MarketsFarm – Only three weeks into the job as the general manager for Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP), Carson Callum is faced with a few challenges.
To Callum, the most pressing is the drought the province’s 6,500 cattle producers have contended with.
“We had a drought in 2018 and a lot of our districts are having drought problems again in 2019. Feed availability over the coming winter is going to be a problem,” he stated.
Also, Callum sees the importance of attracting new producers to the cattle industry and to MBP. That works into the Manitoba government’s desire to increase the overall size of the province’s cattle herd.
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With the rise of non-meat sources of protein, Callum believes it’s vital to continue building and maintaining the public’s trust.
“Showing there is still the option of a good, healthy protein with beef,” he commented.
In the short time Callum has been on the job, he has spoken with many of MBP’s directors. Being from the family’s mixed grain and beef cattle farm, located south of Miami, Callum said he’s already acquainted with many producers.
For those producers, being the summer slowdown, the cattle auctions had a very light week with only two sales.
More auctions are scheduled for the week of July 22, with Brandon (July 23), Grunthal (July 23), Virden (July 24) and Gladstone (July 25)
There won’t be a cattle auction at Winnipeg until August 9. Also, the Ste. Rose du Lac auction is closed until next month, while Killarney and Pipestone reopen in September.
