The United States is in a “huge fiscal hole,” and the greenback is set to plunge, sending the loonie soaring above parity, according to a prominent Canadian economist. “We think the loonie is going to fly high and probably break through par,” said Glen Hodgson, senior vice-president and chief economist of the Conference Board of
Dollar Strong Going Forward, Says Economist – for Aug. 26, 2010
Beef Still A Top Choice For Consumers – for Aug. 26, 2010
Pop stars may sneer that “beef stinks,” but beef is still on the menu in 96 per cent of Canadian households and for 93 per cent of individuals, the Beef Information Centre says. “That compares fairly closely with chicken, which scored 98 per cent on households and 97 on an individual basis,” said Beef Information
BIC To Merge With Cbef – for Aug. 26, 2010
Faced with declining checkoff dollars, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association is looking to merge two of its marketing arms together. The roles of the Canadian Beef Export Federation (CBEF) and the Beef Information Council (BIC) are currently under review with an eye on cutting costs, according to Brad Wildeman, former head of the CCA who is
BIXS System Ready For Prime Time – for Aug. 26, 2010
CALGARY Ranchers who wondered why they bothered to put RFID tags in their calves’ ears every spring will soon find out the reason. After extensive beta-testing by computer-savvy ranchers this summer, the online record-keeping system called the BIXS, or Beef InfoXchange System, will be ready for launch for the cow-calf sector by September of this
CCA Updating Its Beef Code Of Practice – for Aug. 26, 2010
Beef is going the way of dairy, in terms of having an updated, codified system of best practices, according to Ryder Lee, a Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) staffer who serves on the group’s animal-care committee. “I think beef will be the next code on the list,” said Lee, at the CCA’s semi-annual meeting last week.
Certified Livestock Transport Training To Go National – for Aug. 26, 2010
Efforts are underway to gain industry funding and support for a national program to certify livestock transporters. Currently, existing Certified Livestock Transport training programs first developed in Alberta are being run all the way from British Columbia to Quebec, according to Lorna Baird, executive director of the Alber ta Farm Animal Care (AFAC), an organization
BIC Clarifies Marketing Stance – for Aug. 26, 2010
The Beef Information Centre has clarified its policy regarding support for regional and provincial marketing initiatives. In a BIC committee meeting, members agreed in principle to accept a new draft guideline that states the centre will provide promotional materials and technical support for “buy local” and public relations campaigns and shows, provided that they do
BIXS cattle ID system soon to go live
After extensive beta-testing by computer-savvy ranchers this summer, the online record-keeping system called the BIXS, or Beef InfoXchange System, will be ready for launch for the cow-calf sector by September of this year, says Larry Thomas, national co-ordinator for the CCA’s Canadian Beef Advantage program. “The countdown to the BIXS launch has begun,” said Thomas
Meeting 2011 Traceability Deadline Unlikely – for Aug. 19, 2010
The odds of meeting the 2011 deadline for implementing a nationwide gate-to-plate traceability scheme don’t look good. Industry sources say problems with hardware and software are hindering progress in developing an effective system to scan RFID tags on cattle moving through auction marts, and generally, government has been slow to provide the money to back
Cost Of Solar Systems Coming Down – for Aug. 19, 2010
Harnessing the power of the sun used to be an expensive proposition for ranchers developing off-site watering systems. But thanks to a frenetic expansion of production capacity by manufacturers in recent years, the price of solar-powered systems has come down, especially for photovoltaic panels. Much of this was due to subsidies in European countries, breakneck
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
