ABP Magazine

Spring is always one of the best times of year in this business. Calving is underway, seed is going into the ground, and there’s a sense of momentum heading into the grazing season. This year, that momentum also includes a few policy wins worth noting. Strychnine is back in 2026! After its approval was pulled…

Between calving, bull sales, breeding season and getting cows out to pasture, spring is always a busy time. Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) has also been active on some key issues and policies over the last few months. Many producers have been asking about the planned withdrawal of ABP from the Canadian Cattle Association. Prior to…

Short documentary Homes on the Range reaches Canadians’ screens Beef cattle farmers and ranchers manage some of the most critical wildlife habitat in Canada. By grazing cattle, these producers help maintain intact grassland ecosystems for wildlife to thrive. To recognize this environmental benefit of raising Canadian beef, the Public and Stakeholder Engagement (PSE) program released its newest…

The leptin gene in mammals is called the obese gene and was first discovered in mice.  This gene produces a protein/hormone created by fat cells. The hormone signals the brain to regulate hunger and body weight, and is often called the “satiety hormone” because it helps you feel full and tells your body it has…

Agrivoltaics may be at the ‘tip of the iceberg’ stage in Alberta, but examining the concept ‘below the surface’ is well underway. The term is new to the vocabulary for many in agriculture but it simply means the dual-purpose use of land – for both solar energy and agricultural production. It turns out the two…

What’s Changing and Why Over the past three years, grazing lease rental rates have climbed sharply. While record calf prices certainly played a role, much of the increase was driven by problems baked into the rental rate formula itself. The formula was doing exactly what it was designed to do — but in today’s market,…

The National Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) is seeing a concerning trend: unauthorized construction at confined feeding operations has increased significantly. Complaints have increased by approximately 32 per cent from 2024, and enforcement actions have jumped by about 125 per cent. Under Alberta’s Agricultural Operation Practices Act (AOPA), it is illegal to begin construction of a…

Over the past several decades, reproductive technologies like artificial insemination and embryo transfer have gained popularity in the beef industry by allowing producers to magnify the impact of high-profile genetics. Lately, the suite of reproductive services has evolved to offer cloning as another option for producers to further their use of top performing cattle.  While…

ABP’s producer-led Research Committee once again invested producer check off dollars into research in 2025 to improve the competitiveness, sustainability, and profitability of beef producers. In this funding cycle, proposals were considered through the Agriculture Funding Consortium and Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund. Each proposal undergoes a scientific technical review and then are evaluated by the…