“We realized at some point in time, way back last spring, we’re all producing one thing, and that’s food, and we’d better start talking the same language. – Bob Lowe.

Focusing on the future while facing a pandemic

CCA president Bob Lowe reflects on the trials and silver linings of a tumultuous year

When Bob Lowe was elected president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) in March 2020, he couldn’t have anticipated everything the year ahead had in store. Mere days after CCA’s annual general meeting, Canada was in lockdown due to the pandemic, changing the trajectory of everyone’s year and presenting numerous challenges to the Canadian food […] Read more

File photo of hogs in transit near Red Deer, Alta. (Stefonlinton/iStock/Getty Images)

Alberta hog farmers to get set-aside via AgriRecovery

Producers get funds for feeding held-back market hogs

An AgriRecovery plan announced Friday is set to pay eligible Alberta farmers 95 cents per day per market-ready hog toward the animals’ upkeep during the shutdown of the province’s biggest hog slaughter plant. Olymel, the meat packing arm of Sollio Co-operative, reopened its plant at Red Deer this week after announcing Feb. 15 it would […] Read more


(Sollio Co-operative Group video screengrab via YouTube)

Olymel restarting hog slaughter at Red Deer

Work to resume at pork plant this week

Meat packer Olymel plans to restart slaughter operations Thursday at one of Canada’s largest hog plants following a major outbreak of COVID-19 among employees. Olymel, an arm of Sollio Co-operative, said late Wednesday it had recalled “employees that are needed to ensure that the gradual restarting of operations goes smoothly” at its Red Deer, Alta. […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Beef cattle sector weighs in for federal food processing study

Cattlemen's Association makes recommendations to Commons' ag committee

The House of Commons’ standing committee on agriculture will soon be wrapping up its study into Canada’s processing capacity. Since November, MPs have heard from more than 50 witnesses on the matter — including representatives from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, whose president Bob Lowe and executive vice-president Dennis Laycraft testified at a committee meeting Tuesday. […] Read more



Aaron Birch and Joe Barnett — co-owners of Twin View Livestock near the southern Saskatchewan hamlet of Parkbeg — have been helping clients adjust to buying and selling cattle online since the COVID-19 pandemic hit early in 2020.

2020 was ground zero for online cattle marketing, say producers

How two purebred cattle operations used social media to weather the COVID-19 pandemic storm

As long as most people can remember, live cattle shows and auctions have been essential to the cattle industry. They’re not only a key way for cattle producers to market their product, but they also offer plenty of opportunities to socialize with other cattlemen and women, trade production secrets and — maybe just occasionally — […] Read more


Tom Vilsack speaks to farmers at a rural agricultural co-operative at Guira de Melena in Cuba on Nov. 13, 2015. (Photo: Reuters/Alexandre Meneghini)

U.S. Senate confirms Vilsack as Biden’s ag secretary

Pandemic leaves USDA 'a lot of work to do'

Reuters — The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Tom Vilsack to head the Department of Agriculture, returning the former Iowa governor to the job he held under ex-President Barack Obama. The 100-member Senate approved Vilsack 92-7. He needed a simple majority in the Democratic-controlled chamber to be confirmed. As secretary of the sprawling department, Vilsack […] Read more

(Bob_bosewell/iStock/Getty Images)

Budget could include new BRM program, ag labour plan

Proposal for 'AgriResilience' program goes to Freeland

A new pre-budget report from the House of Commons’ finance committee is recommending several measures directly related to agriculture — including sought-after tweaks to AgriStability and creation of an entirely new business risk management program. The multipartisan committee heard testimony and received submissions from more than 800 groups and individuals. Mostly-virtual meetings took place in […] Read more


CME April 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle end week lower

Hogs down on Olymel's plan to ship Canadian hogs south

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rose on Friday, but failed to end the week higher as a cold snap across the U.S. Plains and into Texas hampered slaughterhouses and backed up cattle, traders said. “There’s still a big mess,” said Dennis Smith, commodity broker at Archer Financial. “The good news is, the […] Read more

File photo of hogs in transit near Red Deer, Alta. (Stefonlinton/iStock/Getty Images)

Olymel shipping backlogged hogs to U.S.

Company-owned hogs to go south after COVID closes Red Deer plant

Winnipeg | Reuters — Olymel said Friday it was shipping pigs to the United States to help clear a backlog of hogs after it had to temporarily close its Red Deer, Alta. slaughter plant because of a coronavirus outbreak. Olymel shut the plant on Wednesday and declared force majeure — unforeseeable circumstances that prevent contract […] Read more