Issues & Insights

By Brittany Ekelund, Alberta Farmer Express Nearly three years after the province tried, and failed, to open the Eastern Slopes to coal mining, this iconic piece of Alberta is still under threat, say those who live and work there. “We have to make sure that this land is going to continue for generations,” said Laura Laing,…

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…

The Province of Alberta is in the process of tackling current barriers to reliable rural internet. The Alberta Broadband Strategy, an ambitious four-year project, has set out to provide quality high-speed internet access to Alberta’s rural, remote and Indigenous communities, with a goal of reaching 100 per cent connectivity by 2027. “We all know that…

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…