President Donald Trump revived the U.S. agriculture industry's hopes of participating in the trade deal now known as CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) on Thursday, but until there's concrete action showing he's serious, U.S. farmers and CPTPP member countries, including Canada, should not get too excited. The president is well aware that... Read More
Category: Livestock
Look for more Canadian milk to be passing though Kiwi-made milking parlours in the years ahead. That's according to New Zealand-based Waikato Milking Systems' CEO Dean Bell, who brought his company to Stratford, ON, this month to exhibit for the first time at the Canadian Dairy XPO. The New Zealand dairy industry currently supplies one-third... Read More
A former senior advisor for a Canadian trade minister has published a report that will raise some eyebrows and counter a common narrative surrounding Canadian dairy and the supply management system. The study, published last week by a new Ottawa-based trade firm called Export Action Global, found Canadians don't pay more for comparable dairy products... Read More
Canada's national cattle producer organization now includes representation from Quebec's provincial cattle producer organization. Les Producteurs de bovins du Québec (PBQ) has officially become a member of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA), announced PBQ chair Claude Viel, alongside the CCA's Dan Darling and John Masswohl, at the provincial group's annual general assembly in Quebec City... Read More
Recently, a dairy company out of Wisconsin rolled out its latest marketing campaign, claiming "Organic grass-fed milk is more nutritious. It's science." Well, there is good scientific evidence that the composition of milk from cows fed dry hay or fresh forage is higher in omega-3 fatty acids versus cows fed ensiled feed. But, does the... Read More
Whether we're talking calving or barbecuing, it's not ideal when temperatures are 20 degrees below their seasonal normal. The delayed onset of spring is not doing ranchers any favours, with calves hitting the ground in difficult conditions this spring (if we can call it that). At the same time, with large cattle supplies hitting the... Read More
Milk cooler sales can tell you a lot about the state of the North American milk industry. As U.S. dairy farmers continue to struggle with low prices resulting from oversupply of fluid milk, sales of cooling systems reflect these challenging times in the marketplace. Mike Kelley, regional sales manager for Mueller Dairy Farm Equipment, says... Read More
HyLife Foods celebrated the expansion of its hog processing plant in Neepawa, MB, this week — an expansion that has been driven by growing demand for Canadian pork in Japan and China. The La Broquerie-based company has added 100,000 square feet to the facility, including new cutting floor space, a shipping/packaging area, and more cooling... Read More
Have you got a great idea for the next big thing for chicken? Chicken Farmers of Ontario on Wednesday announced the Ontario Chicken Innovation and Growth Program to "accelerate consumer-facing product innovation and stimulate growth in the Ontario chicken industry." Rob Dougans, president and CEO, Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO), says, "Our goal is simple:... Read More
Livestock traceability requirements for sheep are about to get much more involved across Canada. While sheep producers have long been required to tag sheep ahead of movement, actual tracking of livestock movement has only needed to be recorded, not reported. That is going to change very soon, and there is concern that the existing infrastructure... Read More