Issues & Insights

This is the first article in a two-part series. The second part will be posted on ABP Daily mid-February. There’s plenty of consumer trends for the beef industry to keep an eye on, according to Nourish Food Marketing’s latest trend report. This year’s trends were presented by Nourish President Jo-Ann McArthur in a webinar hosted…

Despite growing awareness of mental health in the agriculture community, stigma is still a barrier to finding support. The 2019 Report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food found that 45 per cent of Canadian farmers were experiencing high levels of stress. However, 45 per cent stated that even if they needed help they…

The cancellation of AFSC’s Satellite Yield Insurance program is among the corporation’s changes to its insurance products for 2023. AFSC announced on January 18 that due to technical challenges it would no longer be offering Satellite Yield Insurance, and that producers who have used this coverage in the past would be able to move easily…

Protecting Canada from the threat of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) requires constant vigilance. For the livestock sector, this threat is serious and would have devastating consequences on the Canadian beef industry and our economy. FMD is a highly contagious viral infection of cloven-hoofed animals including cattle, pigs, and sheep. Canada remains FMD free, but…

The assessment process required to hire temporary foreign workers in Canada is moving online this spring. Canadian employers hiring under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program are required to first submit an Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application to Service Canada. As of April 3, 2023, this application process will be available online only. Employers applying…

A new pilot project is underway to better facilitate interprovincial food trade in the city of Lloydminster. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is working with the Alberta and Saskatchewan governments to eliminate difficulties relating to moving food from both provinces into and within Lloydminster. “We are excited to see this pilot, not only as…

Tips for wintering replacement heifers One of the most illogical things we do as beef producers is overfeed or pamper our heifers through their first winter in hopes more will become pregnant in the spring. Then we say, “Oh, by the way… don’t expect to be spoiled like that ever again!” and we are genuinely…

By Alberta Farmer Express staff The Canadian Cattle Association is hailing Ottawa’s plan to boost trade with the Indo-Pacific region. About 20 per cent of beef exports already head to the region, with Japan, China, South Korea, Vietnam and Hong Kong being the top markets. The prospects for increasing beef exports are good, it said. “The…

By Alberta Farmer Express staff Cattle producers in foothill country in southwestern Alberta are being asked to look out for — and help protect — the iconic but endangered limber pine. “The rugged, twisted trees usually grow on dry, rocky ridges and are thought to be some of the oldest trees in Canada,” the Whitebark…

Grocery bills have been Canadians’ top concern for five years in a row, according to research conducted by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI). Although this may not come as a surprise in 2022, CCFI’s most recent public trust research indicates that the cost of food is even more worrying to consumers now than…