Checking in with ABP

ABP is pleased to welcome Samuel Vriend, who joins the organization as Wildlife Policy Advisor starting in January 2026. In this role, Vriend will advance beef producers’ priorities related to wildlife policy, working closely with ABP’s Government Relations & Policy and Beef Production & Extension teams. Samuel Vriend will represent ABP on key industry and…

Alberta fed cattle prices have been on an upward swing since mid-December. Weighted average prices were around $3.00/cwt stronger than mid-December, when prices were last published. Dressed sales were ranging from $497.00–500.50/cwt FOB the feedlot, with immediate to first half of February delivery. Buying interest was noted from all Western Canadian packers. Since the first…

Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) is recommending that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) halt the finalization of the upcoming federal traceability regulation changes to allow for additional, meaningful consultation with producers. While public consultation occurred in 2023, ABP believes further review is necessary to ensure traceability can be effectively and consistently implemented at the farm…

Andrea Brocklebank will become the Canadian Cattle Association’s (CCA) Chief Executive Officer in early March. Brocklebank currently serves as Executive Director for Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), a division of the CCA. CCA President Tyler Fulton made the announcement today, citing Brocklebank’s proven track record of strategic decisions and collaboration as critical skills that will…

Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) is preparing for the 2026 resolution cycle, and producers will again have the opportunity to bring forward local issues, ideas, and priorities that help shape ABP’s work for the year ahead. Resolutions 101 Producer resolutions are one of the most important ways cattle producers can influence the work of Alberta Beef…

When Curtis Vander Heyden of Picture Butte’s Grandview Cattle Feeders Ltd. attended Lethbridge County’s Stock Talks in October, he was prepared to discuss some of the challenges his family’s operation faces but did not expect immediate action. “I did attend the Lethbridge County Stock Talks and it led to the operations manager Ryan Thomson, reaching…

The World Meat Congress, held in Cuiabá, Brazil, in late October, provided a powerful and timely global perspective on the forces shaping the future of the animal protein sector to more than 600 meat industry leaders. Hosted by the International Meat Secretariat, the World Meat Congress focused on the global structural shift underway in how…

After years of planning and preparation, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is expecting to publish the final version of proposed amendments to Part XV of the Health of Animals Act in 2026.  To help clarify what’s coming and what it means for you, we’ve compiled a few answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we’re hearing.  Will I have to change when I tag cattle?   There is no required…

A robust and effective traceability system finds a balance in technical reporting and practicality.  Traceability is the ability to follow the movement of an animal or food product through different stages of the supply chain. The ability to track livestock through their lifecycle relies on three pillars: premise identification (PID), animal identification, and animal movement….

Between mid-October and the first week of November, the nearby feeder cattle futures contract dropped almost $56 per cwt. Statements by the Trump administration that beef prices are too high, followed by intentions to increase the tariff rate quota for beef imported from Argentina; a plan to increase the U.S. cattle herd; discussions between U.S….