Issues & Insights

Drifting smoke caused by massive wildfires has been a greater problem in Alberta this summer than ever before. We spoke to veterinarian Dr. Roy Lewis about how inhaling smoke might be affecting beef herd health. Following a record-breaking wildfire season in Canada, in which as much as two million hectares of land were destroyed in…

After facing a third year of drought across much of Alberta, producers are getting creative in the search for alternative feed options. Here are some ideas to help beef cattle survive – if not thrive – through another difficult year. Continuing dry weather is translating into a tight feed supply again this fall. By mid-August,…

By Melissa Bezan, Canadian Cattlemen British Columbia is the epitome of “land” with all its different landscapes — the rolling hills that turn into snow-capped mountains, the rainforests in the south and boreal forests in the north, the salty beaches on the coast and prairie near the Alberta border. This land is important to so many…

The Honourable RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, is reaching out to Alberta’s livestock producers to share an update of his efforts to support those impacted by dry conditions. “Alberta livestock producers have faced significant challenges as a result of dry conditions,” he wrote online. “I am urgently pursuing a Canada-Alberta joint response to…

By Dr. Rebecca Purc-Stephenson for the Alberta Farm Mental Health Network We’ve all felt anxious at one point or another in our lives. It’s a very normal reaction to stress. It’s feeling worried, panicked, fearful, and uneasy about a future concern. We might even feel faint, sweaty like our heart is racing, or we have…

By Paula Duhatschek, CBC Calgary Inside an agricultural exhibition building at the Calgary Stampede, kids practise rotating cattle through different areas of pasture, earning “carbon points” as they go if they can avoid under- or overgrazing the land. They’re playing Guardians of the Grasslands, a computer game that was produced with funding from a government grant program, the charitable arm…

Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) is standing with the Canadian Pork Council, the Canadian Cattle Association, and the Canadian Meat Council in opposition to the Government of Canada’s agreement to include the United Kingdom (UK) in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Under current trade agreements, the UK does not accept Canada’s animal…

Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) is offering temporary livestock water assistance for producers facing water shortages due to drought conditions. This program is available to any livestock and poultry producers in urgent need of water. If you require help to find an alternative water source, contact your EPA district office or call the Water…

By Kate Helmore, The Globe and Mail Rachel Herbert spent the past few days fixing up her water pump. The water in her well was barely reaching it. The surrounding streams had slowed to a trickle, or were bone dry. Her cattle ranch, Trail’s End Beef, is located in Nanton, Alta., a community that has received a…

AFSC is adjusting the low yield allowance for 2023 to encourage farmers to put more poor-quality crops towards livestock feed.  For 2023, AFSC is doubling the low yield threshold to allow for additional cereal or pulse crops to be salvaged for livestock feed. For example, the barley crop threshold will be increased from 150 to…