While new to Canada, the strain of tuberculosis bacteria which infected the Alberta cow at the centre of a bovine TB probe has been seen before in Mexico. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Wednesday reported the strain of Mycobacterium bovis found in a southeastern Alberta cow is “closely related” to a strain originating from […] Read more

Bovine TB strain of Mexican origin in Alberta probe

High-energy berries and bears go together
News Roundup from the October 24, 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
With its rustic small mountain towns, postcard-perfect vistas, British Columbia’s East Kootenay region has an undeniable lure for outdoor enthusiasts of all varieties — and the appeal extends beyond ski bums and hikers. The resource-rich Elk Valley is also a highly desirable home for wildlife like grizzly bears which are drawn to the area’s bountiful […] Read more
MPs hear about GMO technology in the beef industry
News Roundup from the October 24, 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Last month, the chair of the Beef Cattle Research Council — feedlot operator Brian Thiessen — and executive director Andrea Brocklebank spoke to the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee studying genetically modified animals for human consumption. While noting that GMO technology has had very limited practical application in beef cattle to date, Brocklebank said that may change […] Read more

Sobeys locks in Atlantic Beef for P.E.I.
News Roundup from the October 24, 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Maritime producers received a shot in the arm recently with the announcement that after 18 months of negotiations Sobeys is now offering Island View beef as its “primary” beef brand in the 13 stores it supplies across Prince Edward Island. P.E.I.’s lone Atlantic Beef Products plant is ramping up its slaughter and processing capacity in […] Read more

Ritchie Bros. buys Saskatchewan’s Kramer Auctions
One of the Prairies’ major farm auction houses has become part of the world’s biggest industrial auction firm. Vancouver-based Ritchie Bros. announced Tuesday it has bought Kramer Auctions of North Battleford, Sask. for an undisclosed sum. The company, set up in 1949 by the late Eiling Kramer, today runs about 75 on-farm dispersal auctions, four […] Read more

Barley research gets a boost
News Roundup from the October 24, 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
The barley breeding program at the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre (CDC) received a boost of $2.4 million over five years from barley growers across the Prairies. The commitment was announced in September by the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) and three provincial commissions — Alberta Barley, SaskBarley and the Manitoba Wheat and Barley […] Read more

Monsanto to bring DuPont corn treatment to East
A DuPont insecticide will be rolled into use next spring in Eastern Canada as a seed treatment on Monsanto’s DeKalb corn. The two companies on Tuesday announced they will market DuPont’s Lumivia insecticide seed treatment in Eastern Canada on seed corn for the 2017 sales season, as part of Monsanto’s Acceleron Seed Applied Solutions offerings. […] Read more

First soy seed treatment cleared against SDS
A Bayer CropScience fungicide is being pressed into service against sudden death syndrome (SDS) in Canadian soybeans. Bayer on Monday launched a new soybean seed treatment dubbed ILeVO, a suspension containing its Group 7 fungicide fluopyram at a rate of 600 grams per litre. ILeVO will be the first soybean seed treatment registered for use […] Read more

Bovine TB quarantines push into Saskatchewan
Two farms in southwestern Saskatchewan have been added to the list of those under federal quarantine as inspectors widen their search for cattle exposed to a new-to-Canada strain of bovine tuberculosis (TB). As of Thursday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it had “approximately 33” farms in Alberta and two in Saskatchewan under quarantine. The […] Read more
History: Calgary’s 1950 bull sale
Reprinted from the April 1950 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Calgary’s 1950 Bull Sale By Lorne Stout, Calgary, Alta. Calgary’s Golden Anniversary Spring Bull Show and Sale more than lived up to its golden expectations, for an all-time record 1,162 Sires were sold in four busy days by the five auctioneers and while average prices were lower, the total value of $653,101.63 was within a […] Read more