Comment: The power of acknowledgement

Comment: The power of acknowledgement

We may need to drop the 'win the argument' mentality more often

Well, it sure has been a long haul with this pandemic, hasn’t it? I wonder what the world is going to look like in six months. Will we all remember how to socialize in real life once we re-emerge from these cycles of lockdowns and semi-lockdowns? Will we regain ground on the mental health front? […] Read more

(Sollio Co-operative Group video screengrab via YouTube)

Workers call strike at Olymel hog plant in Quebec

Producers urged to prioritize heavier hogs when shipping

Talks toward a new contract for unionized employees at meat packer Olymel’s hog slaughter and processing plant in Quebec’s Beauce region have ended in a strike. The Syndicat des travailleurs d’Olymel Vallee-Jonction-CSN, which represents over 1,000 staff at Vallee-Jonction, about 60 km southeast of Quebec City, called an “indefinite” strike effective Wednesday morning, the union […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Fed cattle prices see a boost

The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the May 2021 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Fed cattle Tighter front-end supplies and higher cut-out values on both sides of the border have boosted fed cattle prices. Although not climbing as rapidly as the cut-out value, the Canadian fed cattle price saw a $2/cwt increase between late March and April 9. The second week of April saw a fed steer average of […] Read more

Core biosecurity principles and accompanying practices linked to livestock production now envelop all aspects of food production, preparation, manufacturing and human health.

Planes of biosecurity

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

Simply defined, biosecurity encompasses procedures intended to protect humans and animals from disease or harmful biological agents. Animal biosecurity is a general description for measures designed to protect Canada’s animal resources from foreign and endemic infectious and parasitic disease agents at national, regional and farm levels. Many of the concepts related to biosecurity formally started […] Read more


Canadian Angus Association changes convention plans

Purely Purebred, news from the April 2021 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Due to the uncertainty in the industry and unknowns around future COVID-19 restrictions, the Canadian Angus Association board has decided to cancel the 2021 CAA Convention, scheduled to take place in Saskatoon from June 10 to 12. The 2021 CAA AGM will be moved to Angus Central, the office in Rocky View County, Alberta, with […] Read more

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland arrives to a news conference prior to delivering the budget in the House of Commons in Ottawa on April 19, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Blair Gable)

Federal budget to offer direct payments to farmers for carbon pricing

Other new 'green growth' funding also on deck

The federal government’s 2021 budget offers up new spending to support farmers combatting climate change through targeted investments — and, in some cases, direct payments. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland released the budget Monday, showing the majority of new spending will take place over three years and be largely focused on “green growth.” “Budget 2021 announces […] Read more


CME August 2021 feeder cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs down on demand concerns

'We got a little bit ahead of ourselves'

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group hog futures fell sharply for the second day in a row on Friday, with the most-active June contract sinking 2.9 per cent to its lowest since March 23. Cattle futures also were weaker, with the June live cattle contract notching its seventh straight losing session. The market was correcting […] Read more

(Assnat.qc.ca)

Set-aside funded for Quebec hog, cattle, big game producers

Feds, province pledge $21.8 million AgriRecovery plan

Farmers tending feeder hogs, fed cattle and big game animals such as elk, red deer, bison and wild boar in Quebec can expect $21.8 million in AgriRecovery to compensate for COVID-19’s drag on the province’s slaughter capacity. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and her Quebec counterpart Andre Lamontagne on Thursday announced their governments’ respective 60-40 […] Read more


A worker at Cargill’s London, Ont. chicken plant demonstrates the deboning process for a 2014 McDonald’s video on the meat used to make McNuggets. (McDonald’s Canada video screengrab via YouTube)

Cargill shuts Ontario chicken plant against COVID

Other packers being sought to take birds

Agrifood firm Cargill is seeking slaughter space for Ontario chickens at other processors after temporarily closing its London poultry packing plant Tuesday against an outbreak of COVID-19 among workers. The company said Tuesday it was “taking this step out of an abundance of caution as our local workforce deals with the community-wide impacts of COVID-19.” […] Read more

HAROLDSON’S UNITED 33D 36G.

Canadian bull wins big at Oklahoma

Purely Purebred, news from the April 2021 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Congratulations to HAROLDSON’S UNITED 33D 36G on winning Grand Champion polled Hereford bull and Supreme Champion bull at the 2021 Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City. He is the first bull calf to ever be selected for the Top 10 Bull Lineup at Canadian Western Agribition, then go on to win the Polled Hereford Show at […] Read more