excellence – just as it has done since the first Fair opened its doors in 1922.”
Other events
Opportunities and invitations
« Round-Up – March 2022
FFI 2022 to Host Champion of The World Winners »
