Issues & Insights

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…

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…

2022 will be remembered as a year of near record high fall calf prices, but also a time when auction market owners were watching some looming clouds on the horizon. Not enough clouds, at least of the rain-filled type, showed up to save southern regions of the province from a third straight drought year. Ranchers…

By Dylana Twittey, The Gateway – The Official Student Publication at the University of Alberta Research by a University of Alberta professor aims to help combat high levels of stress, depression and suicide in Alberta’s farming and agriculture industry. The research is being done by Rebecca Purc-Stephenson, a professor in the department of social sciences…

By University of Saskatchewan A University of Saskatchewan (USask) beef cattle specialist at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) has launched a new podcast that gives listeners a Canadian perspective on beef cattle health and nutrition. Dr. John Campbell (DVM), whose research interests include beef cattle and health management, posted the first episode of…

Summer’s over and the bulls are ready for their winter off. They’ve made their contribution to production and can be off the active ranch radar. But the time has come to look beyond their seasonal service, to see if there’s room for management improvement. “We think about bulls getting semen tested in the spring, and…