(Dave Bedard photo)

FCC to offer beef heifer replacement loans

Loan program for those wanting to build, maintain herds

Cattle producers wanting to expand or maintain herds — in a time of nationwide herd contraction — are the expected beneficiaries for a new loan program from Farm Credit Canada. FCC on Tuesday announced what it calls the Replacement Heifer Program, consisting of a loan with a maximum loan life of seven years and a

Downside to record cattle prices spurs call for industry co-operation

Downside to record cattle prices spurs call for industry co-operation

AUCTIONS | For auction markets, this fall run looks to be more like a fall marathon

Prices at Manitoba’s cattle auctions continued to be among the strongest ever seen during the week ended Sept. 28 — and as the fall run got fully underway, the province saw large numbers of cattle come in for sale. “It’s very busy,” said Tyler Slawinski, auctioneer for Gladstone as well as the Ashern Auction Mart.


The Beef Cattle Research Council really got its start when government started backing out of beef research, says Andrea Brocklebank, BCRC executive director.

The guiding light of beef research

BCRC celebrates 25 years of funding research the government wouldn’t

Many beef producers might remember a time, say 25 years ago, that a 900-pound steer would be considered finished. Today, there’s a good chance that same steer would be 50 pounds away from starting the finishing process. Craig Lehr remembers. And on the 25th anniversary of the largest not-for-profit, industry-led funding agency in Canadian beef

Beef sector faces weather, insurance challenges

Beef sector faces weather, insurance challenges

Prices have been a boon, but other problems remain

The provincial election was called on Sept. 5, and Manitoba Beef Producers general manager Carson Callum wants the Progressive Conservative, New Democratic and Liberal parties to consider the needs of the Manitoba beef industry. Among them are measures to mitigate the effects of drought and flood, as well as the need for good roads and


University of Manitoba research scientist Kim Ominski.

Giving beef a good rep

FACES OF AG | University of Manitoba research scientist honoured

A Manitoba research scientist has earned top accolades from the Beef Cattle Research Council for her work on sustainability and the cattle sector. Kim Ominski of the University of Manitoba received the 2023 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Calgary Aug. 16. Why it matters:

Corn silage comes off the field.

The pros and cons of silage inoculants

Inoculants can improve silage quality, but how do they factor into the bottom line?

Better feed quality is always a plus, but when it comes to silage inoculants, it’s one more input weighing into the producer’s cost of production. Anyone hoping it will salvage poor silage may be in for a rude surprise. “It’s not for everyone,” said Karis Hutlet, a sales associate and agronomist with Marc Hutlet Seeds


Automatic syringes in a storage unit will keep them from freezing in the winter months and overheating in the summer.

Automatic syringes a better solution

Beef 911: Retire those old guns that have done their duty, and get better results

Vaccinations are a cornerstone biosecurity practice for cow-calf operations and feedlots. It is not uncommon for two or more vaccines to be given twice a year. There has been lots written about proper vaccination techniques, vaccine storage, maintaining the chain of refrigeration and other things that affect the way these vaccines perform. I want to discuss the most important equipment

Aerial view of a cattle feedlot in Texas.

U.S. beef cow herd falls to 52-year low

Reuters – American farmers are raising the fewest beef cows since at least 1971, according to U.S. government data released July 21. Drought conditions in North America have whittled herds, likely boosting costs for meatpackers. There were 29.4 million beef cows in the U.S. as of July 1, down 2.6 per cent from a year


A microscope-level view of damaged brain tissue from a cow infected with BSE. (USDA photo via U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

U.S. reports case of atypical BSE

Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Friday an atypical case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), in an older beef cow at a slaughter plant in South Carolina. USDA said the animal never entered slaughter channels and the agency did not expect any trade impacts as a result. It was

(RyanJLane/E+/Getty Images)

U.S. beef cow herd falls to lowest level since 1962, USDA says

Last year saw record cull, Rabobank reports

Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. beef cow herd dropped to its lowest level since 1962, U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed on Tuesday, after a severe drought raised costs for livestock feed. Ranchers increasingly sent cows to slaughter last year, instead of keeping them to reproduce, as dry weather reduced the amount of pasture