Russia Gains Taste For U. S. Beef

Russia may not like U. S. chicken or pork, but it likes U. S. beef and has bought over 6,000 tons of it this year, a nearly thirtyfold increase from 2009. This has been good news for U. S. beef and cattle producers, who are enjoying huge profits for the first time in nearly two



May 1 Is Crocus Festival In Arden, Manitoba

RECIPE SWAP Thank you for supporting the recipe swap! We love receiving readers’ favourite recipes and recipe requests. All towns are proud of their heritage and regularly preserve it in neatly kept museums. The tiny town of Arden, east of Neepawa has taken preservation a step further, by highlighting the natural heritage around them too.

Alberta Checkoff Change Hurts National Beef Program Funding

The elimination of a nonrefundable cattle checkoff in Alberta could cost Canada’s beef industry over $20 million a year in lost economic benefits, according to figures in a new study. A national agency which directs checkoff money toward beef research, promotion and market development has slashed its annual budget, mainly because the Alberta checkoff, once


Put Age Verification On Hold

Our national mandatory program for age verification for cattle needs to be put on hold until there is careful study and round table discussions with farmers. Governments need to talk to actual farmers, not merely to organizations that claim to represent farmers and to the so-called industry leaders. The federal Standing Committee on Agriculture needs

Consumers Have A Role In Beef Safety

The safety of our beef supply starts in the pasture and ends at the dinner table. That means that consumers have a role to play, as do producers, packers, retailers and food service vendors. The vast majority of food-borne illness occurs at the consumer level due to inadequate handling, cross-contamination of raw meat products and


Packers Not Villains In Beef Profits: Study

“There is no case to be made that packers are taking an unwarranted share of the revenue.” – CHARLIE GRACEY Although cattle producers receive only a small share of the beef dollar, packing plants are not the reason for their lack of profitability, according to a recent study. In fact, retailers get vastly more value



Manitoba Producer Elected CCA Vice-President

It’s been nearly seven years since BSE nearly wrecked the Canadian cattle industry and producers have never fully recovered. But Martin Unrau believes things are finally improving. “I’m very confident we’ve turned the corner,” said Unrau, a cow-calf producer from MacGregor, Man. Of course, producers, who have been down so long it looks like up,

Ottawa Offers $6 Million For Beef Research

“The politics of market access often demand ministerial intervention to get over the hurdles presented.” The federal government is making $6 million available to boost research on beef cattle nutrition and productivity, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz told the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association March 22. The research will encourage “Canadian breakthroughs that make the farm gate more