Issues & Insights

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…

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…

By CTV News Edmonton Animals were the star of the show this weekend, with Alberta beef cattle getting pampered and paraded at one of Canada’s top agricultural shows. Farmfair International is Alberta’s largest beef cattle show, and it kicked off Wednesday at the Edmonton Expo Centre. This year’s event is the largest since 2017, with…

The Animal Health Emergency Management (AHEM) project has recently released its new resource, Emergency Response Procedures for NON-DISEASE RELATED EMERGENCIES. The 10-page document was developed to provide producers and animal caregivers with guidance on preparing for and responding to: You can view, download, and print the new resource by visiting www.animalhealth.ca/resources. 

In June, Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) aligned with cattle producers and organizations across the country calling on Health Canada to exempt ground beef from the proposed front-of-package (FOP) regulations. As part of the Government of Canada’s Healthy Eating Strategy, proposed labelling regulations included a requirement for ground beef sold at retail to carry a “high…

Producers still dealing with drought fallout, but looking ahead to better days By Alexis Kienlen, Alberta Farmer Express Cattle producers are feeling cautiously hopeful, thanks to June and July rains. “It’s a sigh of huge relief, as least what I experienced in this area — it’s just a burden of worry lifted,” said Fred Lozeman,…

The Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture announced the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership following their Annual Meeting. This five-year agreement, in principle, will see $500 million in new funds, increasing the cost-shared portion of funding by 25 percent. Ministers agreed to improve Business Risk Management (BRM) programs, with a raise to the AgriStability compensation…