For more than a century, irrigation and water management have supported agriculture and the ecology of Alberta’s semi-arid south. However, recurring droughts and minimal snowpack in recent years have strained the system, highlighting vulnerabilities in our water management strategies. In 2024, Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Protected Areas (EPA), Rebecca Schulz, collaborated with major water…

This fall has brought a whirlwind of legislative activity impacting agriculture, with several significant bills and reviews at both the provincial and federal levels. Provincial Legislation In Alberta, amendments to the Meat Inspection Act were introduced on October 30 by Agriculture and Irrigation Minister RJ Sigurdson. These changes aim to address illegal meat sales by…

This article was first published in Volume 4 Issue 3 of ABP Magazine (September 2024). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily. This summer has been a busy one! It has been jam-packed with events, announcements, and program development. July started with a bang and some good old-fashioned stampeding! This year’s Stampede Summit saw outstanding…

Alberta Beef Producers’ (ABP) Board of Directors convened on September 16, 2024, to establish a strategic direction for balancing conservation initiatives with the needs of cattle producers. Over the past year, ABP has received substantial feedback regarding various conservation initiatives. While the scope of these concerns varies, they largely revolve around the potential impacts on…

When you think of Mexico, you probably envision Tequila, Mariachi music, beaches and hot weather. Well, while there might not be beaches, the rest is quintessential Guadalajara, Jalisco – the birthplace of Tequila and Mariachi, and renowned for its hot climate. But what you might not have associated with this vibrant city is a cattle…

Here’s to another year of positive change in 2024! We’re crossing our fingers for high beef prices, great growing conditions, and policy that complements our industry. This fall saw the announcement of another AgriRecovery. The 2023 AgriRecovery was hard fought by both Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation and AFSC, and we are thankful for the government’s…

The cattle market is strong right now, and that’s a relief to a lot of cattle producers. But why don’t we have new producers flocking to the industry? A major barrier is the lack of effective agri-insurance. Cattle producers have managed through drought in the last five years, and that’s something current insurance options don’t…

We all hoped that 2023 would turn over a new leaf for drought in Alberta, but it has proved another difficult one. Most of the province was severely impacted by the record heat in May, and while many farms and ranches received rains in June, it was not timely enough to save hay crops. The…

Past-Chair of ABP, Melanie Wowk, witnessed both the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food and House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology regarding Bill C-235, Building a Green Prairie Economy Act. And now it’s your turn to provide your local insight! Bill C-235 calls for a framework that promotes clean economic growth…