Issues & Insights

Consumers really do eat up the idea of cattle consuming food waste. So much so, that a recent survey showed that consumers across the country seemed to warm up to the idea of beef production practices in Canada when they were related to a challenge they undertake in their homes everyday.  The survey, conducted by…

At the heart of every beef operation is her people. Those passionate and committed persons who strive to produce the best possible food. Behind the hard-working cow calf, yearling, backgrounding and cattle-feeding operators, are families and teams of employees, scientists, farmers, veterinarians and a multitude of service providers. Like most things in life, they are in integrated…

Unionized employees at Cargill will begin voting on an updated offer proposed by Cargill on Thursday. The union representing those employees, UCFW, Local 401 says that while they won’t release the exhaustive outline of the offer, in their words it includes: As much as $4,200 in retroactive pay for many Cargill union members, A $1,000…

By Curtis Galbraith, Everything Grande Prairie A Beaverlodge rancher who sits on the Alberta Beef Producers Board of Directors says feed supplies have been “stretched very thin” after the drought. Mike Nadeau says some ranchers may have to sell their cattle, with some having to ship their entire herd. “In some instances, I think there will…

According to United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), Local 401, Cargill union members voted down Cargill’s contract offer by a 98 percent margin this week. “Cargill workers have told their employer through another overwhelming vote that they matter and that they deserve something more,” said UFCW Local 401 President Thomas Hesse. “We will be…

By Tony Seskus · CBC News n the last two years, Prairie ranchers have been dealing with drought, soaring feed costs and pandemic disruptions that led to massive cattle backlogs.  Now they are watching — and hoping — for progress on labour negotiations at the Cargill meat-packing plant in High River, Alta. The union representing workers at the plant issued a strike…

By Doug Ferguson, for The Western Producer Alberta Beef Producers is facing tough decisions about its future as an advocate for ranchers and farmers because of checkoff refunds. The organization refunds almost half the check-off dollars collected from producers. Alberta Beef Producers funding reaches critical turning point “It’s having a tremendous effect on us,” said chair…

Farmers and ranchers in British Columbia are dealing with the devastation of flooding and mudslides that are causing feed and milk transportation disruptions, evacuations, and forcing some livestock owners to abandon their animals. On Tuesday, the City of Abbotsford issued an urgent notice to residents of Sumas Prairie — part of the Fraser Lowland —…

On Wednesday, United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), Local 401 served Cargill with a strike notice. “We have conducted a strike vote in accordance with the requirements of the Labour Relations Code,” reads the notice from UFCW Local 401 President Thomas Hesse. “The results of that strike vote present an overwhelming desire to engage…