It was a very lofty week for live cattle futures, as February and April contracts crossed $200 per contract for the first time. Driven by tightening supplies and strong demand by consumers around the world, beef has seen exceptional price appreciation. "Cash cattle markets traded above $200 average last week for the first time ever,"... Read More
Category: Livestock
If Denver's National Western Stock Show is the Super Bowl of cattle shows, then Harvie Ranching at Olds, Alta is coming home with a Super Bowl ring. As Jill Harvie discusses in the interview below, the ranch's Hereford bulls took the National Champion Carload honours at the show held this week, after coming in as... Read More
DeLaval has launched a new series of milking automation control systems designed to meet the evolving needs of dairy farmers milking in parlour systems. The Sweden-based milking equipment maker says the new control systems will deliver higher levels of connectivity, flexibility and performance, helping producers optimize their operations with features such as real-time data insights,... Read More
The microbiomes of animals, on and in crops, and in soil and water are incredibly complex that are intricately interconnected, with each influencing the others in various ways. Dr. Tim McAllister, principal research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, has spent nearly a decade studying microbiomes, referring to them as the one health microbiome or... Read More
The Dairy Processing Modernization Initiative is a joint Canada-Ontario program with a total funding availability of $7.18 million through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The initiative is over 90 per cent subscribed, but that means that applications are still being accepted for the remaining funding. To date, 70 projects across Ontario have been funded. Projects... Read More
Grazing corn is becoming increasingly more common. So is grazing cover crops. But what happens when you put the two together? How wide should the corn rows be in order to make space for the cover crop? And is this a profitable way of farming? Byron Long of Long Family Farm at Barrhead County, Alberta... Read More
Strong and high prices across the board was the story in the cattle markets this week. In the southern U.S., trade remains steady at $2.01. Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock Exchange highlights that this is the first time she has reported prices at this level on the Beef Market Update. Nebraska markets are steady to... Read More
Imports into Canada of animals and animal products susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) from Germany have been suspended until further notice, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), after confirmation of the disease in a herd of water buffalo near Berlin last week. Germany's beef and pork, along with milk and milk products, are... Read More
Cover crops are all the not-quite-so-new rage and the process of integrating them into current agricultural systems has been gaining ground (pun intended). Seeding multiple species in a field can do some fantastic things for the land, such as enhance water holding capacity, improve soil biodiversity, provide added resistance to pests and disease, and improve... Read More
Southwestern Ontario is home to some of Canada’s most productive farmland, and a "perfect storm" of low interest rates, stretches of high commodity prices and relatively good weather have driven farmland prices to dizzying heights in the region. Ryan Parker from London, Ont.- based Valco Real Estate Appraisers & Consultants, which produces an annual survey... Read More